Meghan M. Biro, Author at TalentCulture

The IT Job Market Is Booming and It’s Easier To Get a Job in the Industry Than You Think

Do you speak IT? The information technology job market is as strong as it’s ever been, with tens of thousands of highly lucrative and unfilled IT jobs available throughout the country. And the barriers to entry in IT are lower than most people think — even for professionals already established in other fields, according to the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a leading destination for training, certification and ultimately a career in technology. “A commitment to learning, self-growth and finding a job that lets you capitalize on your innate strengths are some of the most important factors involved in switching careers

How Payments and Collaboration Are Evolving in the Gig Economy

As the gig economy continues to expand and transform the workforce in significant ways, HR professionals and other business leaders should be thinking about the implications these changes will have for their organizations and their people. Millions of people are already freelancers, entrepreneurs and independent workers who rely on short-term engagements for all or part of their income, and the number is only expected to grow in the coming years. A 2016 study by the McKinsey Global Institute says independent workers make up 20-30 percent of the workforce in the U.S. and key European countries, with the figure projected to climb.

The 3 C’s of a Great Global Hiring Strategy

The pursuit of new markets is part of many companies’ long-term growth strategy, as is global expansion. From small businesses to enterprise firms, the key is to involve people. Companies need to be able to create a viable strategy for hiring, managing and keeping people — wherever they expand to. But that’s not a simple task. There are numerous challenges in hiring employees globally — including local employment laws and regulations, differing cultures and expectations, and different languages. When it comes to background screening, it turns out that not very many companies are prepared to meet the challenges of global hiring.

Is Mobility a Key to Retain Your Talent?

The phrase “world of work” really means the world now. So many businesses are expanding geographically to grow. And that means relocation opportunities for the workforce — as well as a whole range of logistical challenges for HR. But it also means conveying these opportunities to employees. Surprisingly, there’s a disconnect, as Wakefield Research found out in a soon-to-be published study for Topia. The results, shared with me as a preview of the study, reveal that while HR is tackling how to track and facilitate reassignments and relocations, the workforce doesn’t always know these opportunities exist. Given that we’re in a

What I Learned About Culture from the ExponentHR Team

There’s nothing I love more than nerding out over HR tech and culture. I love seeing demos, hearing about new features and dreaming about where work is going. But as much as I love technology and the HR tech industry, there’s one word I don’t often associate with tech companies: “family.” Traditionally, HR tech companies are big on solving problems and selling their solutions, but sometimes “service” gets lost in the shuffle. I’m here to tell you that is not the case with my new friends at ExponentHR. Their team recently invited me on a trip to Sun Valley, Idaho (if

Shattering Stereotypes: Cisco’s New Parental Leave Policy

It may take a village to raise a child, but based on many parental leave policies, apparently it only takes a mother to raise a newborn baby. According to research by Deloitte, 64 percent of workers believe that women and men should receive the same amount of parental leave. But 54 percent think that men would be viewed negatively by their colleagues for taking an equivalent amount of time off. These sorts of stereotypes could explain why there were only 32 women CEOs in the Fortune 500 last year. However, some companies, like Cisco, are determined to do away with labels

#SHRM18: Q&A with Maestro Health CHRO Sheryl Simmons

I have a long list of speakers I can’t wait to see at SHRM next week. High on that list is Sheryl Simmons, CHRO of Maestro Health. Her #SHRM18 session, Making Your Case to the C-Suite: Why You Should Be at the Table, is on Tuesday afternoon. Simmons has led HR teams for many years. In this Q&A, she shares how she got into HR, why she runs toward change, her perspective on diversity in hiring and what you can expect from her #SHRM18 session. Tell me about yourself: What is your background and how did you get into your current

To Spark Real Employee Engagement, Choose Your HR Tech Wisely

On June 28, Paycom and I are collaborating on a webinar about engagement that everyone needs to attend. Why? Because we’re at a standstill in terms of employee engagement, and we’re going to be looking at the most effective ways to break out of it. We’re going past the concept of employee experience to exactly what experiences add up to engagement. The right HR tech includes those experiences as part of its functionality — so it’s optimizing employee engagement every time it’s utilized. Here’s what we know: Every interface and every touch point either has a positive or a negative impact

Must-Read Highlights from SAP #SAPPHIRENOW

Best week ever? Best week ever. My week was an all-time highlight because I was in Orlando for SAP’s #SAPPHIRENOW. I’ve been to a lot of conferences, but this one was incredible. I won’t bury the lede: It was mostly such a high for me because I got to see former President Barack Obama speak on Monday. Being in the room with someone I respect so deeply was incredibly moving for me. His message was about the power of great teams and how you can’t really fake or easily recreate that special sauce known as culture. I cried when he wrapped up. For

