That's Good HR

Rejection

Stacy Rouse — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Picture yourself in this scenario:

You just got back to your computer and are anxiously trying to get into your e-mail to see if you've received feedback yet from the company you interviewed with last week. As soon as you login the company's e-mail address instantly jumps out at you and you cannot click on the message fast enough to see what it says. You begin reading the words, "We enjoyed meeting with you and learning about your career path...." You then read a little further and you see, "...but at this time we have decided to pursue other avenues." You're not just devastated, you are mad. You can't understand why they didn't pick you. This is natural...we all want to understand why weren't picked for something we were so excited about. However, it is important that you not let the situation get you so down that you lose your confidence. Instead use this as a learning opportunity. Below, I have outlined for you some of the Do's and Don'ts of how to respond after receiving a rejection letter or phone call.

DON'T instantly pick up the phone and call the hiring manager to demand an explanation for not being selected for the job opening.
DON'T call all of your friends and tell them what a bad company XYZ company is because they didn't hire you for your dream job.
DON'T try to replay the entire interview back in your head and analyze every answer you provided.
DO ask politely for further feedback on your interview. Even if the company decided not to fill the position they may still be able to provide you with valuable feedback that you can transfer to future interviews as you continue your Indianapolis job search.
DO ask where other candidates more closely hit the mark and you maybe fell a little short. Maybe it is the computer skills needed for the position and you can easily take a couple of online courses to improve your skills and knowledge. Maybe other candidates had a certification that you do not, but have been contemplating going after. Not only will this help you further develop yourself for future opportunities, but it will also give you an idea of hiring trends in your industry.
DO write down the good answers that you provided to questions, along with those that you could have worded a little differently. This will help in your preparation for your next interview. Also, if you are working with an Indianapolis staffing firm, ask them if you can run some answers past them to get more feedback.

Rejection is never easy to deal with, especially when it pertains to your next career move. However, the way in which you respond to that rejection is what will set you apart in future interviews.

Job Seeker Do's & Dont's

Lisa Minter — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

As I discussed in a previous blog, I entered that big scary job search arena last year and I had to remind myself of all those pointers that I had shared with Central Indiana job seekers over the past 17 years. It was time to see if they worked for me (which I am happy to say they did!).

First, Make sure your personal email address is simple and professional. If your email address is partyallthetime@xyzdomain, you should pick something else. You don't want an Indianapolis staffing company or HR Manager to disregard you before even viewing your resume.

If you are entering an Indianapolis job search while still employed, do not submit your resume or correspond from your work email address. This tells prospective employers that instead of working, you are searching for jobs on your current employer's dime.

Make sure your resume is free of any grammatical or spelling errors. Check, double & triple check and then have somoene else review it. It is a red flag if you are searching for adminstrative jobs, accounting jobs, or HR jobs in Indianapolis where companies are looking for individuals with atention to detail, professional communication skills or maintaining databases only to receive a resume with errors.

Clean up your social networking pages. HR Managers and Executive Recruiters in Indianapolis do check Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. for information about the person applying for their company's open position. Think about what you have posted. If you have Spring Break-Daytona Beach pictures from college, think about if that is the impression you want to give to a prospective employer.

Make sure the voicemail message on your phone is professional. If your message is currently intended for personal use, revise it. If your message says "It's me and you know what to do" or "Leave a message, I'll call ya back", that does not instill confidence in hiring managers that you will be portray a professional representation of their company.

Finally, be sure to check voicemail and email messages frequently. It's important to respond in a relatively short amount of time to prosective employers. When Indianapolis staffing companies, Executive Recruiters or any prospective employer contacts you, they likely want to discuss your skills and how they may be a good fit for their company!

Answering the "weakness" question.

Stacy Rouse — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:11:00 +0000

One of the most popular interview questions asked of candidates in the job search has to be "Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses." Answering the first part of that question is somewhat easy for most people to answer, but very few people answer the second half of that question effectively. They either give the standard, generic answers (e.g. "I work too hard", "I'm a perfectionist", etc.) or they give a weakness that has nothing to do with their performance on the job. In my last position I asked someone to tell me something that they are working on from a professional standpoint (a.k.a. their weakness) and they answered simply with, "Gardening. My husband keeps telling me that I need to plant some flowers." Let's just say that I was less than amused and ended the interview as quickly as possible. That response had nothing to do with her quest for a new position.

A more effective way to answer that question is to reflect back on your most recent position and create a list of skills that you were not able to further develop or improve. Keep it positive. Keep it relevant. Most importantly make sure you explain in a clear and concise manner as to how developing those skills can be an asset to your future employer. I also recommend giving a little bit of detail on how you were able to improve that certain aspect even the slightest bit in the last position. If you can explain yourself effectively, a potential employer is going to appreciate that you have recognized a genuine need for improvement in a certain area and that you have also already taken the time and energy to analyze how you could work on that area.

