Planning and executing a successful job search has never been easy. Add the impact of the pandemic, and the degree of difficulty increases exponentially.
Last week alone, more than 1 million Americans filed for unemployment. In total, nearly 20 million people in the US are looking for work. With all this competition, how will your online presence and personal branding help you stand out? How do you prepare for a job search that is going to be almost 100 percent virtual? And how do you find the companies that are hiring?
In other words: How do you set yourself up for a successful job search in the middle of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis?
Our Guest: Robin Ryan, Career Counselor and Author
Robin Ryan, one of the most sought-after career experts in the country, joined us on this episode of #WorkTrends. The Los Angeles Times calls Robin America’s Top Career Expert. She has appeared on over 2,000 TV & radio shows, including Oprah and Dr. Phil. And she is the best-selling author of eight books, including the acclaimed 60 Seconds & You’re Hired.
To start our conversation, I asked Robin about the first step job seekers should take as they launch a successful job search. Not surprising to me, her answer was “networking.” Robin added, “It’s always been networking!”
Robin said that too many job seekers still think all they have to do is go online, click and apply. She then emphasized the importance of making connections: “We know for a fact that networking and referrals is what’s really working. When a referral — somebody you know that knows your work — passes your resume along, you have a 50% chance of getting an interview. And you have a microscopic chance without that referral.”
“So that’s the first thing. Since 70% of all jobs are not advertised, we want people to use their connections… go to LinkedIn — and network.”
Planning a Successful Job Search During the Pandemic
As our conversation continued, I asked Robin how much the job search has changed since the pandemic began. “It is harder, not only for the job seeker… it became extremely difficult for the employer. Employers dislike that they can’t meet you in person. Employers are taking so much longer to make up their minds. It’s not uncommon for people to have to go to six to eight interviews before the company decides.” With all that in mind, I added that the best thing a job seeker can do is make the recruiter’s job easier by making it clear they are the best possible candidate. Robin agrees, and believes this why today’s job seekers must be ready with a “60-second sell.”
“Take your five top selling points, and link them together. In two or three sentences, you provide the answers to the ‘Tell me about yourself’ and ‘Why should I hire you?’ questions.”
Robin and I talked about much more during our conversation, including best practices for resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and the importance of compelling social media profiles. Be sure to listen to the entire interview — and then put Robin’s good advice to work!
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Successful-Job-Search-Milkos.jpg6001018Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2021-01-22 08:15:482021-01-21 18:27:29[#WorkTrends] How to Plan a Successful Job Search During the Pandemic
The pandemic has caused widespread unemployment. And yet, today, many people are launching their dream career, right now. Let’s talk about how you can make that happen!
No doubt, this seems like a tough time to start a job search. But it is more than possible — even during what many see as a nightmare scenario — to find your dream job. Of course, some of the old school methods we used to rely on to find work are now outdated. And, yes, we must now anticipate a job search that is nearly 100 percent virtual.
But there are many companies making job offers — and you can find meaningful work with a great company right now. All you need is the right approach.
Our Guest: Tracy Timm from The Nth Degree Career Academy
I couldn’t be happier to welcome Tracy Timm to this episode of #WorkTrends. Tracy is the founder of The Nth Degree Career Academy, a proven career clarity system that helps high-potential professionals discover, define, and drive careers they love. With a degree in behavioral psychology from Yale University, Tracy is a sought-after career clarity expert, organizational advisor, speaker, and author. Tracy’s passion for her work and expertise helps clients go from stuck in their job to unstoppable in their careers and lives.
And that is where we started our discussion. I asked Tracy, “What’s the most important thing a person can do during this pandemic to bounce back better, both in life and in career?” With her answer, Tracy made it clear she knows how to navigate the current job search environment:
“This super disruptive time is a great reminder that life is going to throw us curve balls. Challenging circumstances beyond your control are going to surface. And the only thing that you can control is your level of clarity at any given time. So our office as a mantra is, ‘When there’s a lot more noise, when there’s higher unemployment, and when more people are applying for the same jobs — the person with the most clarity is going to win.’ Because only clarity allows you to rise above that noise, speak with more confidence, and pursue your next step with more certainty.”
Tracy added, “We must show up differently than most people are showing up — which is in panic and reaction mode.”
Launching Your Dream Career Now
Feeling her energy, I pressed Tracy on precisely what a job seeker must do to launch a successful job search, even while the pandemic rages on. Tammy shared some powerful insight:
“The number one thing you can do right now is to take a step back and get super, hyper, laser-focused on you. Your unique value. Your professional genius zone. And then to pursue your dream career with absolute clarity, confidence, and certainty.” Tracy went on to say that clarity is so powerful: “Just to know something with certainty, and to not question it. To not be ‘all in’ is the root cause of most issues when it comes to making decisions or choices in our life.”
“Too many of us don’t fully commit to our choice. We question it, even though we’ve already chosen it.”
As our 30-minute conversation continued, it became clear Tracy was dispensing a lifetime of sage advice perfectly suited to today’s job seekers. If you’re in the middle of a job search, you must listen in. If you know someone currently looking for work, share this conversation with them. Because this episode of #WorkTrends provides must-have insight into how people can launch their dream careers, even during a global pandemic.
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Dream-Career-Clarity-Photosvit.jpg6001018Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2021-01-15 08:15:072021-01-14 13:12:57[#WorkTrends] Launching a Dream Career Amid Pandemic Unemployment
1) As outplacement has gone virtual, it’s proven cost effective for employers and attractive for employees;
2) Leading service providers are setting the bar for employer branding;
3) The recession made layoffs a common experience for many members of the workforce.
Of course, we’ve all been affected in one way or another by the severe economic recession in recent years. Those tough times have forced leaders to conduct business differently. Companies that survived have learned how to run effectively with a leaner workforce. And now, across-the-board, we see a surge in companies that approach staffing based on on strategic alignment with industry needs.
Instead of reacting to the ebb and flow of internal operating cycles, companies are anticipating talent requirements across their industries, and mapping to those benchmarks. Now, even though the economy is making a strong comeback, it seems workforce alignment is here to stay. In fact, we expect it to play a key role in the ongoing business practice of managing layoffs.
Skipping The Layoff Scramble
However, even with smart planning and a focus on industry trends, companies typically find themselves scrambling for solutions and guidance when they experience shifts in demand. This is common, even when reductions in force (RIFs) are small. Having been in this industry for a long time, I’ve seen first-hand the panic that accompanies any kind of RIF.
As the scale of a layoff expands, so do the risks. Unfortunately, all too often, HR departments don’t establish a relationship with outplacement specialists until the panic has set in and the scrambling has begun. That kind of environment is ripe for poor management choices. It’s certainly no time to pick a provider.
Outplacement Risk — And Easy Insurance
The reality is, no one knows they need outplacement services until they need outplacement services. Conducting a RIF is inherently risky. It makes sense to work with a reliable, prepared outplacement partner. And although most companies realize that they need expert guidance to manage layoffs, most typically avoid engaging with outplacement until the need is urgent.
Rather than waiting to start your research during the pressure of “the scramble,” it’s wise to begin long before the need arises (if it ever does). You have nothing to lose by establishing a trusted relationship with a reputable firm. Think of it as an insurance policy — one that no company can afford to ignore. As the recent economic crisis demonstrated, market demand can be volatile, and in a downturn, the high cost of staffing can have a devastating impact on business performance. It’s important to be prepared, just in case.
Quickly choosing a firm at the top of Google search results, or picking a low-price bidder is a recipe for a mismatch. These might be great companies with viable services, but there’s more to choosing an outplacement provider than that. Does the firm have coaches who understand your industry’s talent requirements? Can it demonstrate a proven history of business relationships and placements in your sector? How easily can global or decentralized employees gain access to services?
