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Why We Shouldn’t Completely Deride or Discount 2020

Ask anybody: last year wasn’t ideal. But perhaps we shouldn’t completely discount 2020 just yet.

When the ball dropped above Times Square at the very end of 2019, the world welcomed 2020 with much joy and hope. No one then would have probably imagined how our lives were going to be turned upside down in a matter of months. Ever since the coronavirus began spreading from Tokyo to Toronto, it seems many of us have been playing catch up.

From figuring out how the virus was spreading to how one could protect oneself, to how to conquer it, the pandemic took over our lives. The downstream impact on the economy turned out to be equally, if not more, painful for the public at large. Falling revenues and job cuts tended to go hand in hand for many of the industries impacted by the disease – both directly and indirectly. Given this global reality, it isn’t surprising to see memes on social platforms that showcase the despair many still feel. Nor is it surprising to see so many companies and communities struggle to navigate post-pandemic realities.

While this is understandable, I submit: Let us not wholly deride or discount 2020.

After, all there is so much we have learned about ourselves – and each other – this past year.

Learning How Resilient We Are

In recent times, communities have faced the ravages of the pandemic head-on. Healthcare workers took on the onus of leading the charge; they became our first line of defense. As patients overran hospitals at the same time those facilities ran out of critical medical equipment and supplies, engineers innovated to keep the supply lines moving.

Such innovation enabled 58 Gin, a UK based boutique liquor brand to make hand sanitizers and support the fightback. Similarly, in India, the R&D team at automaker Mahindra’s plant was able to develop a life-saving ‘ambu bag.’ In just 48 hours at a price point of under one hundred dollars, they helped meet the acute shortage of ventilators. In myriad ways, people’s resilience showed we were not going to cave in to our unseen enemy.

Learning More Deeply About Ourselves

Forced to reduce our outdoor activities and limit our footprint, many of us got a chance to press the ‘pause’ button. We received the gift of more time with ourselves and our loved ones. In the process, we gained a deeper realization of our true selves. From understanding the futility of extravagant celebrations to a change in shopping patterns, we moved ahead in a more sustainable way – for ourselves and the planet.

This year, on Cyber Monday, online sales increased at less than half the projected rate, growing 15.1%. As our countries start opening up, we will witness some ‘revenge’ behavior when it comes to shopping or travel. But there is no doubt that a large number of us have recalibrated our lifestyle going forward.

Learning to Value Others More

If there is one visual of 2020 imprinted in our minds and hearts representative of the year, it is the image of grateful people on their balconies, singing songs of praise for our frontline workers. These first responders put themselves in between us and the virus to help save lives, even as they put their own lives at risk. People across the board realized and acknowledged their efforts.

Once the initial heartfelt act of gratitude went viral, others replicated the demonstration of appreciation in cities worldwide. We learned it isn’t race, gender, economic status, or even ‘follower count’ that defines someone’s true worth. Instead, it is their true value to society.

Learning How Nature is Capable of Revival

As COVID-19 forced us to lock down our cities, close our skies, and shutter down our factories, nature got a much-deserved chance to heal. Research by Science Direct establishes that “vital environmental changes have occurred during COVID-19 lockdown.” We’ve gained cleaner waters and purer air; even the noise level has been reduced by 35 to 68% all over the world.

In many cases, environmental scientists were able to benefit from the lockdown. For example, in New Delhi (consistently one of the ‘Most Polluted Cities of the World), they were able to determine the baseline levels of pollution. This much-needed metric will clearly aid the design of policies to better control pollution in the near future.

Learning How to Open Our Hearts to Others

DC resident Rahul Dubey won millions of hearts, not only in his home state but across the world, in 2020. At a critical moment, with police armed with tear gas bearing down, the 44-year-old welcomed more than 70 strangers into his home. Those strangers had gathered in the street to protest the shooting of George Floyd. But soon, their peaceful protest was anything but peaceful.

By opening his doors, he undoubtedly saved dozens of people from a potential stampede and further escalation of conflict. His noble act not only ensured his inclusion in Time Magazine’s Heroes of 2020 list, but it also confirmed to us that not all heroes wear capes.