Just remember, practice makes perfect so solid preparation for this answer will drastically improve the eloquence of your response.

Balancing Trust with Verification

Karen Seketa — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:07:00 +0000

I am a natural born cynic. No, I take that back...I am sure I was not born that way, but my environment and experiences over time have shaped my outlook on life to be a little bit more on the "verify" side of Ronald Reagan's signature phrase "Trust but Verify". Now, don't get me wrong, I am not one to actively seek out the bad in all situations. Quite the opposite, actually. I am typically very upbeat and easygoing. My friends consider me fun to be around. (You might want to verify that one). Over time, however, I have moved away from blind trust and "taking your word for it" when navigating through day to day situations.

This is actually a very good trait to have and I am not just telling you that because of my own awareness of my level of cynicism. It is important to weigh your options and ask specific (and sometimes many) questions before you simply accept things for what they appear to be. This is something many of us do when making big decisions like buying a house or a car. I challenge you to "pause" regularly to consider your options or to "verify" the facts with any transaction that has an impact on your life, your year, your day or even the moment if it is important enough.

For example, when you meet someone for the first time, you don't know if they will have an impact (good or bad) on your life in some way. Take a moment to learn about them, peel back the layers of the onion and genuinely be interested in something about them before you pass judgment. A wise man (my dad) once told me that very rarely is something exactly what it appears to be. Perhaps that was my first lesson in "trust but verify" but it has served me well.

Take your Indianapolis job search, for another example. This impacts you significantly. It is very necessary to have a job and the process of finding a job (particularly of late) can be overwhelming. So what do we do? We move as quickly as we can through the process of identifying and applying to Indianapolis job openings and away we go. I challenge you that this is the perfect time to pause, even though the situation of not having a job or being in the wrong job makes it very hard to consider moving more slowly. The "trust but verify" approach here will serve you well. I promise.

Instead of the scatter approach to your job search, take the time to filter your options to those that you "trust" are the best match for you. Rely on your personal and professional networks to educate you on current hiring trends in your field of interest and to offer you insights to the good, bad and ugly of the local marketplace and in your chosen career track.
Once you have your list, it is time to verify. Do your research on the company, the industry and the specifics around the position. The first two are easy to do with all of the research options at your virtual fingertips. The position details will take some more work. Engage in social media outlets that connect you to others who work in the industry, for that company or in a similar role. If the opportunity to interview presents itself, use that initial engagement to verify that your understanding of the position match the expectations of the supervisor or the company.

Once you advance in the interview process, it is time to verify the cultural fit. A big shiny building with cutting edge technology might have nothing within the structure of the building to support what is important to you. Going with your gut has it's place and time and but nothing can take the place of asking questions in different ways to get to the answer you are really looking for. Just be prepared that the risk is that it might not be the answer you want. Most of the time we don't dig deeper because we fear that our perception will be shattered for a reality that we no longer want or like. Better now than later, I say.

Verifying can be uncomfortable, even in the most basic of situations. I was shopping in a local jeans establishment the other day and when the clerk rang up my total it sounded a little high for me. I mentioned that and the clerk brushed my concern aside. I paid, left and still felt something was not quite right. I looked in my bag and compared my purchases with the receipt and discovered that I had been charged for the same pair of jeans THREE times. I went back to have it corrected and was surprised when there was no apology for the error, only the comment "I am so glad you caught that". The only thing "Lucky" about that experience was that I trusted for a moment and then verified.

I encourage you to do the same.

At That's Good HR, Inc. we are acutely aware of the need to trust your choice in Indianapolis recruiters. The job search process is not the place to trust until you verify. Once you do your verification, your chances that you will have the right guidance and support throughout your process increase exponentially.

A chance for a new start

Customer Experiences — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:40:00 +0000

This company gave me an opportunity to switch careers when I needed it. They found a great fit for me I'm a company that I can see myself with for years to come.

Name: Brad N
Email: bneiswinger@gmail.com

Leadership Strengths - No Magic Bullet

Karen Seketa — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I am of the opinion that there is no secret recipe to being a great leader or identifying great leaders. There are many who study or have studied what makes a great leader and I too have been a student of this quest for knowledge. My studies have not been scientific, rather, I have held leadership roles in Indianapolis staffing in one capacity or another for nearly 2 decades. My focus has been leadership in the world of central Indiana jobs and local hiring trends for as long as I can remember. I have had the opportunity to lead teams both large and small, in large corporate and small private organizations, with paid employees and with volunteers and in good times and bad. I feel fairly confident that my exposure to extremes has only contributed to my development in a positive way.