Also consider the pricing and services structure. Some outplacement providers charge for each type of service delivered, while others base fees on the duration of an engagement. It’s important to research the average time-to-place for your industry, and consider this along with other decision criteria.
Why It Pays To Think Ahead
These are just a few of major factors in choosing the right outplacement company. But they illustrate my point. Waiting until you’re in the thick of layoffs is a sure bet that you’ll sign-on with an outplacement company that isn’t right for your business. Even a small investment in preparation can help you avoid costly missteps.
Whenever a RIF occurs, your company’s hard-earned employer brand is on the line. If you haven’t already considered potential outplacement scenarios and requirements, it will be too late to compensate. Start doing your homework now. Establish a relationship with a provider. Ask tough questions. Consider them one of your organization’s ongoing HR advisors. You’ll sleep better at night — and you may also gain insights that will help your department operate more effectively — even if you never lay off another employee.
(About the Author: Raymond Lee launched Careerminds in 2008 as a virtual outplacement company. He brings over 18 years human resource leadership, career consulting, and outplacement experience to Careerminds. The concept of virtual outplacement was developed by Raymond after experiencing years of traditional outplacement in a variety of HR roles. Over his career, he planned and executed several large-scale layoffs, and in his last role set up a costly in-house brick and mortar outplacement center for displaced employees to access.)
(Editor’s Note: To discuss World of Work topics like this with others in the TalentCulture community, join our online #TChat events every Wednesday, from 6:30-8pm ET. Everyone is welcome. Learn more...)
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/termination-110301_1920.jpg350700TalentCulture Team + Guestshttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngTalentCulture Team + Guests2013-11-05 10:23:562020-05-27 16:29:44Outplacement: Staying Ahead of the Curve
That’s the thing about full circle — sometimes it wraps you in a warm hug in spite of itself. Even a fiery one.
Earlier this week on #TChat Radio, and then during the Twitter #TChat, we talked about what to do with getting the long-term unemployed employed. According to a recent Businessweek article, “The long-term unemployed make up 38 percent of all workers without jobs, double the average share and just a few notches down from the 2010-11 peak of 45 percent.”
Devastating and perplexing. Our dialogue about the subject became a little strained when we discussed who are the job creators and how the unemployed of any duration can and should package and market themselves to prospective employers. Seeing any job seeker for who they are and what they could be still doesn’t mean they’ll be considered. In fact, from the same article above:
“[Researchers] sent out fictitious résumés to employers in 50 metro areas to see how they reacted to long spells of unemployment. [They] found that an ‘applicant’ out of work more than six months had little to no chance of being called back. The résumés of those out of work for less than six months drew more interest when they showed the applicants had relevant industry experience. At more than six months of no work, having industry experience didn’t help at all.”
Most economists agree that the primary job creators are the start-ups and small businesses, but they’re just as perplexed as to why this long-term unemployment is so pervasive. I’m with the Keynesians who say more government investment is needed, especially since the U.S. infrastructure is woefully in need of dramatic repairs and upgrades. This could be the jump start that the long-term unemployed need to return to relevancy, while at the same time make it easier for small businesses to thrive and grow (and hire).
But then our #TChat conversation took a fluffy turn. Or at least that’s what I’d call it. Why aren’t leaders looking at the unemployed as people primed and ready? Why aren’t they giving those with passion a chance? Chances are the reasons, however unfair, still come back to the volatile economy, hesitancy to add headcount, and that if you aren’t applying your skills to an immediate body of work in a business of any kind, even freelance work or volunteering, you’re relevancy fades quickly. That doesn’t make it right, it just reiterates the status quo.
“Passion doesn’t pay the bills,” I said. “Unicorns and rainbows don’t invest in business to create jobs and help place the unemployed.” I was quickly reprimanded on that point, but still stand by it, even when I held it up in front of me and the class.
Segue to a being on a local career panel with other professionals this week speaking to high school students about career futures, whatever those may hold. We shared our backgrounds, wisdom and realities of what the world of work may have in store for them, and how to plan for it all and take ownership of it all, through boom and bust. This was another career panel I participated in put on by an amazing local organization called Your Future Is Our Business. YFIOB is a community-based 501(C) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to fostering business/education partnerships that benefit students. Their mission is to support young people in Santa Cruz County with making informed educational and career decisions.
“Let me time travel back to you, starting here,” I told the class.
I held up my first real-life published work — my business/tech career management book titled Tech Job Hunt Handbook — and told them the story of my passion: writing. Through every incarnation, it always been about the writing. I told them no matter what they do or where they go professionally in life, if there’s an activity they long like writing, or art, or music, or sports, or whatever, to never let it die, to always keep it fueled with ferocity and fun.
There were some smiles. A couple of kids scoffed. But they all heard me, and I heard me, and then felt my arms reach round and pull tight.
Screw the bills, I thought. As long as it fits the bill…although most economists would disagree (and yet, they’re not hiring me).
00Kevin W. Grossmanhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngKevin W. Grossman2013-02-15 21:39:242020-05-25 16:19:33When Passion Fits the Bill
There’s just too many of them: 4.8 million who are known as “the long-term unemployed” according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These are people who have been out of work for 27 weeks or more, and in fact make up almost 40 percent of all unemployed people.
The current average period a person in the U.S. stays unemployed is about 40 weeks, which is just way too long. Employers who are hiring won’t hire them, and states like New Jersey, Oregon and the District of Columbia passed laws in 2011 and 2012 so employers couldn’t discriminate against the unemployed.
Surely the long-term unemployed would jump for joy at the prospect of being hired, finally; surely, plenty of them are highly qualified. The economy isn’t exactly going gangbusters, after all. What’s the solution? Is there a solution? Should we further legislate who we can or can’t hire?
Probably not — there was a bill in California for the same sort of law as those in New Jersey, Oregon and the like, but Governor Brown vetoed it. But the unemployed ought to be given a fair shake if they do everything in their power to remain relevant and up-to-date with skills through contracting and volunteering, right? Jobs don’t appear magically, so who and what creates them?
This week’s #TChat explores this continuing conundrum on what both the employers can and should do and what the unemployed can and should do to make their business case and close the gaps. Here are the questions to guide our many, many discussions:
Q1: First and foremost, who and what are the true job creators and why?
Q2: What can employers do to make hiring fairer to qualified applicants, currently employed or not?
Q3: What can the out-of-work do to keep themselves relevant and marketable after weeks and weeks of unemployment?
Q4: Should government legislate not discriminating against the unemployed? Why or why not?
Q5: What consumer and B2B technologies are helping both employers and the unemployed close the hiring gaps?
Click to hear this recorded radio show now
So, join yours truly (@MeghanMBiro) and Kevin W. Grossman (@KevinWGrossman). Let’s see if we and you can crowd-source some actionable new ideas for the long-term unemployed to leave the ranks of the long-term unemployed. This week we welcome Dr. Janice Presser (@DrJanice), CEO and a principal of The Gabriel Institute and architect of the underlying technology that powers Teamability™, as well as Kevin Matuszak (@Tooozy), a very special guest who will talk about his creative #HireKevin campaign to work at Applebee’s.
Today, the long-term unemployed need new, catchy tactics and strategies, and Kevin Matuszak’s approach is a great example, fuel for the conversation. Catch Kevin and me, along with our guests, first on Tuesday, Feb. 12, for #TChat Radio from 7:30pm ET / 4:30pm PT and, then, on Wednesday, Feb. 13, for #TChat Twitter from 7-8 pm ET (6-7pm CT, 5-6pm MT, 4-5pm PT, or wherever you are). You can also hang out with us.
00Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2013-02-11 21:12:312020-05-25 16:18:21Narrowing the Unemployment Gaps: #TChat Preview
I am so over the global economic upheaval. Aren’t you?