Resist Temptation to Discount 2020

Despite all the strife we have witnessed in 2020, the year gave us many moments worthy of our gratitude. These moments, of course, do not bring back lost loved ones or livelihoods. But they do signal the fact that, as a species, we are built of strong mettle. And that by continuing to join hands, we will come out stronger on the other side of this virus. And anything else that comes at us.

So, please…

Do not deride all of last year. Do not discount all that happened in 2020! Instead, as you look forward to a more hopeful 2021, be grateful for all we’ve learned!

 

#WorkTrends Recap: #SHRM16 Preview: Professional Development & Relationship-Building

In the world of Human Resources, professional development, networking and relationship-building are not just nice-to-have; they are must-haves. Luckily, conference attendance is a solid way to maintain these important connections. With the workforce and workplace changing rapidly, regular conference attendance informs attendees about the latest trends and best practices, which are vital for career growth.

Attending the right conferences also affords busy HR professionals an opportunity to accumulate educational credits to maintain their certifications. From learning to network to sharing what life is like on the “front lines,” being around other HR professionals is invaluable.

This week, Elissa O’Brien, Vice President of SHRM Membership, and Alex Alonso, Senior Vice President of Knowledge Development of SHRM joined the #WorkTrends show to discuss the importance of networking, relationship-building and professional development in HR.

Here are a few key points Elissa and Alex shared:

  • Impactful networking starts with the question: ‘what can I do for you?’
  • HR thrives on professional development – without it we wouldn’t grow
  • Conferences are a great way to expand your network

You can listen to the #WorkTrends podcast on our BlogTalk Radio channel here.

You can also check out the highlights of the conversation from our Storify here:

Didn’t make it to today’s #WorkTrends show? Don’t worry, you can tune in and participate in the chat with us every Wednesday from 1-2pm ET (10-11am PT). Next Wednesday, June 22, special guest host Tim McDonald will be joined by Brian Fanzo, millennial speaker and change evangelist to discuss the explosion of live video online.

The TalentCulture #WorkTrends conversation continues every day across several social media channels. Stay up-to-date by following the #WorkTrends Twitter stream; pop into our LinkedIn group to interact with other members; or check out our Google+ community. Engage with us any time on our social networks, or stay current with trending World of Work topics on our website or through our weekly email newsletter.

Photo Credit: Andrew Bohuslavizki via Compfight cc

#WorkTrends #SHRM16 Preview: Professional Development & Relationship-Building

In the world of Human Resources, professional development, networking and relationship-building are not just nice-to-have; they are must-haves. Luckily, conference attendance is a solid way to maintain these important connections. With the workforce and workplace changing rapidly, regular conference attendance informs attendees about the latest trends and best practices, which are vital for career growth.

Attending the right conferences also affords busy HR professionals an opportunity to accumulate educational credits to maintain their certifications. From learning to network to sharing what life is like on the “front lines,” being around other HR professionals is invaluable.

Next week, Elissa O’Brien, Vice President of SHRM Membership, and Alex Alonso, Senior Vice President of Knowledge Development of SHRM will join the #WorkTrends show to discuss the importance of networking and relationship-building.

Professional Development, Networking & Relationship-Building in HR

#WorkTrends Logo Design

Tune in to our LIVE online podcast Wednesday, June 15 — 1 pm ET / 10 am PT

Join TalentCulture #WorkTrends Host Meghan M. Biro and guests Elissa O’Brien and Alex Alonso as they discuss professional development practices.

#WorkTrends on Twitter — Wednesday, June 15 — 1:30 pm ET / 10:30 am PT

Immediately following the podcast, the team invites the TalentCulture community over to the #WorkTrends Twitter stream to continue the discussion. We encourage everyone with a Twitter account to participate as we gather for a live chat, focused on these related questions:

Q1. What are the keys to impactful networking? #WorkTrends (Tweet the question)

Q2. Why is ongoing professional development so important in HR? #WorkTrends (Tweet the question)

Q3. What are some other benefits of attending conferences? #WorkTrends (Tweet the question)

Don’t want to wait until next Wednesday to join the conversation? You don’t have to. We invite you to check out the #WorkTrends Twitter feed, our TalentCulture World of Work Community, LinkedIn group, and in our TalentCulture G+ community. Feel free to drop by anytime and share your questions, ideas and opinions. See you there!