Gallup is a research organization that holds a little (a lot, actually) more clout than I do on studies of leadership traits. Conveniently, their studies also seem to agree with my point of view. In conducting research for the book, "Strengths Based Leadership", Gallup researchers studied more than one million work teams, conducted more than 20,000 in-depth interviews with leaders, and even interviewed more than 10,000 followers. Their findings were vast, but just of few of them follow:

Of all the leaders surveyed, Gallup has yet to discover even one who has world-class strength in all of the four domains of leadership strength -- executing, influencing, relationship building, and strategic thinking.
Paradoxically, those who strive to be competent in all areas become the least effective leaders overall.

Further, their research found that the most effective leaders are not well rounded at all, but instead are acutely aware of their talents and use them to their best advantage. By focusing on those things that you know you do well and the areas where your strengths lie, you do not waste your time and efforts trying to be great at everything. Imagine the power of focusing on your strengths and developing true expertise in these areas. It seems that most people fail when they feel they have to be the best in everything they do and instead end up being mediocre at everything. Followers have four basic needs - trust, compassion, stability and hope. It is hard for people to follow mediocrity with enthusiasm and loyalty.

If you are not aware of what your strengths are, you should do some research and find out. Then take it a step further and identify the strengths of your team to ensure that you are working with a balanced team covering the four key domains of leadership strength.

Based again on Gallup's Strengths Based Leadership, here are the four domains of leadership strength - all of these are important in building well rounded teams. A great leader will surround themselves with team members who are strong in the areas where they are self aware that they are lacking.

Executing

Team members who have dominant strength in the Executing domain are those whom you turn to time and again to implement a solution. These are the people who will work tirelessly to get something done. People who are strong in the Executing domain have an ability to take an idea and transform it into reality within the organization they lead.

Influencing

People who are innately good at influencing are always selling the team's ideas inside and outside the organization. When you need someone to take charge, speak up, and make sure your group is heard, look to someone with the strength to influence.

Relationship Building

Relationship builders are the glue that holds a team together. Strengths associated with bringing people together -- whether it is by keeping distractions at bay or keeping the collective energy high -- transform a group of individuals into a team capable of carrying out complex projects and goals.

Strategic Thinking

Those who are able to keep people focused on what they could be are constantly pulling a team and its members into the future. They continually absorb and analyze information and help the team make better decisions.

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You will be amazed at the power that comes from a well balanced team of individuals who balance each other and perform within their greatest strengths. I have been fortunate to work with teams like this in my past and to this day I would work with that team anywhere, anytime, with confidence in our ability to succeed. In the competitive industry of indianapolis staffing it is crucial to have a sustainable competitive edge that comes only from a well balanced leadership team.

So much more than a Survey....The Importance of Feedback

Karen Seketa — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:36:00 +0000

So, I was browsing Wikipedia and looked up the definition of feedback to see if it was consistent with the level of importance that we put on the survey feedback that we get here at That's Good HR. Here is the definition that I found:

"Feedback describes the situation when output from (or information about the result of) an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or occurrences of the same (i.e. same defined) event / phenomenon (or the continuation / development of the original phenomenon) in the present or future."

We ask our candidates and our clients how we are doing as often as we possibly can. After interviewing in our office, every candidate receives a survey and at the conclusion of each assignment, we send a survey to ask both the client and the candidate about their experience with us and with each other. The feedback that we receive from these surveys is critical to how we conduct and manage our business. The feedback that we do not receive is most likely even more crucial, but because we do not receive it, we are missing some great input into process improvements or reinforcements.

Our surveys are very short and easy to respond to - they take about 3-5 minutes, tops. We read, analyze and appreciate every single word of input and feedback that we receive from these surveys. We also invite our clients and candidates to Share their Story right here on our blog as well. To hear from our customers about how we are doing is the highlight of our day - even if the feedback is negative, we are excited because only when we know what we might be doing wrong, can we correct it or make it right.

This feedback not only challenges us to be better at what we do, it gives us an opportunity to thank our temporary employees when they do a great job on an assignment. When we get excellent feedback from a customer, we send a special thank you to that employee. This feedback also helps us to learn more about the culture and environment at our customer locations. This information can only make us better at what we do. There simply is no downside for asking how you are doing for your customers at any point in the service delivery process that you can.

So, how do we encourage our Indianapolis staffing customers to provide feedback? Our current response rate on our surveys ranges between 55-75%, which simply stated, means we are missing out on a lot of great information. We are trying some new tricks and ideas here to increase that rate. I will let you know how they go, but we would love to hear some ideas from our Indianapolis staffing audience as well!