Apparently, so are employers who’ve had to make ruthless staffing choices in order to survive. Repeated layoffs, reduced benefits and increased workloads. It hasn’t been pretty. But necessity is the mother of invention. And to “make it work” along the way, business has embraced an unprecedented shift toward contingent labor. In fact, an estimated 40% of the U.S. workforce now operates on a part-time or contract basis.
Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
But what does it all mean for the future of work? Well, this free-agent shift cuts both ways. Although the allure of a variable-cost workforce may seem sexy for an organization’s bottom line, too much of a good thing has its consequences. Recently, while the romance between employers and freelance talent has flourished, relationships with employees have eroded.
And engagement isn’t the only weak link in the talent chain. According to research by Bersin By Deloitte, organizations will struggle to find, develop and retain the skilled talent they need to expand in the years ahead. Ouch. So where is the love?
A New Employment Relationship Normal
This week, the TalentCulture community looked at issues and opportunities in this new era of hired guns. Our goal was to generate ideas for a more sustainable talent model – one built on relationships and focused on value, competence, trust and mutual respect – regardless of cost or contractual requirements.
Two forward-thinking talent strategists helped guide our interaction:
Below are highlights and links to resources that we hope you’ll find helpful. If you know of related articles, or want to share ideas of your own, feel free to add a comment below, or include the #TChat hashtag to your posts on Twitter. The TalentCulture channel is always open, so don’t be shy!
G+ Hangout Video: Career strategist Dawn Rasmussen briefly explains why professionals should continuously market themselves, regardless of their job status.
TUE 2/5
#TChat Radio Show: Dawn joined Greta Roberts, and radio hosts Kevin W. Grossman and Meghan M. Biro, to discuss the upside and downside of today’s talent acquisition and retention realities.
WED 2/6 #TChat Twitter: Participants from around the @TalentCulture community gathered around the #TChat Twitter stream to share their expertise, experiences and opinions about the changing shape of today’s workforce, and the consequences for business and individuals.
NOTE: To see highlights from yesterday’s #TChat Twitter forum, be sure to watch the Storify slideshow at the end of this post.
Closing Notes & Highlights Slideshow
SPECIAL THANKS: Another shout out to Dawn Rasmussen and Greta Roberts for contributing your time and expertise to TalentCulture events this week! Your insights challenge us all to think more carefully about both sides of the employment equation.
NOTE TO BLOGGERS: Did this week’s events inspire you to write about contingency workforce trends or other workplace issues? We’re happy to share your thoughts. Just post a link on Twitter (include #TChat or @TalentCulture), or insert a comment below, and we’ll pass it along.
NEW: We’ve expanded to LinkedIn! If you like participating in groups we invite you to join us there anytime at TalentCulture – World of Work.
WHAT’S AHEAD: Next week – we’ll look further into the realities of today’s work world, as we talk about why and how companies should focus more carefully on recruiting from the nation’s unemployed talent pool. Don’t miss “The Business Case for Bridging the Unemployment Gap” on #TChat Radio, Tuesday, Feb 12, at 7:30pm ET and on #TChat Twitter Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 7pm ET. Look for details next Monday via @TalentCulture and #TChat.
Coffee girl! Pic at Starbucks. #tchat http://pic.twitter.com/JadcGdVuDawn Rasmussen
@KevinWGrossman chocolate has always been the key to my heart http://www.twitpic.com/c1giu0 … oh and cash #TChatSylvia Dahlby
BOOM! We’re off >Q1: Do all these shifts in the employee-employer relationship mean they’ve broken up for good? Why? #TChatMeghan M. Biro
#TChat A1: Larger employers are acceptable with the turnover just like the money they waste in their marketing budgets.Anthony Ryan
A1-The relationship has matured and evolved to a diff level given the changes in tech and global mobility on the whole #TChatSonalee Arvind
A1: Long-term relationships happen when both understand clearly why they “fit” and work to inspire each other #TchatDan Schultz
A1 It especially hurts youth. Experience paradox – how do you get experience if no one will hire you without it? #TChatMarc Cibulka
A1. I’ve been in temp jobs that treated me LIKE I was temp- no one trained me or used me as an asset. Shame. #tchatAshley Lauren Perez
#tchat A1 Too much of the current relationship is driven by Cos avoiding employee benefit paymntss rather than by ideals.Michael Leiter
A1 – The market is completely different & relationships have changed – it’s much too risky to think w/yesterday’s lens #TChatLeAnna J. Carey
A1: Those in-house “intrapreneurs” that add so much are now becoming “Entrapreneurs”… can I say out-house ppl? #TChatTom Bolt
A1. Relationships are never broken as long as both parties are willing to communicate. The opposite of love is not hate but apathy #tchatSatya Solutions
A1 Companies like the ability to hire without long term commitment. Works like a probationary period. #tchatEmilie Mecklenborg
A1, Employers have figured out there are a lot of folks who are not work keeping around #SadButTrue #TchatDave Ryan, SPHR
A1: The shift is due to economics – doesn’t make sense to have employees that negatively affect the bottomline #tchatJen Olney
A1: who says old employee-employer relationship was more ideal? #TChatStephen Van Vreede
A1: Mass-Entreprenuership is not a viable model on a larger scale. You’ll always need an employer/employee relationship. #tchatJoey V. Price
A1 The relationship has evolved bcs. of market forces. Both must look through different lens 2b sustainable; there is no alternative #TChatLeAnna J. Carey
A1: it is a negotiation and isn’t the goal always a win win?? #TChatLori~TranslationLady
A1. Don’t think it’s broken for good- just for awhile until more of the boomers retire. #tchatTerri Klass
A1 This shift may bring more situations of worker misclassificaton. Thoughts on that? #tchatTim Baker, CHRP
A1 I believe this generation has grown accustomed to the “try and buy” hiring style. Opportunity for employers to cut costs. #tchatAndrew Grossman
A1 – long term trend away from traditional employment. Co.’s learned it was cheaper to outsource to contractors #tchatRichard S Pearson
A1 – Degree of Employer/Employee relationship broken is inversely proportional to communication and culture. #TChat #GeekKeith C Rogers
A1: Don’t think they’re done for good, believe they’re going thru an evolutionary change. #TchatRobert Rojo
#TChat A1. If Ee is still with Er and vice versa, they must reap something out of it, i.e. not totally “broken”, is it..LiChing Ooi
A1. Jobs change every three years or less. Important to realize that employee:employer trends may also follow that pattern #tchatCream.hr
a1 I think orgs are hiring slow and firing fast without setting people up for success in between. Want them off & running #tchatAlli Polin
Q2: Do you see a world of work where the employee & employer ever get back together, like it used to be? Why? #TChatMeghan M. Biro
A2 contractors play a vital role in strategy #tchatOrgz Consulting
A2 Yes! The Love is not lost, just that the vows have changed! #TchatSonalee Arvind
a2 Temp = no respect…. consultant = respect. Both may bring specialized skills #tchatAlli Polin
A2: Employers have to take responsibility for environ and contractors have to make it about more than just $$ #TChatRoger Veliquette
A2 – Why would ER hire someone w/o a personal brand? A personal online brand is no longer a nice to have #TChatLeAnna J. Carey
A2. If contingent workers are becoming the norm companies need to create a new team model- be more inclusive #tchatTerri Klass
A2: Yes, contractors will be the new ‘purple squirrels’ with all the new skills they have added to their repertoire. #tchatDaisy Wright
A2: treating people as expendable bc they are freelancers will backfire. Talent is never expendable in any form. #tchatSusan Mazza
a2 Whole divisions are being outsourced to large staffing agencies & becoming contingent workforce. Hard shift 2 make #tchatAlli Polin
A2 – no such thing as the “good old days” and no turning back, unless WWIII reduces the earth to radioactive mudball #TChatSylvia Dahlby