Subscribe to our podcast on BlogTalkRadio, Stitcher or iTunes:

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#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 and Talent Acquisition at Kforce.

Social media has become the tool for promoting jobs, building brands, sourcing candidates, creating relationships, and vetting applicants. Dice research also shows that social has improved or is greatly improving tech recruiting results including quality of candidates, referrals, and time-to-hire.

Think social media is big now? It’s only getting bigger, along with its importance to tech recruiters looking for results. However, there is some art and science to doing it right. Listen to the recording and review the #TChat highlights to learn more.

Thank you to all the TalentCulture sponsors, partners and supporters!

#TChat returns Wednesday, Dec 9, 2015 @ 1 pm ET/10 am PT. The TalentCulture team will be talking about our favorite #TChat shows from 2015. Join us and share your favorite #TChat moments from this year.

Join our social communities and stay up-to-date! The TalentCulture conversation continues daily. See what’s happening right now on the #TChat Twitter stream, in our LinkedIn group and on our Google+ community. Engage with us anytime on our social networks or stay current with trending World of Work topics on our website or through our weekly email newsletter.

photo credit: 3D Social Networking via photopin (license)

5 Tips To Selecting The Right HR Technology

The challenges and opportunities for HR and Leadership teams have never been greater.  Potential hires have more job screening tools and work choices than ever before.  Meanwhile, organizations must contend with an employment pool that is global in scope.  If things weren’t daunting enough, technology is evolving faster than our ability to process and adapt to it.  Well, almost.  So, how does someone in HR select the right technology for their organization?  Here are five things to consider:

1)    Find the Best Talent Regardless of Geography:  Companies that select top talent will have the brainpower to adapt, innovate and manage technological change.  Today, professional social networks are fast becoming the go-to source for quality candidates.  As a result, companies need global recruiting software systems that can share job openings with multiple social networks, screen candidates and streamline the interview process.  In the old days, job seekers came to you.  Today, you must market your company’s brand to potential hires.  This is the new landscape.  Get used to it.

2)    Employee Engagement and Talent Analytics:  Smart workforce systems can help organize workflow, enhance internal communication and evaluate performance.  Put simply, software that can analyze employee profiles (including skills, interest, and performance metrics) will help organizations better forecast employee potential, build more cohesive teams and provide more timely feedback. Companies need to measure and track employee performance.  Too many employees fail to appreciate how their performance directly aligns with their company’s goals.  HR technology can make the connection between employee accomplishment and corporate success more explicit.  In short, talent analytics helps improve employee engagement, which is directly tied to a company’s performance.

3)    Collaboration:  Today, the workplace is anywhere the connected worker is.  Organizations need to accommodate mobile devices and enable collaborative platforms.  In this regard, Cloud technology is indispensable.  Employees need an interface that is intuitive, a great experience and seamless with all the devices they use on the job.  Whether it is communicating internally with management or remotely with peers across the globe via video, workers need tools that foster collaboration.

4)    Maximize Flexibility:  Value flextime, telecommuting and tools that allow your employees to collaborate across distances.  Technologies that enhance flexibility will motivate employees and attract the right talent.

5)    Going Global: The workplace of today is global.  Geography is no longer a barrier to working at the company of your choice.  Working remotely is becoming routine.  Consequently, HR departments need to cope with a variety of regulatory requirements governing payrolls, hiring practices, and the like.  Systems that can safeguard and automate these functions will help HR departments do their jobs more effectively and efficiently.

Technology is disruptive, but it is also essential to solving the challenges businesses face today.  HR departments need to harness the most promising technologies in order to identify and attract the brightest talent, to improve workflow, foster collaboration and manage change in a global environment.  Getting technology to work for your company is essential; otherwise it will be working against you.