In the meantime, I encourage you to have your voice heard, provide feedback on your experiences whenever you can. With modern technology and the amount if information at your fingertips on the Internet we are all relying on each other more and more to tell us what you think about....well, anything at all! For example, when I look up a new recipe on line, I pay attention to the comments and ratings from others who have tried it out already. This helps me to know that this recipe works better with olive oil instead of butter without going through the trial and error myself. Good stuff!

At That's Good HR, we get a large percentage of our candidates and clients through referrals so for us, telling other people what you think is of great value. So, keep talking, Indianapolis, people like me want to hear from you!

Let's Chat about Live Chat

Karen Seketa — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Over two decades of Indianapolis Staffing industry experience have transformed me into a demanding customer when I am in need of some good customer service myself. I figure that Monday - Friday (and sometimes Sat and Sun too), I make sure I dish out the best possible customer service to my customers. All I am asking for is a little of the same from my own service providers. I have to admit, usually I am pleasantly surprised...but not always. Every once in awhile I need to TALK to someone about a problem I am having - but NO, instead I get caught up in customer service "please hold for the next available customer service rep while you listen to this crummy music" hell. This happened to me recently and after investing an embarrassing amount of time attempting to conquer the on hold circle of defeat, I decided to investigate the deep dark depths of their website to see if there was any hope of a live person I could reach to help me out.

This is where I stumbled across the "Live Chat" option. It was not prominently displayed on the site, but I found it and although pensive about pouring my heart out to a stranger on the Internet, I was desperate enough to use it. I am happy to report that my experience was pleasantly satisfying and the process of typing out my "problem" turned out to be rather cathartic. The customer service rep on the other end of my "chat" was polite, helpful and took care of my problem in 3 questions or less. Now, the emotional reactions and facial expressions demonstrated by my helper on the other side of the keyboard might have been frustration or exasperation about my issue, but as far as I was concerned, they passed the test of great customer service.

I was not sure how I would feel about giving credit to a pseudo-personal method of communicating with your customers. I am, after all, a tried and true student of the school of personal communication being the very best way to take care of your customers. Face to face is even better, but we all know that is an impossible dream with a large customer base that is geographically spread out. Phone communication is the next best way to take care of your customers with that personal touch. These days, email is the preferred method of communication for many, but it leaves so much open for interpretation that is is not always the most effective method. Now I find myself sitting here pondering how cool it might be to have the "live chat" option for a service such as ours? I have not thought it fully through yet and have many potential challenges to this approach in the staffing industry already formulating in my head. That said, it might be the next thing on the list of "expected" service delivery options so it would be wise to mull it over.

At That's Good HR, I have to admit that we make ourselves available to our customers at all times. We try very hard to be proactive in our approach to talent management, but when you are working with the human element things come up, so it is critical to be available and ready to help. Our "live chat" option right now is the own mobile device that each of us carries which offers a personal touch to the support we provide. Not sure we are quite ready to give that up yet. More to come...

Think references are a thing of the past? Think again!!

Amber Crosby — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

As an experienced recruiter and in the Indianapolis staffing industry I'm seeing a trend recently of candidates we are interviewing not being able to provide solid references. Frankly, I'm shocked! As a headhunter who knows a great reference can put you head and shoulders above your peers in the final selection process, I'm left wondering why professionals would feel this is no longer important. Let me address below why you want to have strong references:

Great references set you apart from your competition.
It makes the company you are interviewing with feel more comfortable with their hiring decision.
Job offers come much faster if references are completed during the interview process.
Most job offers are contingent upon reference checks, so why sweat it out once you have made it that far!

Now you are probably wondering, "How do I get a great reference?". The first part is in your control. You have to do a good job for the company, leave on good terms and treat managers/peers with professional courtesy. Once you accept another position or you get the dreaded "We are downsizing/eliminating your position/outsourcing this department/laying off due to lack of work" then the first step is to secure your references. To do this, follow these steps:

Ask, ask, ask - you don't get what you don't ask for. Never assume your manager will give you a reference if you did not ask them to.
Get their personal contact information - you want their personal information (phone, address and email address) because if they leave that company or the company closes, you will still need that reference and that means calling them on their personal phone. I also ask for their home address and send them a holiday card every year. They won't forget about you if they see your smiling family on a card each year.
If you are on LinkedIn, ask for a recommendation on your work and return the favor for your reference.
Keep in touch - reach out to them a couple times a year to keep good contact information. Don't be afraid to disclose some personal tidbits as well and make it a friendly touching base email.
Make sure you call your references by the time you reach the 2nd interview with a company. If they know to be expecting a call, chances are they will return the reference call much quicker. This will also give you the heads up if someone is going to be unable to be reached due to a travel schedule, vacation planned or just being out of the office for an extended period of time.
Know what they are going to say about you. If there was an attendance problem at that time, or if you are like me and are notoriously late to everything then make sure the company you are interviewing with knows this so they don't get any surprises during the reference check process. If you give good reasons for the issue and how you have learned from your mistake this will only make you look better. If you don't mention it and they do, rest assured you probably won't get the offer you are waiting on. As all football fans know, the best defense is a good offense. You want to get all their possible reasons for objections out of the way early on, not during the reference check process.