What I’ll Be Watching at #SHRM18: Health and Well-Being

Are you planning your calendar for #SHRM18 in Chicago? I’m making my packing list, getting excited to see some of my favorite people in the HR world, and taking a close look at the packed SHRM agenda. This year, I’ve been focused on health and well-being — both personally and professionally. Loyal TalentCulture readers know that I recently started using a standing desk and I’ve upped my wellness routine. I’m also very interested in how vendors are making it easier for employers to create healthy workplaces. If you’re interested in making work healthier, here are the sessions I recommend at SHRM18:

Gary Hamel on Workplace Bureaucracy

The opening keynote speaker at UNLEASH America was Gary Hamel, one of the world’s most influential business thinkers. He is a professor at the London Business School, director of the Management Innovation eXchange and the author of several best-selling books, including “The Future of Management” and “What Matters Now.” Hamel is also the most reprinted author in the history of the Harvard Business Review. He spoke about the stifling effects of top-down management and how we need less — not more — workplace bureaucracy. Here are highlights from Hamel’s Q&A session with the media. Understanding the Effects of Bureaucracy “Bureaucracy shackles

Jason Averbook on the Workforce-Experience Mindset

One of my favorite speakers at UNLEASH America was Jason Averbook. If you’re looking for HR “a-ha!” moments, he’s your guy. He is the CEO and co-founder of the HR consulting firm Leapgen. Jason is an agent for change in HR, and the author of the new book, The Ultimate Guide to a Digital Workforce Experience. He spoke about the power of technology to transform how we work, starting with a focus on people and process. Here are highlights from his keynote. You Need a Workforce Strategy “You need a digital strategy, and I call it the workforce strategy, not an

Live from UNLEASH America: Rachel Botsman on Why Trust Matters

This week, I’ve been in Las Vegas at UNLEASH America, soaking up big ideas about the latest HR tech trends and how technology is changing the way we work. One of the speakers who knocked my socks off was Rachel Botsman. She is an author and visiting lecturer and researcher at the University of Oxford. Her keynote was all about trust, and why organizations need it to survive and thrive. Her new book is “Who Can You Trust?: How Technology Brought Us Together and Why It Might Drive Us Apart.” Here are the highlights Rachel shared in a conversation with media

What You Need to Know About Global Mobility

When an employee at your organization moves to a new location, what has to happen behind the scenes? What paperwork has to be approved before they move? How does your organization help the employee find the right place to live? How do they book a moving truck? And what happens when you have hundreds or thousands of employees making those moves? These are all questions that Brynne Kennedy is interested in. She’s the CEO and Founder of Topia, a company that helps employers make relocations smoother. I asked Brynne how she got interested in global mobility and how her company is

Three Keys to Getting Global Mobility Right

The future of work is all about movement: moving operations to the digital sphere, moving certain functions to automated systems so we can spend more time on other tasks, and moving people from location to location. Organizations are expanding from one local hub to a far broader global footprint — credit mergers, collaborations, strategic initiatives and growth. The Harvard Business Review found that 72% of executives said their need for globally mobile employees will increase in next two to three years. Fortunately many employees see domestic and overseas assignments as a great chance to increase skills, broaden horizons and grow careers.

How AI Makes Hiring More Accurate and More Personal

AI is projected to catapult from a $643.7 million market today to $36.8 billion by 2025. Bersin by Deloitte calls it one of the ten major trends changing everything about how we build and manage the world of work. It’s becoming an incredibly powerful tool for recruiting, though not always understood. There are two questions I often hear: How can we use AI to better match skills to openings? How can we use AI to make the entire recruiting and hiring journey better, and improve candidate experience? Before delving into specifics, consider this: Essentially, if A, then B. Just as AI

The Future of Performance Management

How could you get better at your job? What does your manager think about your performance this month? And what are your ideas about how your organization could do things differently? For as much money as companies spend on performance management, most employees still couldn’t quickly answer those simple questions. When you only hear feedback once a year at a performance review, it’s hard to know where you stand and how you could continuously improve. But a new wave of HR tech innovators are working on changing that. At HR Transform, I led a conversation with one of those trailblazers. Rajeev

Fellowes Sit-Stand Desk Review

Do you exercise every day? Improving my personal wellness is at the top of my resolution list for 2018. So far, I’d give myself a B-. I try to make it to hot yoga classes at least a few times a week. I try to grab healthy options for lunch. But then it snows for the millionth time in Boston and all my plans for fitness and healthy eating go out the window. Plus, like many of you, I work remotely either in a home office or in coworking space a lot of the time. When I have a question for

Can’t-Miss Moments at ERE 2018

This week, I’m visiting San Diego for the very first time. I can’t wait for some California sunshine — and some can’t-miss wisdom from some of the most respected voices in HR at the 2018 ERE Recruiting Conference. The ERE agenda is overflowing with big ideas and big personalities. Here are the moments I encourage you to add to the top of your list. Monday Welcome Reception I’ll be at the Monday evening opening party to help kick off the event. I’m excited to see old friends. I’d love to meet YOU, too, new friends. Tuesday You know I love me

