Meghan M. Biro, Author at TalentCulture

The Real Millennial Challenge: The Skills Gap

A recent study by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) (link to study) found that U.S. Millennials lag behind their global counterparts in a way that creates real on-the-job problems for them, their colleagues and teammates, and managers: They show a genuine lack of hard and soft skills. According to the ETS Report, U.S. Millennials “…consistently score below many of their international peers in literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in technology-rich environments. Equally troubling is that these findings represent a decrease in literacy and numeracy skills when compared to results from previous years of U.S. adult surveys.” In real terms, this means

Facebook: When Trust Is Exploited

In 2014, Facebook came under fire after a study was published revealing that the social network was doing research on some users that use its platform. It was not only ugly the way in which Facebook conducted the research, but the assumptions the researchers made about the average user’s willingness to be emotionally manipulated were chilling. In the study, “Experimental Evidence Of Massive-Scale Emotional Contagion Through Social Networks”, researchers Adam Kramer, Jamie Guillory and Jeffrey Hancock manipulated the news feeds of nearly 700,000 Facebook users. The goal was to see if manipulating news feeds could lead to what the researchers termed

Dealing With Feelings: Be An Emotionally-Aware Leader

A leader can fall too easily into the trap of seeing the people who work for them as employees first and people second. Yet, it’s the people who determines whether or not your company will be successful. How can leaders better understand what drives employees and how to deal with their feelings? It isn’t easy but the payoff can be huge. Being emotionally aware lets you balance your workforce to meet new challenges, get day-to-day work done and innovate. Plus, emotionally-aware leaders build engagement with employees. In turn, these employees are more committed to the organization, deliver better results, please customers

Leadership: It's All In Your Head

We call it vision when it works. But what possessed the leadership of Volkswagen to systematically falsify emissions reports? What drives a magnate with unruly hair (so much so that it has its own meme) to toss his pompadour in the ring and make a loud bid for the presidency? Why would the CEO of a BigPharma company think a five thousand percent price hike on a medication was justifiable? Is it really the same impulse that prompts a smiling, trailer-dwelling CEO to transform his online retail site into a model of the workplace 3.0? I’m of course referring to Tony

Transparency Is the Key to Recruiting Young Talent

When you were searching for jobs in the early days of your career, was “transparency” something that even crossed your mind? For many of us, the whole process was a dance–an art form where both the candidate and the recruiter put their game face on and sold themselves. The job search has changed, and if you’re still trying to impress candidates with a sales pitch that’s anything less than 100-percent authentic, you will fail. Millennials expect transparency, and can spot a fraud pretty quickly. In June at a Fortune Brainstorm Tech Conference, one takeaway was obvious: “Gen Y values authenticity, transparency

#TChat Recap: The Power of Relationships from Bedroom to Boardroom

Most of us understand that trust is the one of the most important elements of strong relationships at home and at work. But how are we fostering trust in organizations today? This week, The TalentCulture community talked about the power of relationships with our guest, Tamara McCleary, an internationally recognized expert on relationships and conscious business. The community had a lively discussion about building trustworthy relationships and their role in workplace culture. Tamara gave us all a lot to think about. The TalentCulture community was rocking and rolling with ideas about how we can create more trustworthy work environments, and how

Addressing Your Employees’ Holiday Stress

It’s that time of year again: Fourth quarter results are almost finalized, companies are wrapping up contracts, evaluating the successes of the past year, and developing strategic plans for the coming year. This means it’s a busy time for your employees. When you add to the equation busy social calendars, kids getting out of school for holidays (and working parents scrambling as a result), along with holiday financial commitments—stress levels for your employees inevitably rise. What can you do as an employer, a manager, or even an HR pro, to help ease that holiday stress? Let’s discuss. One study in the

Revamping The Status Quo In 2015: 4 Trends In HR Technology

What have we seen as the hot trends in HR technology this year? It’s a rhetorical question: put another way: what aren’t the trends? HR technology in itself, having profoundly changed the game, is the hot trend: it’s heated up our field in ways that allow us to leverage talent on an entirely different level, regardless of the size or scope of an organization and irrespective of the end goals, from short-term to future-casting. We saw further evidence of just how far we’ve come in October, during the HR Technology Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas. Once we might have all discussed the concept of

The 2 Things Brands Must Do to Edge Out the Competition

We all choose to trust someone: our recruiter, our employer, our friends and family and the loosely connected peer groups we have built online. Besides these closely held and trusted relationships, we also look to online influencers – everything from shopping sites and corporate websites to journalists and columnists to sites like Yelp, Angie’s List and Care.com – as credible and reliable sources. But do we trust these new influencers or do they merely exist to replace the role of advertisers, recruiters and newspapers? “Influencer” is a role, a responsibility and a form of advocacy — both from an individual’s and