Obviously, this is the best case scenario, so what do you do if company policy prohibits your manager from giving a reference? This depends on the level of trust between you and your supervisor. I have always been close with mine so I wouldn't feel uncomfortable asking them if they would talk "off the record" to the company I'm interviewing with. If you aren't close then chances are they won't be comfortable with this. You will need to alert the company you are interviewing with when they ask for references that this will be the response they get. Offer additional references from other companies, volunteering activities, or external customers you worked with at that company.

To address the question I get from new graduates, "I don't have any work experience so how do I get a reference?". Use professors for a reference. This will take extra work on your part but I'm a firm believer in the advantages of staying connected to professors after graduation. If you have a professor more than once for your area of study - Ex. Accounting professor for accounting students then they would be the most optimal reference. You also have many other potential reference resources that you might have considered during your time at school. Summer jobs, volunteer opportunities, extra-curricular activities, student leadership posts and many more. To get them to give you a reference, make sure you follow the 6 steps listed above.

Now go add your references to your holiday card mailing list!!! Happy Holidays from That's Good HR!!

That's Good HR Weekly News Update - December 9, 2011

Harry Danz — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:13:49 +0000

Hiring, branding, workplace culture, health insurance and "a partridge in a pear tree". So many balls in the air, it can be a challenge just to choose which to catch first and which to just let fall for the time being. Can you catch them all? Not alone. This is the time of year when many companies review their human capital strategies and determine what changes to make for the coming year. It is important to make sure that all of the non-tangible aspects of your business are considered (like managing your brand or keeping up with social media) along with the obvious. This week there were some good news articles focusing on some of these key issues. Grab a cup of hot chocolate and read on....
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Health Insurance plan Choices Confusing for Many: As another open enrollment season comes to a close, millions of consumers are finalizing their benefits packages for 2012. Unfortunately, more than half of insured adults are confused with several important aspects related to choosing a health insurance plan, reveals a survey released Monday. (benefitnews.com)

The Importance of Paying Close Attention to Social Media: Imagine your company announces a major change to its service offering and suddenly, the company is being bombarded by negative social media comments about the change. Further, the leadership of the company ignores the negative comments thinking everything will simply blow over. In today’s world, things don’t blow over. Problems tend to spread virally in short order. (forbes.com)

Hiring Top Talent with Limited Resources: When clients that operate small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) ask for help recruiting, hiring and retaining top talent, they often start the conversation by highlighting a huge human resources challenge: How can they compete with larger, deeper-pocketed competitors to recruit their industry’s best performers? (financialpost.com)

What Motivates Employees more then Money? The ability to motivate employees is one of the greatest skills an entrepreneur can possess. Two years ago, I realized I didn’t have this skill. So I hired a CEO who did. (linkedin.com)

Let's Agree to Drop these Worst Corporate Jargon Offenders: Hey! It’s mission-critical that we circle back on this very important matter of corporate jargon in the workplace. Let’s focus on the low-hanging fruit with a small group first and then loop everyone in. Being proactive about our learnings will really incentivize the group to focus on the most critical action items and value-add for maximum impact. Let’s start high level, drill down from there, and circle back after lunch to figure out next steps. (thehiringsite.com)

Talent and skills shortage-one of the top business risks for 2012: Despite high levels of unemployment, U.S. business leaders say one of the biggest risks they’re facing is a talent and skills shortage, according to the 2011 Lloyd’s Risk Index. (benefitnews.com)

How to Manage workplace culture: The Christmas season is here. Many non-Christians participate in the commercial aspects of Christmas. Some non-Christians are offended by its religious foundations and any reference to Christmas in the workplace, at school or in the stores. Many employees have no strong opinion. (newsobserver.com)

Employer Branding - Spread the Word: “I heard that’s a great place to work.” When employer branding efforts are successful, any mention of a company should trigger that exact statement. And when a company effectively communicates its brand internally and obtains employee buy-in, “Yes, it is!” should become the automatic response. (recruiter.com)

11 Favorite recruiting strategies for hiring new college grads: A new report from Michigan State University gives college students a road map on how to connect with employers. The survey, which was completed by roughly 3,300 employers across the country, clearly indicates that internships are the No. 1 recruiting strategy. (cbsnews.com)

Peace, Sweat and Snowballs

Customer Experiences — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

This post was written by Jessica Buckley last year at this time and we thought it might be helpful to repost for you this year!