How Retail Hiring Will Change in the Next 5 Years

The shopping experience has changed a lot over the past 10 years. But the experience of applying for a retail job is pretty stuck in the past. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2016 there were nearly 5 million retail sales jobs in the U.S. While the retail industry is changing fast and moving from brick-and-mortar to online, retailers still employ a large demographic of Americans. And retailers that want to attract and retain those workers will need to stay innovative. We asked Kimberly Carroll, principal at HR consulting firm IA, how she sees recruiting and hiring changing among

Want to Improve HR? Ask Better Questions First

Boston got hit with its third snowstorm in two weeks recently, and more than a few work initiatives overseen by nearby colleagues got lost in the blizzard — including a high-level meeting on workforce planning. Today was supposed to be a big roundtable where senior HR people set their crystal ball on the table to discuss new hiring initiatives and succession strategies. The organization (I’ll call them Company X) is scaling up rapidly, and has meanwhile been hit with a nasty wave of voluntary departures. It’s a common one-two punch that can knock the wind out of the sturdiest HR teams.

#WorkTrends Recap: Building Your EQ

When you turn on your laptop or open your office door, what do you bring with you? I’m not talking about your lunch. We all carry emotional baggage with us everywhere we go — including to work. Having emotions isn’t a bad thing — it’s what makes us human — but we’re all better served when we tune in to what we’re feeling and how those feelings affect our behavior. On the #WorkTrends podcast, certified emotional intelligence trainer Valerie M. Sargent shared more about why EQ matters at work and how we can all become more emotionally intelligent. You can listen

5 Ways AI Makes the Hiring Process Easier (1)

5 Ways AI Makes Hiring Easier

It’s one thing to see AI coming our way in HR. It’s another thing to know the best ways to harness it to improve sourcing and hiring success. AI isn’t just on the horizon — it’s part of some very forward-thinking recruiting and hiring programs already. Given how tight the job market is, AI is a way to give organizations a tangible edge on the competition. It facilitates a far more accurate way to see a far greater range and depth of talent — which means it’s easier to find better candidates — and more of them. And AI enables hiring

#WorkTrends Recap: Leading from the Heart

“There are stories in the news left and right about the lack of integrity corporate leadership and government. But I knew there were good leaders out there. What does it look like if you’re leading from the heart?” Shelly Francis is author of the new book “The Courage Way: Leading and Living with Integrity,” which she wrote on behalf of the Center for Courage & Renewal. The book is the result of years of research into what makes a great leader — and what happens when leaders live out their values. She interviewed 120 people about their journeys as leaders. She

How to Leverage AI Recruiting to Make Better Hires

HR and recruiters don’t tend to take things at face value. For good reason: we’re called on to rely on our educated judgments. We’re in the business of futurecasting, person by person. We find the best talent with the most potential for doing great things for an employer in the near future, and we do it over and over again. But we’ve been up for a turbocharge for a long time. A career path that is this intense, combining administrative, personal, and strategic tasking constantly needs sophisticated ways to advance above old archaic practices we no longer want to rely on.

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Meghan M. Biro

Meghan M. Biro

The IT Job Market Is Booming and It’s Easier To Get a Job in the Industry Than You Think

How Payments and Collaboration Are Evolving in the Gig Economy

The 3 C’s of a Great Global Hiring Strategy

Is Mobility a Key to Retain Your Talent?

What I Learned About Culture from the ExponentHR Team

Shattering Stereotypes: Cisco’s New Parental Leave Policy

#SHRM18: Q&A with Maestro Health CHRO Sheryl Simmons

To Spark Real Employee Engagement, Choose Your HR Tech Wisely

Must-Read Highlights from SAP #SAPPHIRENOW

What I’ll Be Watching at #SHRM18: Health and Well-Being

Gary Hamel on Workplace Bureaucracy

Jason Averbook on the Workforce-Experience Mindset

Live from UNLEASH America: Rachel Botsman on Why Trust Matters

What You Need to Know About Global Mobility

Three Keys to Getting Global Mobility Right

How AI Makes Hiring More Accurate and More Personal

The Future of Performance Management

Fellowes Sit-Stand Desk Review

Can’t-Miss Moments at ERE 2018

How Retail Hiring Will Change in the Next 5 Years

Want to Improve HR? Ask Better Questions First

#WorkTrends Recap: Building Your EQ

5 Ways AI Makes Hiring Easier

#WorkTrends Recap: Leading from the Heart

How to Leverage AI Recruiting to Make Better Hires

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Meghan M. Biro

Meghan M. Biro

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