#TChat Preview: The Power of Relationships from Bedroom to Boardroom

The TalentCulture #TChat Show is back live on Wednesday, December 16, 2015, from 1-2 pm ET (10-11 am PT). Last week we talked about a few of our favorite #TChat shows, and this week we’re going to talk about the power of relationships—from the bedroom to the boardroom! One of the most critical elements of any relationship is trust. Couples who build a strong sense of trust are happier than those who don’t. Following the same concept, people in trustworthy work relationships have proven to be more productive and have better connections with their co-workers. Business leaders, including HR, must inspire

#TChat Recap: These Are a Few of Our Favorite Chats

This week, the TalentCulture community enjoyed a quick trip down memory lane as we reminisced about some of our favorite chats of 2015 (and even broke out in song.) Choosing our favorites wasn’t an easy task; there were just too many great shows to pick from. To make it easier, we broke them down into three categories: – The chats that made us think – The shows that made us learn – And the favorites that made us laugh Since it’s nearing the end of 2015 and the holidays are upon us, the TalentCulture #TChat Show co-hosts and co-founders Meghan M.

The First Steps to Transforming Work Culture

Changing workplace culture is never a revolution—at least, not if you want change that lasts. So if you’re focused on transforming your work culture as we move into the coming year, it’s important to know that it’s a process, not an overnight transformation. That’s an idea that makes many leaders uncomfortable; we like to think of ourselves as disruptive and courageous, able to flip a switch and inspire change. The reality is, particularly in a large organization, sudden changes often do more damage than good. It’s exceedingly difficult, and often a mistake, to aim for wholesale culture shifts overnight. The benefits

What's More Important to Give Employees: A Gift Card or a Pat on the Back?

While many companies use financial compensation to reward employees, there are times when these rewards lose their effectiveness. Here is when to consider ditching the bonus for a simple pat on the back. While companies are comfortable with giving financial rewards to employees, they often get stuck when it comes to giving meaningful, genuine recognition. Yet recognition is often the more powerful reward, since it speaks to the employee in the language of meaning and personal context, rather than generic gift cards. What speaks even more volume is creating reward programs with a social component. This approach brings the department or larger

5 Ways Leaders Rock Employee Recognition

I was grocery shopping the other day (Yes, this sometimes happens). A mom with two small kids in tow kept up a constant stream of chatter: “Great job pushing the cart, Stella, you are so smart.” “Good work picking out a pepper, Max, now put it back.” It went on and on – kids do something/anything, mother responds with a positive affirmation, kids do another something, mother reacts. This is so awesome to see in action. I’m in aisle 10 and it continues. There is a giant metaphor unfolding as I seek out my coconut water. You rock. You’re so special.

Are You a Social CEO?

Richard Branson lives large on social media, weaving stories about a life lived on the edge in <140 characters. Jack Dorsey tweets of past presidents, music and business wisdom filtered through poets and writers. Elon Musk narrates rocket launches and provides matter-of-fact commentary on innovation. But the C-suite at HP, Oracle, GE and many other companies has largely been silent on Twitter, LinkedIn and other widely-accessible social media channels. Why, when it would appear social media has changed the rules of communication, would a leader be silent? Hasn’t social media rewritten the rules of leadership? It’s arguably lowered barriers to communication,

How Technology and Work Culture Drive Each Other

There’s a ton of research showing that a happy employee is a more engaged employee(and more productive, too), and technology can play a big role. As I’ve mentioned previously, the future of work is here. Companies operating with a 21st century mindset know that technology and work culture are interlinked, with one driving the other. Apart from the typical communication tools, technology goes much further, even allowing us to reward workers in the moment. Gamification, intra-company social networks and external applications all play a role when it comes to maintaining the health and well-being of employees. Gamification and Employee Engagement Gamification

5 HR Technology Trends: HR Isn’t The Stagnant Step-Sister Anymore

Here’s yet another case where what happens in Vegas should not stay in Vegas: the HR Tech Conference. With $812 million venture capital investment pumped into HR and recruiting tech in the first half of 2015, this one’s going to be hot. Sure I’m geeked on it. Now that products and rollouts run the functional gamut you should be too, considering what’s worth the bite. It’s a big bad buffet. So what are these HR Technology trends? Here you go. 1) Go for today, later, and even later than that Assess your present and future needs. Ask the hard questions: where

#TChat Recap: How Social Recruiting Makes the Talent Business Case

Do you ever wonder how prevalent social recruiting is today – especially versus five years ago? Or what are considered best practices for reaching out to candidates on social sites? Social recruiting is no longer a trend. It’s the new norm. According to new Dice research, 9 out of 10 recruiters are using social media in talent acquisition. This week, the TalentCulture community enjoyed a fast-paced and high-energy discussion about how social recruiting makes the talent business case with this week’s guests: Stacy Zapar, Founder of Tenfold, and recruiting strategist, trainer & advisor; and Allison Kruse, Senior Manager of Social Media