A great book titled, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and it’s all small stuff, includes simple ways to keep the little things from taking over your life. Many of the chapters include helpful tips for the workplace. One of my favorite chapters titled "Be Aware of the Snowball Effect of Your Thinking" helped me towards achieving a work life balance. I hope after reading this it can help you too!

A powerful technique for becoming more peaceful is to be aware of how quickly your negative and insecure thinking can spiral out of control. Have you ever noticed how uptight you feel when you’re caught up in your thinking? And, to top it off, the more absorbed you get in the details of whatever is upsetting you, the worse you feel. One thought leads to another until at some point, you become incredibly agitated. For example, you might wake up in the middle of the night and remember a phone call that needs to be made the following day. Then, rather than feeling relieved that you remembered such an important call, you start thinking about everything else you have to do tomorrow. You start rehearsing a probable conversation with your boss, getting yourself even more upset. Pretty soon you think to yourself, “I can’t believe how busy I am. I must make fifty phone calls a day. Whose life is this anyway?” For many people, there’s no limit to how long this type of “thought attack” can go on. The solution is to notice what’s happening in your head before your thoughts have a chance to build any momentum.

The sooner you catch yourself in the act of building your mental snowball, the easier it is to stop. In the example illustrated, you might notice your snowball thinking right when you start running through the list of what you have to do the next day. Instead of obsessing on your upcoming day, say to yourself, “Phew, there I go again,” and consciously stop. Stop your train of thought before it has a chance to get going. You can then focus, not on how overwhelmed you are, but on how grateful you are for remembering the phone call that needed to be made. If it’s the middle of the night, write it down on a piece of paper and go back to sleep. You might even consider keeping a pen and paper by the bed for such moments. You might be a busy person, but remember that filling your head with thoughts of how overwhelmed you are only exacerbates the problem by making you feel even more stressed than you already do. Try this simple exercise the next time you begin to obsess on your schedule. You’ll be amazed at how effective it can be.

I hope this post was helpful to you, particularly during the hectic holiday season!

That's Good HR Weekly News Update - December 2, 2011

Harry Danz — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:41:24 +0000

With the first snowfall of the year we are reminded of the importance of being prepared as the weather takes a turn for the worse. I thought I was prepared, as I pro-actively purchased yet another snow scraper for my car well over a month ago. This is a fancy one with a retractable handle and double brush. This would be the shining star of my snow scraper collection. Yesterday, upon emerging from my warm office at the end of the day to brave the snowy drive home; it occurred to me that while was proactive in the purchase of the snow scraper, my failure to leave it in my car rendered it useless to me in my time of need. Lesson learned.

My hope for you is that my weekly news updates contribute to your ability to be prepared for HR and legal issues and challenges as they develop. Preparing for a storm is one thing, but staying on top of the daily maintenance of small issues before they become big ones is just as important (if not more important). Here are some of the top HR and legal news updates I came across this week.
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20 States to See Tax Hike on Employers: Federal unemployment taxes will rise for employers in 20 states and the Virgin Islands. Those employers are losing part of a credit on federal unemployment taxes in 2011 because their state governments have unpaid balances for two or more years on federal funds borrowed to pay state unemployment claims. (Staffing Industry.com)

Checking Social Media on a Potential New Hire? Here are some Tips: According to this recent SHRM survey, only 18 percent of companies have used social media to screen job candidates. Most cite the legal risks of screening candidates as the reason for not implementing a social-media background check. (tlnt.com)

Bill to extend payroll tax cust to be introduced by Democrats: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Monday that he plans to introduce legislation this week that would extend the payroll tax cut that is due to expire at the end of the year. (benefitnews.com)

Why more folds are waiting to Retire: A recent Wells Fargo survey of 1,500 Americans between the ages of 20 and 70 reveals that 20% of them believe that they will “need to work until at least age 80” to live comfortably into retirement. (recruiter.com)

A current snapshot of the Indianapolis/Marion County economy is now available for you to view. Inside you will find current economic indicators including: Employment Statistics, Current Real Estate Statistics , Recent Jobs Announcements (developindy.org)

Good Tips here on How NOT to fire someone: 5 common mistakes: Unless you're a natural bully, firing someone is never fun. It is, of course, a necessary part of being a manager, and it's a skill that can be honed. (cbsnews.com)

Employer Reactions to Internet Use at Work: Though it’s expected that workers will use the Internet for non-work purposes during breaks, lunch hours, and in moderation, Web activity spilling into work time is when many employers put their collective feet (adorned with 50 percent off Black Friday Blowout shoes, thankyouverymuch) down. (thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com)

Do you Measure Performance? Some: Management gurus like Peter Drucker have long since put to bed the idea that measuring performance really does improve performance significantly more than if you don’t measure. But this isn’t the reason driving most people’s participation in performance measurement. Let’s look at a few of the most common reasons, and see how compelling they are. (staceybarr.com)

Office Distractions - 6 of the Biggest: When productivity is high, your business provides better service and you are most likely making more money. But when it is low, or there are distractions among your staff, it can have a big impact not only on productivity, but on customer service, team morale and the overall state of your business. (openforum.com)

Free Guide by the NLRB Teaches Employers about Social Media Policies in the Workplace: A new employer guide entitled, “Can I Fire This Twit Over That Tweet?. Theisguide will assist HR managers in understanding social media labor laws and what behaviors at work constitute employee misconduct. (recruiter.com)

You Get What You Give...Most of the time.