Photo Credit: Startup Stock Photos

#TChat Preview: Realities Of HR-Vendor Relationships

The TalentCulture #TChat Show is back live on Wednesday, March 25, 2015, from 7-8 pm ET (4-5 pm PT). The #TChat radio portion runs the first 30 minutes from 7-7:30 pm ET, followed by the #TChat Twitter chat from 7:30-8 pm ET.

HR departments and leaders deal with a new reality today. A reality that consists of complex relationship ecosystems that use a combination of insourcing and outsourcing as the only way to get their actual work done.

According to new KeyInterval Research, a practitioner centric market research firm founded by William Tincup and John Sumser, HR Department increasingly looks like a purchasing department with a specific set of subject matter expertise. So, HR is getting increasingly good at managing vendors and other relationships that cause work to be done by people who are not direct members of the HR Team (employees).

Join TalentCulture #TChat Show co-founders and co-hosts Meghan M. Biro and Kevin W. Grossman as we learn about the realities of the Ideal HR-vendor relationship with this week’s guests: William Tincup and John Sumser, long-time HR and recruiting industry luminaries and the founders of KeyInternal Research, a practitioner centric market research firm.

William is a Principal Analyst with KeyIntervalR building maps of the intersection of HR and technology.

John is also a Principal Analyst at KeyInterval Research and digs into the realities of HR Practitioner experience with technology. He is also the Editor of  HRExaminer.

Sneak Peek:

We hope you’ll join the #TChat conversation this week and share your questions, opinions and ideas with our guests and the TalentCulture Community.

#TChat Events: The Realities Of Ideal HR-Vendor Relationships

TChatRadio_logo_020813#TChat Radio — Wed, March 25th — 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT Tune in to the #TChat Radio show with our hosts, Meghan M. Biro and Kevin W. Grossman, as they talk with our guests: William Tincup and John Sumser.

Tune in LIVE online Wednesday, March 25th!

#TChat Twitter Chat — Wed, March 25th — 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT Immediately following the radio show, Meghan, Kevin, William, and John will move to the #TChat Twitter stream, where we’ll continue the discussion with the entire TalentCulture community. Everyone with a Twitter account is invited to participate, as we gather for a dynamic live chat, focused on these related questions:

Q1: Is HR getting better at managing their vendor relationships? Why or why not? #TChat (Tweet this Question)

Q2: How should companies prioritize software cost, implementation speed and end-user adoption? #TChat (Tweet this Question)

Q3: How can companies better understand how HR software drives business outcomes? #TChat (Tweet this Question)

Until the show, we’ll keep the discussion going on the #TChat Twitter feed, our TalentCulture World of Work Community LinkedIn group, and in our new TalentCulture G+ community. So feel free to drop by anytime and share your questions, ideas and opinions. See you there!!

 

#TChat Preview: How Candidate Research And Relationship Building Win In Tech Recruiting

The TalentCulture #TChat Show is back live on Wednesday, March 18, 2015, from 7-8 pm ET (4-5 pm PT). The #TChat radio portion runs the first 30 minutes from 7-7:30 pm ET, followed by the #TChat Twitter chat from 7:30-8 pm ET. The competition for top tech talent is fierce, employers must still find creative ways to entice people with in-demand STEM skills to join their company — getting to know who they’re targeting is critical prior to and especially during outreach. According to Dice’s recent Tech Candidate Sentiment Survey, at least 50% of candidate respondents said that they wish recruiters would do more research on them and their background before calling, but this is significantly down from 2013. The right online research tool combined with continuous relationship building and developing a repository for a ready pool of tech candidates, companies can competitively source the most qualified people when the time is right. Join TalentCulture #TChat Show co-founders and co-hosts Meghan M. Biro and Kevin W. Grossman as we learn about how research and relationship-building win in tech recruiting with this week’s guests: Ashley Fox, Program Associate at Partnership for Public Service; and Pete Radloff, Lead Technical Recruiter with comScore.