Want Great Corporate Culture: Focus on Nurturing Relationships

The holy grail of companies large and small is a great corporate culture. And what’s the secret sauce, the master ingredient when it comes to creating a great work culture? It’s all about the relationships your team creates with one another. As a manager, you can play a big role in fostering great corporate culture by nurturing and guiding your team when it comes to building those relationships. Let’s explore. A Deloitte University Press study earlier this year cited employee engagement and work culture as the number one challenge facing organizations today. There are a number of reasons HR professionals are

How To Get The Most Out of Your Job Ad

So, you’re hoping to create some buzz around the job ad you’ve just published on your careers page? Today’s recruiting environment is competitive and complex. Recruiting the best candidates starts with making the right first impression—and using a combination of tactics will help you get the most out of your job ad. For the best results, it’s important to include social and mobile recruiting tools, as well as free and paid ads—and to know the best day to post. Building Hype Around Job Openings So where do you start? The first thing you need to do is get your listing noticed

Think Beyond Mobile Apply for a Stronger Mobile Candidate Experience

For more insights on recruitment marketing best practices employed by the world’s leading organizations, including mobile candidate experience, get a free download of SmashFly’s Recruitment Marketing Report Card for the 2015 Fortune 500. This September, SmashFly researched and evaluated every 2015 Fortune 500 organization’s career site for 13 unique recruitment marketing practices. The research itself was pretty illuminating (see a snapshot here in the Report Card Infographic), especially as more organizations are aggressively investing in better ways to attract, engage and convert candidate leads into applicants. While I highly encourage you to check out all 13 practices in the report card and use the data

The Five Secrets to Retaining Millennial Talent

The job market is definitely heating up. Millennials, now the largest demographic in the American workforce, are moving into leadership positions. Wired from birth, Millennials have different expectations than their older colleagues, and those expectations are shaping how successful companies manage HR functions. Gaps in what the Millennial generation wants versus what an employer is offering can make or break an organization’s advancement. What exactly are the most important Millennial needs that should be addressed? We looked at SilkRoad’s “Millennial Secrets Survey 2015” to try and understand the difficulties inherent in balancing Millennial expectations, as well as the secrets to retaining this valuable and

#TChat Preview: How Social Recruiting Makes the Talent Business Case

The TalentCulture #TChat Show is back live on Wednesday, December 2, from 1-2 pm ET (10-11 am PT). On November 18, we talked about how wellness programs improve employee performance, and on December 2 we’re going to discuss how social recruiting makes the talent business case. Social recruiting is no longer a trend. It’s the new norm. According to new Dice research, 9 out of 10 recruiters are using social media in talent acquisition. In fact, the same research shows that social media has improved or is greatly improving tech recruiting results—including quality of candidates, referrals and time-to-hire. Social has become

What HR Pros Can Do About the Lack of Women in STEM

Thanks to the pace of innovation, STEM skills—science, technology, engineering, and math—are in increasingly high demand. It’s not a news flash that there’s a lack of diversity (and women) in STEM jobs, and this presents an opportunity for HR pros. Make sure you understand the challenges for women in STEM careers and how your company is focusing on STEM opportunities; this can be key in ultimately attracting top talent. Consider this —there are two STEM job vacancies for every qualified-but-unemployed person, and staffing agency Adecco forecasts that “U.S. colleges are only graduating enough computer science engineers to fill 30 percent of

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Meghan M. Biro

Meghan M. Biro

The Real Millennial Challenge: The Skills Gap

Facebook: When Trust Is Exploited

Dealing With Feelings: Be An Emotionally-Aware Leader

Leadership: It's All In Your Head

Transparency Is the Key to Recruiting Young Talent

#TChat Recap: The Power of Relationships from Bedroom to Boardroom

Addressing Your Employees’ Holiday Stress

Revamping The Status Quo In 2015: 4 Trends In HR Technology

The 2 Things Brands Must Do to Edge Out the Competition

#TChat Preview: The Power of Relationships from Bedroom to Boardroom

#TChat Recap: These Are a Few of Our Favorite Chats

The First Steps to Transforming Work Culture

What's More Important to Give Employees: A Gift Card or a Pat on the Back?

5 Ways Leaders Rock Employee Recognition

How Technology and Work Culture Drive Each Other

5 HR Technology Trends: HR Isn’t The Stagnant Step-Sister Anymore

Want Great Corporate Culture: Focus on Nurturing Relationships

How To Get The Most Out of Your Job Ad

Think Beyond Mobile Apply for a Stronger Mobile Candidate Experience

The Five Secrets to Retaining Millennial Talent

What HR Pros Can Do About the Lack of Women in STEM

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Meghan M. Biro

Meghan M. Biro

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