Karen Seketa — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:15:00 +0000

In the post-Thanksgiving spirit, I thought I would share some thoughts on the very topic of giving thanks. This time of year makes us all a little more sensitive to taking the time to appreciate what we do have and less tolerance for those who use this opportunity to simply complain about what they don't have. For example, don't you just love people who go through life "expecting" things to go their way regardless of how they treat those around them? "Thanks for nothing", they say. "Right back at you", I say. You get what you give. Plain and simple. It is not guaranteed but as a general rule, it all works out in the end.

In a bad situation? Do something to make it better rather than waiting for someone else to fix it for you. Help yourself and then help someone else while you are at it instead of spending your time wallowing in your unhappiness. Every single day should have in it, somewhere, your chance to do good in big and small ways. Smile at someone. Not hard, right? Maybe you will make their day a little brighter. Hold the elevator for someone. Easy. Let someone go first. Hard for some, but really so easy.

I am not talking monumental, sell all your stuff and give the money to charity kind of things. The simple stuff can lead to bigger stuff and one day it will come back to you in unexpected ways. This is not all simply for the touchy-feely outcome of it all. It actually does have practical applications in the workplace as well.

This lesson works especially well in the workplace and these are the building blocks for opportunities to have an individual impact at work that could later translate to great STARs (Situation, Task, Action, Results). Building your resume is one thing, but building great examples for behavioral interview questions is just as important. When you do something to make someone else's job better, you are contributing to the productivity of the company overall.

For example: Your coworker is struggling with a particular assignment working with a software that you have some proficiency with. Find some time to help them out, give them a mini tutorial. Don't do the work for them - rather teach them how to do it themselves. No skin off your back and you don't even need to take credit for it. They get the project completed and you have a good story to tell one day down the road when an interviewer ask you: "Tell me about a time when you used your knowledge to help someone else at work". You also now have a friend at the office who may be willing to help you out one day when you need it.

Sounds trite, I know. So simple and obvious that it is ridiculous to waste a blog post on the subject. I disagree. It is never a waste to remind others of the fundamentals around being decent human beings. Sometimes we get busy and forget and the holiday season just seems like a good time to put it out there one more time.

Soft Skills Gap and Effective Communication

Tiffany Moore — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:55:49 +0000

I hit a milestone birthday a few months ago and am trying not to let that big day make me feel old. I have to admit, however, that I am seeing a growing gap between myself and the younger generation coming into the workforce. Am I the only one that is having a hard time communicating with the younger generation? I see it at work as well as with my teenage son who will soon be 18 yrs old.

Those of you who know me well know that my son is actually my stepson but he has been in my life since he was 3 and he calls me “Mom”. He has been raised by his father and myself so if I want to point any fingers at anyone, I might as well point to myself. He and I have such a difficult time communicating and I simply chalk it up to him being a teenager. I have found recently, however, that when I talk to some young adults in their 20’s, I have a similar conversation challenges. I believe the reason the younger generation does not communicate effectively has a lot to do with Facebook, Twitter, texting, etc.

This younger generation has been brought up by technology rather than with face to face conversation which means they answer questions in short, disjointed sentence fragments full of abbreviations and code words. They are used to interrupting so they can be heard when they have something to say. Many times, I find they don’t listen long enough for me to articulate my point. This generation is comfortable throwing their words out to the other person via text without considering how the words will make the other person feel. It is missing the non verbal clues that are given off in a normal conversation so it doesn’t allow our younger generation to learn the basics of effective communication. So, what happens during conversations with my son and some of the younger generation? Either their voice jumps up several pitches because they are starting to get frustrated after a couple of sentences or they start to shut down and don’t say anything at all.

I recently came across a video segment that made me feel like I am not alone in my point of view. J. Michelle Sybesma was featured on Inside INdiana Business Television on November 14th to discuss an issue many Hoosier companies are facing: lack of "soft skills" in job candidates. She says the ability to communicate, work in teams and show up for work on time seem to be in short supply. You can see the video clip here: http://link.backlight.tv/growindian/videos/soft-skills-gap-1400.html

So what am I doing about it personally? I try to explain to my son every day that he isn’t communicating effectively and try to teach him how to do so. I am not sure it will work, but at least I am going to try. As a matter of fact, every person that does not work out on an assignment is an example that I give to him of what not to do when he enters the workforce. I am keeping my fingers crossed that effective communication is one of many things I can successfully teach my children!