A2 Our research shows 39% of independent workers (freelancers, etc.) feel MORE secure than if they had a traditional job #tchatSteve King
A2: Contractors may become the new rockstars when they have skills no one else has. #TChatDr. Janice Presser
A2: The winners in the new skills-based world will be those who ramp and scale quickly with singular or multiple gigs. #TChatKevin W. Grossman
A2. There is such a thing as ‘collective talent’ – so that when an ee leaves a team (e.g. end of contract) team IQ drops #tchatJane Watson
A2: More folks are finding that its better to depend on themselves then be beholden to a organization #tchatJen Olney
A2 We’ve shifted from relational to transaction relationships. You never know, it might shift back when it becomes too transactional #tchatChristopher Yeh
A2. Maybe for some. A mostly contingent workforce has disadvantages. I wrote about neuroscience research on ‘intelligence of teams’ #TchatJane Watson
A2 The workforce will definitely continue to expand and innovate. Workers are learning to depend on themselves more than their jobs. #tchatBeverly Davis
A2. Hopefully not if it includes an isolating top down hierarchy #tchatCream.hr
A2: No. We’re not going back, so don’t turn around, lest you become pillar of salt :) #TChatStephen Van Vreede
A2) Why should we revert? Why not just create a better “new normal” for both sides of the equation? But we need a sustainable model. #tchatExpertus
A2. I’m not sure it will but I think the workforce can benefit by bringing some of those old qualities back and work it with the new #TchatKimPope
A2 Really depends if the company wants a contract “for service” or “of service”…big difference #tchatTim Baker, CHRP
A2: A lot of this change has to do w/ the economy and how risky a business is willing to be. If things stabilize, employees will too #tchatSpark Hire
A2: A few roles can be lifelong. Seasonal and contract work will continue to be significant. #TChatRoger Veliquette
Q3: Contractors & part-timers are “pan-opportunists.” Is this what they want? Does it help or hinder #innovation? #TChatMeghan M. Biro
A3 Innovation is a result of people’s mind , not their time. Smartness is being Value driven not time driven #TChatSonalee Arvind
A3: Augmenting staff with contractors to help solve business driving challenges can really accelerate time to solution #TchatDan Schultz
A3: If you don’t thrive in ambiguous situations, don’t freelance. #TChatDr. Janice Presser
A3 There is loyalty but longevity of being at a company for 10+ years will not be as popular as it once was. Ppl today crave change. #tchatEmilie Mecklenborg
A3. Better faster way to the C-Suite: Create an organization. #tchatMichael Clark
A3: Is there loyalty out there anymore?? #TchatRobert Rojo
A3: Some companies will continue to reward loyalty, especially those in hard to fill locations. #TChatDr. Janice Presser
A3: Pan-opportunists can be great but difficult executing a 5 yr plan with rotating talent. Some corps can do well, others not. #TChatJanis Stacy
A3 – it is a tremendous challenge for co.’s to manage teams of freelance – laws gov. contract workers much diff. than employees #tchatRichard S Pearson
A3. The workforce today is filled with creative people who crave flexibility. #tchatTerri Klass
A3: Contractors are typically specialized. Orgs have to know why they are using them and how to use them or else why? #TchatDamon Lovett
a3 It doesn’t work for everyone though… many still want security over variety & choices #tchatAlli Polin
A3: Met Maslow’s basic physiological need of survival. #TchatRobert Rojo
A3 – contractors can be much more objective bcs. they are not ingrained in the culture & unpack business models more easily #TChatLeAnna J. Carey
A3 Very successful freelancers/contractors – about 2.2 million in US make more than $100k – value control and flexibility #tchatSteve King
A3 contracts must be used strategically, your most focus should be on your own work force. #tchatOrgz Consulting
A3: Perhaps not. But reality is that they must go extra mile to prove value. Doing what reg emps won’t. #tchatMark Salke
A3: Creation/innovation teams are never exactly the same twice. Flux is normal for inno. #TChatRoger Veliquette
A3: Sometimes the part-time opportunity is a foot in the door to something permanent. #tchatDaisy Wright
A3: The workforce of today is highly unique and virtual = The Pan-Opportunist Works! #TChatMeghan M. Biro
A3. Neither. Influx stems from a changing job economy. It’s innovation from its start #tchatCream.hr
A3 #Tchat I know both ppl who get contract job after another & I know some ppl who scrape by. A consistent flow of opptys is best.Cyndy Trivella
A3: Not really any one answer. Some folks thrive more in “permanent” roles while others thrive in serial “permanent” roles. #tchatVizwerxGroup
A3: Contractors & PTs *see* the issues that e’ees & e’ers probably don’t ~there is a wealth of knowledge to be shared! #TChatNancy Barry-Jansson
A3: If employers were more willing to hire contractors FT (or consider them more part of the team), it’s likely many would stay. #tchatSpark Hire
Q4: Social media leads employees & contractors into other orgs’ arms. How can leaders use it to foster fidelity? #TChatMeghan M. Biro
A4. Build internal digital village first. Make mistakes-improvements. Then, open to the world via social media. #tchatMichael Clark
A4. Healthcare organizations outsource doctors. Crazy. #tchatTerri Klass
#TChat A4: By doing EXACTLY what their social media is SUPPOSED to be doing, FOSTERING & actually GROWING relationships with their employeesAnthony Ryan
A4: Skills come, go and change. Let’s be flexible enough to play to – and hire for – strengths. #tchatknack
A4 – it’s just outsourcing that started big time decades ago – to individuals instead of companies #tchatRichard S Pearson
A4: You want your employees to be your brand ambassadors treat them like ambassadors – give them good hors d’ouvres. #TChatDr. Janice Presser
A4: The US has always been a nation of “At-Will” employment. Except in Montana… lol. #tchatJoey V. Price
A4 Teach your employees how to use social media to become thought leaders. It benefits them and the whole org. #tchatHolly Chessman
A4: Don’t blame #SoMe. No room to grow in-house means looking externally for opportunity. #TChatRoger Veliquette
#tchat A4 Social media builds cross (org) border communities. They bring in talent as well as draw them out.Michael Leiter
A4: Build trust. Those who don’t feel trusted will seek greener pastures #tchatJen Olney
A4. Be agile, up to date, stay with the trends. Learn what your employees want so they’ll want to stay in your arms #TchatKimPope
A4 Leaders can use SM to foster fidelity through engagement!! Be visible & build relationships within the org #tchatAlli Polin
A4: Just like unionization: Stop trying to regulate it and treat your people well. It’s pretty simple really. #TchatDamon Lovett
A4 social media helps determine which orgs spend the time engaging employees. If that’s you, then you’ll keep more people #tchatGoldbeck Recruiting
A4: Fidelity to an organization may be an outdated concept. #tchatVizwerxGroup
A4 Fidelity is earned. Orgs need to make contractors & part-timers feel welcome and accommodate their new associates #TChatEnzo Guardino
A4: They can start by trusting their employees on social and wasting time & money on trying to block it!(HOO-AH) #TChatSusan Avello
A4 Engage employees on the web — esp. when it comes to recognition. Robust employer social media helps. #tchatAndrew Grossman
A4: An employer brand and the atmosphere/trust in a team (contractor included) can and should involve social media. #tchatSpark Hire
A4 – If you’re taking care of your employees then you have no reason to worry. I don’t think there’s a talent black market going on. #tchatJoey V. Price
A4 – by signing contracts for freelancers for terms of projects – by keeping them in a positive environment so they will want to stay #tchatRichard S Pearson
A4 – SoMe is a huge required skill set for growth & survivability for both EE/ER – digital is a game changer #TChatLeAnna J. Carey
Q5: What are some specific strategies for employers to rekindle the romance with their employees? #TChatMeghan M. Biro
A5) Oddly I see TONS of posts using term “employee” even tho we’re trying to look at the 40% of workforce that is outside that box :) #tchatExpertus
A5: Engage the employee! Everyone wants to contribute and play a big role in their company’s growth #TChatJeffrey Fermin
#tchat A5. Get to really know about them. Everyone is motivated by different things. Some seek $ others flexibility. Personalized approachMichael Chopp, PHR
