The Second Day

Have you ever started a new job? Do you remember what it was like? I remember anxiety about what I wore, how to drive to the office, where to park and what would happen. You weren’t sure who you were going to meet and wondered what they’d think about you. What would your work space look like? Where do you eat lunch and when do you do that?

The are countless questions and thoughts that run through your head. Most of them also assume the worst even though nothing has even happened yet. After you settle in the parking lot wondering if you’re in someone’s space, you hesitantly go to the front door and the receptionist. All of a sudden you’re warmly greeted and they call into your new boss who comes out and takes you to their office to explain how your first day will unfold. Your shoulders relax and you let out a heavy sigh. The first day then flies by with the mandatory HR paperwork, a tour of the company, multiple introductions to people who say their name too quickly, and then you land at your desk. Lunch is still a mystery because you seemed to either miss it or work through it. Then, the commute home.

You’re all geeked up after a positive experience on day one. You liked the majority of people you met. The work seems to match what you heard in the interview and you dig your new boss.

Day 2Then the second day comes . . .

You’re first day fears have been squelched and you are comfortable with the commute and how to get into the building and to your desk. Oddly, no one is there to greet you and the receptionist is already up to their eyes in guests, calls and e-mails. You go past your boss’s office and they wave, and say “We’ll talk later” – which never happens. You go to your desk and you have to figure things out on your own. You still don’t know what to do about lunch.

Sound familiar ?? It happens every, single day in companies across the globe regardless of industry. No one ever explains the existence of “assumed culture.” This is where we just think employees will “get it” because we don’t want to spend time with them because we’re too busy with our own work. When we miss those new folks they start making decisions as to whether they’ll stay or not much more quickly.

I’m heading to the SHRM Talent Conference and I’m geeked !! I think the sessions will be great and I’m looking forward to meeting new HR folks from around the country. I’m also sure that the majority of sessions will encourage HR to look at employees as “talent” because we honestly don’t. We are still stuck in the mire of filling job requisitions and keeping hiring managers calm. Also, the focus will be on the front end of the business or attracting and recruiting people.

Until we start viewing ALL employees as “talent” within our organizations, then our labeling of them will not change. I received some great advice from my boss when I started in my current role some 10 years ago. He wanted HR to be with employees for their entire life cycle – from candidate until the time they leave the company. He wanted to make sure that people didn’t get lost on Day Two.

This is another opportunity and reminder that HR needs to firmly be focused on people and not processes such as on-boarding. New employees aren’t things and tasks and we need to keep that in front of us.

This week see who’s joining the company and make sure their first day rocks, but also greet them on the second day  . . . and every one after that so they know that they truly are the talent you sought in the first place !!

Stay True !! #TimSackettDay

I remain fascinated by the world of Social Media and how people in HR approach it. The majority of people are observers who may take in content every once in awhile, or venture out and tweet every so often. When HR conferences happen, people jump in full force and set up social media accounts and they are very active throughout the event. Then they fade back into the mix of the majority.

Staying visible and relevant in social media over time is tough because it takes endless energy, creativity and a willingness to keep the fire burning. I haven’t seen many examples of people who do this well with one exception – The Recruiting Animal !! He was a social media pioneer and he has stayed true to who he is from the minute he burst onto the scene.

Recruiting AnimalIf you aren’t connected to The Animal (@animal on Twitter), you should be. However, be warned that you better have thick skin. If I had to describe Animal it would be “what boundaries” ?? He has a long running blog talk radio show and he is very upfront with his guests that this won’t be a soft, self-serving interview where you both stroke each other about how awesome you are. He cuts to the quick and expects you to be prepared. Some people are taken aback by this approach, but Animal doesn’t sway. He stays true to his approach, and it’s incredibly refreshing !!

Social media has become more about “look at me, look at me” than “look at others”. Animal has always looked out for the profession and has move recruiting forward more than others. His brash style runs counter to many folks who love hanging in the middle of the road.

I’ve chatted with Animal once in awhile and we’re connected on Social Media platforms all over. He was (and is) an inspiration and a model to me because I dig his authenticity. I wanted to reach out and connect with the person behind the ventriloquist dummy avatar, and I’m glad I did !! He’s a thoughtful, passionate and insightful person. His desire to keep people alert and moving is needed in HR, recruiting and the profession as a whole !!

One of the best ties I have with Animal is that he, John Sumser, Sylvia Dahlby and I share eclectic and vast music tastes. On a regular basis we share our “finds” on twitter under the #HRMusicShare tag. I look forward to seeing what Animal digs up and make sure that I reciprocate.  We haven’t grown this little faction of the hashtag. We’ve stayed true to how it organically started, and I dig that !!

I want to wish Animal a happy #TimSackettDay !! You rock my friend and I appreciate you modeling how to be authentic and genuine. I have a bucket list wish to be on your blog talk radio show sometime. And trust me, I’ll be prepared !!

Here’s a find for you that I hope you enjoy on your day !! Always stay true to yourself my friend !!

Squeals of Joy !!

This past week I got to do something that I haven’t done often over the past few years.  I was interviewing potential candidates to become Team Members for one of our pizzerias.