So here is the question, do you think I am just venting about my soon to be 18 yr old, or do you have the same struggles?

That's Good HR Weekly News Update - November 18, 2011

Harry Danz — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:36:25 +0000

Emotional Intelligence, Title-only promotions, liars, remote workers, the impact of positive attitudes and upcoming Macroeconomic trends all caught my eye in the news this week. Seems like the rule is to keep your employees happy, healthy and informed about what to expect and what is coming next. Some of these concepts are fairly new and some have been around for awhile but we are just now understanding them. Remember when the HSA was new? Seems that there is still a lot about HSA's that your employees still may not understand. What is not new is that the Obama and the healthcare law are still making headlines. Next week, I will be taking a small break from the weekly news update to spend time with family and enjoying a certain turkey. I hope you will be doing the same.

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Many Benefits to Tapping into Employee Emotional intelligence: The concepts of emotional intelligence (EI), self-worth, authenticity and employee meditation rooms might conjure up thoughts of new age healing centers. But the benefits of tapping employees' emotional happiness mean the ideas are now being picked up by mainstream corporations. (CNN.com)

Navigating Legal Aspects of Title-Only Promotions: Experts say that cash-strapped companies are increasingly rewarding employees for their strong work ethic and performance with a change in title, but no bump in pay. While this may be a morale booster for the worker, small business owners can find themselves in legal hot water for giving promotions without any monetary benefits, according to experts. (foxbusiness.com)

Beware, You are Surrounded by Liars: Don’t look now, but the person reading this over your shoulder is a liar. So is the barista who just served you coffee. So are you. We’re all liars. In fact, studies have shown that we’re regularly told anywhere from 10 to 200 lies each day—up to 12 an hour. From white lies to whoppers, more than three-quarters of these go undetected. (smartblogs.com)

Highs and Lows of Unemployment in the Midwest: Over the past year, the Midwest has exhibited a range of divergent unemployment rates, with many metropolitan areas experiencing unemployment far above or below the national average of 9.0 percent. (recruiter.com)

Why it is a Good Idea to Tell your Employees to Take a Hike: It’s good for them (and your company, too!). Be careful how you tell your employees to take a hike, though. This article is not about employee termination but rather wellness and good health. (rockethr.com)

Supreme Court to take on Obama healthcare law: The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to decide the fate of President Barack Obama's healthcare law, with an election-year ruling due by July on the U.S. healthcare system's biggest overhaul in nearly 50 years.

The Importance of Proper OnBoarding for Remote Workers: It’s more important than ever to ensure that new hires become engaged immediately upon entering their new place of employment through a well-designed onboarding process. Successful onboarding programs aren’t just a paperwork-filled orientation: They create a connection between employees, their work and the goals of the organization. Here are a few best practices from companies that effectively onboard remote workers. (mashable.com)

The Upcoming Decade will bring these 5 Macroeconomic Trends: How Will the Workforce be Impacted?: The following are five major macroeconomic trends that are going to play out within the workforce within the next decade; by being aware of these trends and shifting one’s talent recruitment strategies to work in coordination with them, an organization stands a better chance of taking on the talent it requires to succeed. (recruiter.com)

How Positive is Your Attitude? Did you know it can be linked to work success? Five ways to improve your happiness quotient: Predicting an employee's future success at a company has traditionally stumped experts, and relying on metrics, such as IQ level, only tells 25% of the story. What makes up the other 75%, according to Shawn Achor, Harvard researcher and positive psychology expert, is the belief that your behavior matters, a positive social support system, and whether you view a challenge as a stress or an impetus to improve. (ebn.benefitnews.com)

Growth Prospects Not Clear for 2012: U.S. and global growth prospects for 2012 are “muddled,” with decelerating consumer spending, a rollback in government spending and weak export growth as key factors in the uncertainty, along with volatile economic conditions in Europe. (staffingindustry.com)

Educate Employees about the benefits of HSA’s to bolster participation: Consistently encouraging employees to contribute to a health savings account (HSA) will only go so far. The best way to max out HSA participation rates is to stress its effectiveness as a retirement tool. (hrmorning.com)

Important tips on creating great internship programs: The quantity of internship programs may be skyrocketing, but the same can't always be said about their quality. From complaints about the low or non-existent pay and lack of mentorship to reports that recession-rattled staff are too busy to shepherd interns, internships often fail young people, the company or both (and many of them even manage to be illegal). (CBSnews.com)