A5: Show them some love and make them feel that their opinions matter. #tchatDaisy Wright
A5 #Tchat Employees need to remember, the employer is not a mind reader. If U want something address it head on with them.Cyndy Trivella
#tchat A5 Many ways: flexibility, team building, recognition, training and empowerment. Make the effort to be meaningful and authenticStan Phelps
A5: two words – Reciprocal Trust #Impact99 #tchatTim Baker, CHRP
A5. The romance might be stronger if each party stops being sketchy, holding cards close to heart. Be transparent. #tchatAshley Lauren Perez
A5. Help create a company narrative that includes all the employees’ stories. #tchatTerri Klass
A5: Authenticity needs to return to the workplace relationships #tchattanvi gautam
A5 #tchat Clear expectations, roles & responsibilities are critical to employee engagement; which improves relationship.Anna Christina
A5 who brings money at your work? Employees. Care them and develop them.. #tchatOrgz Consulting
A5. Be open and transparent, using your own challenges and failures as examples. #tchatMichael Clark
A5 Listen to employee feedback. Constructive and effective communication. #tchatEmilie Mecklenborg
A5: Include growth plans for positions and individuals as part of strategic business plans. #TChatRoger Veliquette
A5 – Empower your teams to solve hard problems, the days of ivory executives sitting in the tower doing everything are over #TChatJeff Moore
A5: Co-creating the map of the future and co-owning it will lead to a space where folks feel they are in it together. #tchattanvi gautam
A5: Mood lighting… wine and roses in the office… and a little Barry White? LOL #tchatDawn Rasmussen
A5 Ask them what they care about. Do a values exercise. Incorporate the values in the organization. #TChatMelissa Lamson
A5 Be flexible, every worker has a different source of meaningfulness in work #tchatChristopher Yeh
a5 Let people go to off-site training & conferences. Good ideas aren’t only found inside of the org #tchatAlli Polin
A5: Humanize. #tchatMark Salke
A5 Make it clear which jobs and roles will be done by permanent employees & what jobs and roles will be done by contingent workers #tchatSteve King
A5: Engage, engage, engage…make them feel like they belong. #TchatRobert Rojo
A5: Engagement is key – at the level where the employee wants to be engaged #tchatVizwerxGroup
A5: Start by bringing your WHOLE self to your work every day = Be true to you. #TChatMeghan M. Biro
00Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2013-02-06 20:56:042020-05-25 16:17:00Feeling the Freelance Love in Today's Workplace: #TChat Recap
And then I saw a post that read, “Entrepreneurs face a fiscal cliff every day.”
I nodded. Yes, they do. But I kept thinking about it more and more and realized what I already know from my own experience as well as that of millions of others: we all face a fiscal cliff every day.
Every single day. “We can go from boom to bust, from dreams to a bowl of dust,” as one of my favorite writers and musicians Neil Peart has penned. According to a recent report from the Corporation for Enterprise Development, nearly 44 percent of American households don’t have enough savings to cover their basic expenses for three months, in the event of a financial emergency like losing a job or paying for unexpected medical care.
From dreams to a bowl of dust
As working (or not currently working) professionals, whether we’ve been in formal leadership roles or not, we do our best to lead ourselves. We are responsible for our own development and growth, our own experience and skill sets, our own unique value and specialization, our own relevancy and marketability. We do our best to provide, to take care of ourselves and our families and our communities. But the marketplace is volatile, government policies are polarized and archaic, and many global enterprises quietly plan their own domination atop a trillion dollars in assets.
Never the twain shall meet
Economists agree that startups and new business ventures breed innovative sparks that sometimes catch fire and create jobs beyond the failing fire line. And yet, we still keep building businesses with like-mindedness in mind. Meaning, we hire those like us and those we like. Unfortunately like-mindedness breeds single-mindedness, which is a mental inbreeding of sorts. (This week during #TChat, where we talked about diversity of ideas and innovation, one participant referenced the financial crisis and unending recession as an example of what can happen in an industry that’s inbred. And it continues.)
That’s where think tanks come in. A group of smart folk from preferably diverse backgrounds create an organization that performs research and advocacy around things like social policy, economics, technology and culture. These are usually non-profits that try to remain as objective as possible in their methods and findings, encouraging politicians and captains of industry to apply them liberally, like salve on a burn.
I’d argue that sparks of business innovation start coming more from this kind of think tank mindset, from this “unlike-mindedness” of unique individuals bringing diverse ideation around product and/or service creation and advancement, marketing and customer service of the highest creative and responsive caliber – and ultimately the business sense to balance risk and fiscal responsibility to those who are part of the core team, and those who must grow with the business, which is what we want. These unique and highly specialized individuals will not only have sound IQ’s, but they’ll have higher EQ’s as well.
The more empaths the better, I say
However, diverse ideation needs rules of engagement – otherwise stuff may not get done. Milestones and deadlines and objectives must be met. True progress is the progression of application, adoption and adjustment. Otherwise, it’s a hot smart mess of questions and answers flying through the air like flaming sheets of unfinished music.
We compose our lives every day at the edge of the world, and the world of work – so let’s do try to make it a better one that works for us all.
00Kevin W. Grossmanhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngKevin W. Grossman2013-02-01 20:38:432020-05-25 16:15:44Like Flaming Sheets of Unfinished Music
The long-term unemployed get airtime and programs to help them retrain and find new career paths. Millennials looking for the first big job, and a way to pay school loans, draw lots of attention. But we could probably spend much more time, as a society, talking about military veterans and the challenges they face reentering the civilian workforce.
Vets have tremendously strong skill sets. Depending upon their service, they may have skills such as people management, logistics, mechanical engineering, IT, aircraft repair, med tech, civil engineering/construction, language arts and more. Most importantly, they understand teamwork and the practical, rather than theoretical, value of collaboration. So why is it so hard for them to come home to civilian jobs?
The country faces huge cuts in its defense budget. The government is trying hard to wind down one war, and equally hard to avoid formal engagement on other fronts. Caught in the middle are tens of thousands of servicemen and women — and their families — who may need a slot in a shaky civilian economy. What can we do to help them? How can we best manage them? What skills do we, as leaders and HR people, need to refresh or acquire to accommodate our veterans in today’s world of work?
These are tough questions, practical and pressing concerns. And we’re going to take them on this week on #TChat. Here are a few questions to guide our discussion:
Q1: US legislation is creating skill certifications for military experience. What else could be done? Q2: What management styles work best when leading an employee with military experience? Q3: What’s the biggest challenge for veterans in the civilian world of work? Q4: Does long-term loyalty help or hinder the career of a veteran in today’s workplace? Q5: How can HR/recruiting tech help internally assess and translate veteran assets to employers?
You may not know anyone who served in a war, and you may not know much about the Korean conflict or the Vietnam War. That’s OK. Just do some research — i.e., talk to your parents, uncles, aunts and friends. Then, join us for a very special #TChat this Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 7-8pm ET (6-7pm CT, 5-6pm MT, 4-5pm PT, or wherever you are).