Ashley is a Program Associate at the Partnership for Public Service, a non-partisan non- profit organization that works to revitalize our federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works. She manages GoGovernment.org, the Partnership’s online resource for students and jobseekers, and builds workshops on recruiting and hiring for federal employees.

Pete Radloff has 15 years of recruiting experience and has worked with such companies as comScore, exaqueo, National Public Radio and LivingSocial. Pete’s experience and expertise center around in using technology and social media to source, recruit, enhance the candidate experience and promote strong employer brands. Pete also currently sits on the Board of Directors for RecruitDC.

Sneak Peek:

We hope you’ll join the #TChat conversation this week and share your questions, opinions and ideas with our guests and the TalentCulture Community.

#TChat Events: How Candidate Research and Relationship Building Win in Tech Recruiting

TChatRadio_logo_020813#TChat Radio — Wed, March 18th — 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT Tune in to the #TChat Radio show with our hosts, Meghan M. Biro and Kevin W. Grossman, as they talk with our guests: Ashley Fox and Pete Radloff.

Tune in LIVE online Wednesday, March 18th!

#TChat Twitter Chat — Wed, March 18th — 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT Immediately following the radio show, Meghan, Kevin, Ashley and Pete will move to the #TChat Twitter stream, where we’ll continue the discussion with the entire TalentCulture community. Everyone with a Twitter account is invited to participate, as we gather for a dynamic live chat, focused on these related questions:

Q1: Why do so many recruiters and hiring managers still use the post-and-pray approach? #TChat (Tweet this Question)

Q2: What does relationship-building mean to you and how do you invest in it? #TChat (Tweet this Question)

Q3: How do you create and sustain tech talent pipelines today? #TChat (Tweet this Question)

Until the show, we’ll keep the discussion going on the #TChat Twitter feed, our TalentCulture World of Work Community LinkedIn group, and in our new TalentCulture G+ community. So feel free to drop by anytime and share your questions, ideas and opinions. See you there!!

 

HOW TO: Build & Maintain A Talent Community

What is a talent community?

According to Wikipedia:

A talent community is a collection of social cliques (or talent networks) of people that are part of the job seeking process. These people may be seeking a job themselves, offering career advice to others, recruitment professionals, college campus recruiters, sourcers, and friends seeking jobs or advice. Talent communities inherently provide 2-way interaction between the individuals.

A talent community is not a list of candidates on a web page or in a spreadsheet; it is an environment consisting of people who can share ideas for the purpose of career networking or social recruiting of candidates.

Employers can interact and communicate with prospective employees as well as inform candidates about employment opportunities, receive referrals, and handpick qualified individuals from inside the group. A talent community can include prospective candidates, past applicants, current employees, and past employees. Talent Communities are managed by recruiters and/or hiring managers.

The benefits of building a talent community

  • Qualified candidates at your fingertips
  • Less dependence on expensive, ineffective job boards
  • Less money spent on job advertisements
  • Increased interaction with potential candidates in order to help them understand what your organization does
  • Better quality of applicants to job openings
  • Creates a talent pipeline for future job openings
  • Attracts passive candidates

How to build your talent community

Turn your “careers” page into a central hub for past (“alumni”) employees, interested candidates, recruiters, hiring managers and current employees. Incorporate tools for communication and interaction to drive conversations in your talent community. Provide an exclusive look into your organization, its employees and the culture behind the company. Use video, multimedia, photos, testimonials, etc.

Create smaller talent “networks” within your talent community to target specific audiences.

Social recruiting solutions (such as Cachinko) provide separate plugins or an overall solution for managing talent.

Maintaining your talent community

When you start engaging candidates through a talent community, it’s important to continue to provide value on a regular basis. There are a variety of ways to do so, such as sending updates or an e-newsletter, providing additional information on new job openings and internship programs, creating contests, writing blog posts, or connecting via social media.

ERE.net author Kevin Wheeler said in an article about talent communities, “Communities of candidates are powerful and reduce the need for special sourcing or the use of outside recruiters. They can increase the number of positions a single recruiter can handle and provide higher quality candidates in a shorter time. They always trump databases.”

What do you think? Ready to start building your talent community today?