Typically, our great Managers interview, but I got to help this week because we had a bigger hiring need.  It was energizing to sit across the table to learn about people who are interested in joining us.  One thing I forgot about interviewing was the nerves, anxiety and anticipation of the candidate. Each person I spoke to was eager to give answers and share their experience.  A few of them were worried they’d give the “wrong” answer, and a few were very confident with every response.

At the end of the interview we decide whether to make an offer or not.  That’s when it happened. When I offered a job to some of the candidates, they actually squealed !!  They were so excited that they were going to get a job that they couldn’t help but express their joy.

I guess I’ve been in HR too long because I lost the experience and thrill of what it meant to offer someone a job. I think that’s true for most of us especially when I hear people speak more about metrics and not people.  The majority of how our focus in recruiting and hiring has come down to statistics like “time to hire” or “cost per hire.”  Where is the statistic – changed my life ??

Think about it.  When you make a hiring decision, you trust that the person you just interviewed is someone who will add value to your company.  You have been given the responsibility to identify and meet someone who is going to bring their lives, experience and talent to your organization !!  Isn’t that more important than a report or making sure that your next job requisition comes off the board?

JoyWhen we hire someone, we change their lives.  They are so excited to have this new opportunity.  We miss this squeal of joy because we’re so eager to move onto the next task, interview or project.

It’s time for us to step back and take in the fact that we are adding talent to our company.  If we are doing anything else, then we aren’t doing our job effectively because if the people we hire are just to alleviate pressure or ease some uneasiness in low staffing levels, then we’re missing the mark.

What if you approached hiring and job seekers with the same joy they hope to experience by landing a job?  What if you met each person with excitement, anxiety, nerves and anticipation about who you’re about to meet?  How do you think you’d view the “task” of recruiting and hiring with this type of attitude?

One of the people I hired asked if she could call her dad to tell him she had just landed her first job.  I said, “Of course,” and I listened as she shared the news.  It was a great wake up call for me.  What we do in HR is full of joy everyday in our lives, and potentially in the lives of others.  Let’s see if we can make that happen !!

Happy #TimSackettDay Kelly Dingee !!

One of the things I truly hope to see in my HR “lifetime” is that the two communities of HR practitioners and HR folks in Social Media as one body.  A great way to do this is to recognize one of our own.

Kelly DingeeThis year’s #TimSackettDay person is Kelly Dingee.  Kelly is the bomb and one of the best resources I know when it comes to recruiting and sourcing.  She is a practitioner who is not only rocking this facet of HR – she is also encouraging us all to look at things differently so that we make talent relevant in our organizations !!  She is a regular contributor on Fistful of Talent (another great resource you need in your HR quiver to regularly read !!)

Make sure that you connect with Kelly.  You can find her on Twitter (@SourcerKelly), Linked In and Google + as well as Fistful of Talent.

Recognition isn’t something to be jealous about because the focus is on someone else.  Recognition is an opportunity to share and highlight someone who brings insight, value and new approaches.  Kelly is one of those folks.

So, please join in recognizing Kelly on #TimSackettDay (another great HR practitioner) !!

I hope that today is just the start of you recognizing the great HR pros that are all over the planet.  Remember always . . . We Are Better Together !!

Are you reaching out ??

A few weeks ago, my good friend Dave Ryan was the guest host of the Hire Friday Chat (#HFChat).  It’s a chat on Twitter for both HR folks and job seekers.  Dave’s topic was, “Do you have an HR Buddy?”  It was a fast paced chat that really intrigued me.  I was thinking to myself, “Do HR people see themselves as a resource for others – especially those in transition?”

The economy is still rough.  A telltale sign of this was something that happened to me the day after the chat.  I was asked to present a one-hour session on writing a resume and job search tips for local teachers who were losing their jobs.  Over three sessions, I saw 100+ teachers who were upset, confused, disillusioned and not sure what to do.  Oh, by the way, this is the district where my kids go to school.

The sessions were upbeat and I made sure there was a ton of laughter !!  They needed to just let it out a little more than listen to someone tell them what to do.  I also explained that I understood what they were facing because I had been in transition over my career as well.

At the end of the sessions, I was spent.  I went home and crashed on the couch because I had really gone through the whole roller coaster of emotions with the teachers.

I challenged the teachers to start networking and reach out intentionally.  One way I did this was by not giving them business cards.  I gave them my e-mail address and said that the first step in moving forward is to take action.  So, if you want to connect, then you need to reach out first.  An amazing number of them did and I was jacked up once again !!  I also asked them to Link In with me, start searching my contacts and the companies I might know.  Again, an incredible response !!

As HR professionals, I feel that ALL of us (ALL !!!) need to do more to reach out to those in transition.  Here’s why:

  • We can give sage advice on how to deal with HR people – and not have them want to kill us !!  Remember – the last person most of these people talked to was an HR person.  Soften the blow on dealing with HR and show them that we truly can be “human.”
  • We have skills in recruiting and interviewing.  Let people in transition “behind the curtain” so they can be more successful in their search.
  • There’s incredible talent out there right now.  There are many still available and looking who may be that great fit you’re looking for in your company.  Reaching out to the transition community makes you that first choice !!

I could list many, many more reasons why HR should be reaching out.  I know it takes time and effort on top of already full days/schedules.  However, remember this . . .

One day you may be in transition too.

Wouldn’t you want someone who would reach out to you ??