We’re not afraid to take on difficult topics, and we know you aren’t either. Our guest moderator this week is Brenden “Bo” Wright (@BrendenMWright), director of information technology recruiting at Laureate Education and, as a veteran marine, a former nuclear, biological and chemical defense specialist. Yours truly (@MeghanMBiro) and the rest of the #TChat gang will be there, too. We look forward to Brenden’s thoughts and yours. Tweet with us!
“I don’t want to be out here doing nothing. It’s dangerous.”
This from a 14-year-old boy in Chicago who should be in school, but is not, because of the Chicago Teachers’ strike. This isn’t a rebuke of why he’s not in school, it’s just a brief commentary about the phrase itself as metaphor for the power of social and informal learning.
Many of you have heard the quote, “An idle brain is the devil’s workshop,” which comes from H.G. Bohn‘s Handbook of Proverbs, published in 1855. Its Biblical origins comes from the belief that hard work keeps us focused and out of trouble, and without it, we can only conceive evil deeds from laziness. But with the latest in neuroscience research, we now know that our frontal cortex has much smaller windows of focal strength during the course of the day, that we need idle breaks in thought, to allow the mind to rest and revitalize, letting what we’ve absorbed during the focal spikes to reengineer our synaptic pathways.
Of course I don’t literally mean that teenagers should be roaming the streets unchecked with no formal or informal learning in place. I’m segueing more to the adult world of work and how the progressive enterprise understands how we truly learn and adopt and adapt — and it is doing what it can to integrate this into the workplace, from applicant to alumni.
But we’ve got a lot of “process debt” to deal with. Similar to “technical debt” that refers to layers of outdated programming code that we just overwrite instead of starting fresh, process debt is the same thing when it comes to change management in the workplace. Our decades old learning and development processes haven’t changed much even in the light of research referenced above. We still throw the new employee handbook at new hires, make everyone sit for day-long training seminars where we check out halfway in, and then we silo ourselves in self-branded promotional kiosks with limited if any exposure outside the firewall to valuable content from informal learning channels.
I’m talking about social channels, of course — which of course we’re getting access to anyway inside and outside the firewall, via mobile and tablet devices.
The democratization of social learning is here to stay, and we should embrace the shorter bursts of quality peer-to-peer interaction and actionable insights. By letting us do what we’ve already been doing for thousands of years, the sharing and learning around relevant topics across brand agnostic open networks, organizations can channel the crowd-sourced mindshare and elevate the great global enterprise of empowerment and improvement.
“I don’t want to be out here doing nothing. It’s dangerous.”
The good news is, we’re not doing nothing. The danger is in resistance, not idleness.
Did you miss this week’s preview? Click here, and check out all the crowd-sourced mind-sharing below, channeled through a slideshow of your #TChat tweets. Thank you, Joe Sanchez (@sanchezjb), for your guest moderation of yesterday’s chat. We look forward to seeing everyone next week.
A2: Isn’t #learning the point of working? To teach, connect, grow? You can make money all kinds ‘o ways. Don’t need a job for that. #tchatLara Zuehlke
#tchat a2 asked them what area they would like to receive more trainingSage Bramhall
A2: by using tools like #SoMe – being progressive examples #tchatKathy Herndon, GPHR
A2 Leaders need to challenge employees to answer their own questions, not provide answers, make people uncomfortable at times #tchatPam Ross
A2 Allow people room to “fail forward” #tchatWandaHopkinsMcClure
A2 Worked 4 comp that encouraged ppl 2 join Toastmasters & allowed time during work hrs. & considered it part of annual learning goal #TchatCyndy Trivella
A2 Looking back and admitting what didn’t work – then moving on. #tchatMarla Gottschalk PhD
A2: Leaders have to be intentional effort to offer and gain a new perspective so that everyone can see situations in fresh new ways. #tchatJen Olney
A2: by Fostering dialogue, setting an example & connecting employees to the org objectives #TChatNissrine Ghannoum
#tchat A2 you can help others learn. Adults are hard but make them love learning as much as u thru example. I provided proff dev. For 8 yrs!Sage Bramhall
A2: Share learning experiences and demonstrate the importance. Allow opportunities for self and team to apply learning on the job #tchatLaTonya Wilkins
A2 Leaders have to be open to feedback and change. Modeling learning from experience so that employees learn. #TChatPam Ross
A2. Leaders can take interest in what their team wants to learn and pursue. Ask. Listen. Integrate ideas. #tchatTerri Klass
A2: Everyone already knows how to learn, they just need to be reminded to keep doing it at work (managers and peers can help) #TChat #TChatFaronics HR
A2: Encourage EEs to trust themselves & ask questions. If they didn’t already know how to learn, they wouldn’t have gotten very far. #tchatBright.com
A2 The leaders should encourage participation without the fear of failing or making mistakes #tchatRitu Raj
A2: #Leaders need to be OK in their own skin. Insecurity is what erodes #learning & growth. Leads to micromanaging. #TchatLara Zuehlke
A2 – be willing to walk the walk as well as talk the talk when it comes to learning. Many ldrs don’t do this #tchatBrad Galin
A2 There’s value in teaching people how to ask questions – the right questions. #tchatJoe Sanchez
A2) lead by example. Show them you are open to their ideas by accepting their honest appraisal of current status quo. #tchatKeith Punches
A2) Lead by example, a leader who is still passionate about learning themselves will naturally encourage those around them. #tchatBlair Hite
A2 Companies can include “fun” time learning into the mix so it’s not always a classroom or CBT learning experience. #TchatCyndy Trivella
A2) give them some breathing room. Let them figure things out; consult when needed #tchatRich Grant
A2: Leadership has 2 drive it, need 2 encourage, can’t b afraid of failure use it 2 develop the culture and character of organization #tchatRobert Rojo
A2: I believe you should teach by modeling. #tchatTyrrel Walker
A2: Leaders must be committed to a day-in and day-out shift in attention and practice to learning and make it consistent #tchatJen Olney
A2. Stay present; stay on message; and keep listening. #tchatSheree Van Vreede
A2 Mentoring might be good start… #tchat #csuite #leadership #workplaceGood Business
A2 At Teamalaya, all employees are willing to do the dirty work. It will show future employees that we’re willing to do w/e it takes. #tchatTeamalaya
A2. They can create the conditions that give people permission to learn without boundaries or borders #tchatSalima Nathoo
A2: By starting everyone in preschool. Really. Soft skills and learning cultures start there. #TChatKevin W. Grossman
A2 Mgrs can set reasonable expectations for a set # of learning hrs per month/yr. and tie learning into the performance expectations. #TchatCyndy Trivella
A2 model learning, be open to it, provide learning at every opportunity, ask questions, challenge assumptions, don’t give answers #TChatPam Ross
A2: Identifying + recognizing the strengths + learning styles of your team is key. #TChatAndrew Henck
A2: Set an example and then provide the same opportunity #TChatBarb Buckner
a2) ask them the questions; don’t spoon feed them the answers #tchatRich Grant
A2 Model the behaviors. #tchatMarla Gottschalk PhD
Late summer on the deck in Ann Arbor. @SocialMediaSean #tchat http://pic.twitter.com/OtjDfSOQMark Salke
Q3 How can an organization leverage informal social learning opportunities? #tchatJoe Sanchez
A3: Provide UNSTRUCTURE time to think, dream, mastermind,tinker, explore reflect- genius is not a lightening bolt #TChatAngela Maiers
A3. Recognizing informal learning value and understanding its benefits, could be a good start #TChatLilian Mahoukou
A3: Orgs can leverage informal #SocialLearning by mixing it up – provide content that provokes personal and professional interest #tchatTeala Wilson
A3: Build intentional reflection and inquiry into meetings and exchanges. Questions like, “What did you notice when…”#tchat #hsdinstituteRoyce Holladay
A3 – Create intersections – social is fast moving & ideas spring up – then do something w/those ideas as a jump board for learning #TchatLeAnna J. Carey
A3) @hjarche @C4LPT and others promote narrating work. Within the org, this goes a long way to show others how it’s done. #tchatTom Spiglanin
A3 employees are a great way to bounce ideas around about new ideas and new opportunities. #TChatKZO Innovations
Less social media. More face to face. More work. More production. Less chat. #TChat A3Lois Martin
A3: Afford ppl the freedom to learn using a method that makes sense for them, often is met with less resistance. #tchatRandy Thio
A3: Peer to peer teaching opportunities allow everyone a chance to gain knowledge. Create the space and time to make it happen #tchatJen Olney
A3 Learning is caught; not taught. Communicate, collaborate, celebrate together. #tchatWandaHopkinsMcClure
A3: Effective learning cultures already expect folks to bring outside (formal/informal) learning in + share it. #TChatAndrew Henck
A3: YouTube and TED are excellent sources of inspirationand information which can start ur creative juices flowing! @AngelaMaiers #TChatZenYinger
A3: We need to invite someone we don’t know well or from another area to lunch…. break bread, break barriers. #TChatJon M
A3. Embrace social learning as critical to innovation and cutting-edge knowledge. #tchatTerri Klass
A3: Make it public. So many opportunities in social learning to highlight your learning culture #TChatSean Charles
A3: Buy letting us do what we’re already doing. Sharing and learning around relevant topics across brand agnostic open networks. #TchatKevin W. Grossman
A3: Approach everything as a learning opp. Encourage learning by doing, observing, teaching. #tchatBright.com
A3 Onboarding is one opportunity. Social learning def. required. #tchatMarla Gottschalk PhD
A3: give people some downtime to process and collaborate. Need to let go of control! #tchatBrad Galin
A3. Build a social sandbox in the workplace and champion creative sandcastle architects. #tchatSalima Nathoo
A3) Identify existing pockets where social learning success exists & seek ways to cross-pollinate/expand/amplify on those examples #TchatExpertus
A3: Create an org culture that first values “out of the box” thinking + innovative learning opps. #TChatAndrew Henck
A3 Leverage by creating an environment which supports informal learning opps, ie, outta cubicles! It’s culture & physical #TchatClaire Crossley
A3: Provide UNSTRUCTURE time to think, dream, mastermind,tinker, explore reflect- genius is not a lightening bolt #TChatAngela Maiers
A3 – an open work environment – no cubicles – and encourage collaboration thru social media… #tchatRichard S Pearson
A3: accept unorthodox learning styles. org leadership retreats, to bond teams, and give back to community. displays comm, & collabora #tchatPlatinum Resource
A3 Informal learning allows ppl to learn in a place, time and thru a venue (i.e., mobile device )to fit employee’s learning style. #TchatCyndy Trivella
“@SocialMediaSean: Tweet a photo of where you are tweeting from tonight. Love to add pictures to the Storify. #TChat” http://pic.twitter.com/tSX0nbrhFar North Media
Q4 Why do learning cultures create competitive advantage? #tchatJoe Sanchez
A4 – The struggle after a company has been ramped up is ‘the founders dilemma – can you scale? #TchatLeAnna J. Carey
A4) Seeing love for failure. OK. But it’s how we attend respond & adjust & move forward that is the source of value in failure #TchatExpertus
A4 – barriers can be overcome by continually evolving the teaching models through an innovation lens #TChatLeAnna J. Carey
A4: Learning cultures tend to be more civil. #tchat #leadership #learningLindaFisherThornton
A4: there’s a jack welch quote about comp advantage is orgs that that learn fast ad convert that learning into action.. #tchatBill Cushard
A4: Adaptable to responding to external changes,competitive to innovations. The culture of learning is always shifting into high gear #tchatJen Olney
A4: A #LearningCulture creates a competitive advantage by allowing ideas and innovation to flow and be heard #tchatTeala Wilson
A4 Competition fosters efficiency–> production. Experts learn & produce. Leaders teach WHILE they learn & produce. #TChatJoseph Ned
A4: The more you “Learn” the more you “Earn” in life & business #TChatSean Charles
#TChat A4:More opportunity 2 empower employees to learn new things as well as challenge them, instead of “just showing up at work”! #rewardsMichael!
A4) Knowledge hoarding is a tactic for failure. Knowledge sharing is like passing down the recipe for success. #tchatTom Spiglanin
A4: To emphasize to employees to go the extra mile, be accountable & define expectations. #tchatRobert Rojo
A4: a learning culture is able to embrace diversity and this allows good mixing of ideas to bring new ones to life. #tchatBrad Galin
A4 Companies can have customer satisfaction recognition programs that R tied into learning new procedures/processes. #TchatCyndy Trivella
A4) because learning cultures = innovation = competitive advantage #TChatRich Grant
A4. Because they are inclusive, not exclusive. #tchatSheree Van Vreede
A4 I think a good place to look in organizations where and what learning is required, that also goes for tacit and general learning #tChatRitu Raj
A4. Encouraging emps to take part in their own education is empowering…and contagious #TChatKara Singh
A4: Learning cultures are inherently adapting to the changing needs of the day. #TChatAndrew Henck
A4. There are always opportunities to learn. It’s not only up to the mentor but the individual to take the lesson. #TChatKara Singh
Tweeting from Michigan State – #TChat http://pic.twitter.com/SfuOOLWoMarla Gottschalk PhD
Q5 How do you know whether or not an organization’s culture is conducive to learning? #tchatJoe Sanchez
A5 How they react to mistakes – do they learn from it or sweep it under the rug? #tchatAmy Do
A5. By profiling managers… are they multipliers or diminishers? The latter ones don’t leave room for failure and practical learning #TChatLilian Mahoukou
A5: Active Listening , Questioning & raising awareness #TChatNissrine Ghannoum
A5 transparent processes – opening up for feedback & taking it seriously – represent a learning culture #TChatMiriam Brosseau
A5 – It’s important to assess the appetite for change – can close up some barriers! #TchatLeAnna J. Carey
A5 The best learning, especially in business, comes from discovery. How does the org take what’s been discovered and create insights? #tchatJoe Sanchez
A5 you FEEL it! There is a good vibration in the air. #TChat #tchatLori~TranslationLady
A5) I facilitate a social session with newer employees to get to heart of our culture, which is knowledge sharing. Walk the talk. #tchatTom Spiglanin
A5 Leadership must set a purposeful direction for continual learning. Can’t be haphazard. #tchatTerri Klass
A5: I find there is a strong sense of humility in learning focused organizations. #TChatSean Charles
A5 An organization that fosters innovation, trying out new ideas – is more likely to be a learning organization #tchatKimbra Fox
A5. I’d agree on the fact that employees may be the ones to give some key evidences #TChatLilian Mahoukou
A5 Really, all you have to do is look around. If things aren’t changing, people aren’t learning. #TchatRedge
A5) In our org, a VP welcomes every new employee, even if some weeks it’s just one or two. #tchatTom Spiglanin
A5: Find out about an org’s rate of internal mobility and process for determining strategy & best practices #tchatTeala Wilson
A5- Examine how the highest level employee interacts with the lowest…if you see/feel the hierarchy probably not a learning org #TChatAngela Maiers
A5 How they react to mistakes – do they learn from it or sweep it under the rug? #tchatAmy Do
A5 open your network and find people who work there to talk to. They won’t hesitate to share if they are in a great (or horrible) co. #tchatRichard S Pearson
A5: Ask one of their regular employees what the company mission statement is! #tchatRandy Thio
A5: Are the leaders challenging their employees to push their own status quo beyond its limits and seek new perspectives? #tchatJen Olney
A5: if they are in survival mode or not. those they want to survive, tend to skip out on training & learning #tchatPlatinum Resource
A5) do SVPs and above ask more questions than make pronouncements? #TChatRich Grant
A5 How boring are the meetings? :) #tchat #csuite #leadership #workplaceGood Business
A5: If the org culture values failure + innovation, it is conducive to #learning #TChatAndrew Henck
As a manager you can either command excellence or help build excellence. Leaders always choose the latter. #tchatVala Afshar
@TerriKlass Dont use White Boards. Use butcher paper and markers. More creative thought. #tChatGenny Harrison
People can be human. Learning, growing, flawed, passionate, humans. Groups like that learn w/ and from each other. #tchatMatt Monge
@TerriKlass I got your jealously ripening in my yard right now http://www.twitpic.com/aqgpwe #TChat pina coladas for everyone!Sylvia Dahlby
00Kevin W. Grossmanhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngKevin W. Grossman2012-09-13 12:14:282020-05-22 14:46:51Channeling Crowd-Sourced Mindshare: #TChat Recap
“All I know is that sometimes you have to be wary Of a miracle too good to be true All I know is that sometimes the truth is contrary Everything in life you thought you knew…”
–Neil Peart
They sat in the front pews listening to our advice. The air conditioning didn’t work, so fans swirled warm air from back and forth between the open doors and windows, like restless dreams of the unknown. They listened with guarded optimism, looking tired, a little lost.
We talked about résumé best practices and where to look for jobs and how to optimize and leverage online professional profiles and where to find freelance and project work. We talked about volunteering and getting involved in your local community, not only to give back, but to exchange with one another via networking reciprocity; we never know where our next opportunity could come from. At one point toward the end of my segment, I forced a smile, thinking of my own career path, the highs and lows and mediocre in-betweens. I wiped my sweaty brow and looked toward the windows, already somewhat regretting my metaphorical cliche.
“Keep all those windows of opportunity open you find throughout your careers,” I said. “You never know when you’ll need them.”
These were the job have nots — working-class to middle-class folk who have lost their jobs, whose careers have ground to a halt, whose personal lives have gotten in the way of their professional ones. This was also my latest experience volunteering with Hirewire, a local organization to help job seekers in Santa Cruz County with career development and job search advice.
Consider one of the Hirewire attendees, an aerospace engineer in his late 50s out of work for nearly three years, struggling to fill the hole in his résumé and remain relevant and to again become employable.
Consider another of the Hirewire attendees, a service delivery professional in his early 40s out of work for over a year, struggling to find value in the local employment office workshops and counseling sessions.
Consider my best friend from college. In 1987 he wanted to be an airline pilot. He finished his college degree, flew hundreds of hours, finished all his flying certifications and — wallah — he became an airline pilot, first flying for a commuter airline and then for a global transport airline. But then just last month — wallah — he was out of a job, laid off due to the continued economic ice age.
Consider the thousands of men and women given highly skilled training to defend us near and abroad, to then find themselves again as civillians drowning in double-digit unemployment.
Consider the millions of high school graduates (and many more of those who didn’t graduate) who fight for a finite number of low-wage jobs while being shuffled to and fro from social service to social service and then told to look ahead, figure it out and find a job.
Figure what out, exactly? Sometimes the truth is contrary for the job have nots. And sometimes it’s a breath of fresh air, like the note I recently received from another friend of mine:
All is moving along for me…I’m doing some interesting work with companies both inside and outside of the HR space which is keeping things fresh. And still managing to find (some) balance in life by following your advice from the last time we spoke about “keeping all the windows open.”
Ah, so much for metaphorical clichés — so much is needed to warm the world of work again. So much has been lost during the darkest of modern economic winters. So much needs to be reinvented and reinvested.
So much for the job have nots.
Thank you for joining us yesterday. Your tweets couldn’t have come at a better time for the job have nots. If you missed the preview, click here.
00Kevin W. Grossmanhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngKevin W. Grossman2012-07-12 11:22:542020-05-22 14:27:14So Much for the Job Have Nots: #TChat Recap
Great news is unfolding or so it seems. It appears that job growth is not only on the upswing but also showing sustained growth. For the first time in years the unemployment rate is under 8.5 percent (although it’s easy to quibble with what the ‘rate’ really measures). All this is good news for the recruiting/talent industry, which, according to Josh Bersin, is a $124 billion USD market….Did I just say that?!
For starters, 2011 was the year social recruiting took off. Arguably it’s more cost-effective to use social channels than it is to bring in an outsourced or contingent recruiting firm. Add talent management and talent community software, and you’ve brought a new level of automation to recruiting, using social channels, at a much lower price point than would be possible using a big-name firm (or even a few hyper connected talent management pros – we still exist too).
Secondly, CEOs worry about a lot of stuff, and recruiting talent is not always in the top five unfortunately. CEOs worry about the Board of Directors, hitting financial targets, maintaining leadership in their industries, staying ahead of competitors and maintaining positive brand awareness. While having the right people on board affects all of these, it’s not, by itself, a CEO’s job 1. So tell the CEO you need to spend X dollars on recruiting and he or she is going to ask why. And you better have a compelling, fact-based story.
Third, social media’s impact on recruiting talent has changed everything for all of us. I mean EVERYTHING. We’re talking more than LinkedIn, which by itself was a game-changer. Back to talent communities, talent management software and other uses of social media in the workplace – recruiters have to be ahead of the trends and adjust their business models accordingly. Those who don’t will fail. Maybe not tomorrow, but definitely in the short-term future. Leaders need to adjust models for hiring talent as well. This cuts both ways.
So while the economy may be adding around 200,000 jobs a month, fewer of those will be sourced via traditional recruiting. New recruiting models are emerging every month. So this week on TalentCulture’s World of Work –AKA #TChat– we’re going to have a difficult discussion for Leaders, HR and recruiting rock stars about 2012 Recruiting Trends. We rotate topics every week that are timely to bring you the latest and greatest information.
Yes, so much unfolds, but who is getting in on this giant market? How can leaders decide what to do next?
So let’s come together to explore what to do with the $124 billion dollar industry. Because you can’t buy every single recruiting model at once. Or can you? Join us Wednesday night on #TChat The World of Work February 8th from 7-8 pm ET (6-7 CT, 4-5 pm PT), where recruiting and leadership “buy in” topics are in the hot seat. Join me, Kevin Grossman, Maren Hogan, Sean Charles and Kyle Lagunas for a very special #TChat.
Q4: Is the contract recruiting model old school and costly? Why or why not?
Q5: What other recruiting models, both corporate or contract, are emerging and why?
00Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2012-02-07 10:06:132020-05-20 18:11:15Talent Leadership & a $124 Billion Question: #TChat Preview
Maybe we would be better off putting economists and seasoned (small) business leaders in office. Because maybe then we’d create a better private sector environment that brings back a job growth heartbeat.
I didn’t want to make this week’s recap political, but that’s difficult to do when all I hear is crazy extremism with little to no economic basis for growth, and certainly no viable plans. At all.
What ails the global economy is unprecedented. We haven’t seen this many people out of work for longer than six months since before World War II, and we haven’t seen this many emerging markets and simultaneous downturns and financial market meltdowns since the end of WWII.
I wrote yesterday that most mainstream economists agree 100% employment just isn’t possible or even should be possible. Consider NAIRU, which is an acronym for Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment:
“Any given labor market structure must involve a certain amount of unemployment, including frictional unemployment associated with individuals changing jobs and possibly classical unemployment arising from real wages being held above the market-clearing level by minimum wage laws, trade unions or other labour market institutions.”
Wait, I forgot. We’re human. We also have to consider corruption, taxes, tariffs, regulations, greed, exploitation, violence — all of which can stifle micro and macro economies, so it’s no surprise that we couldn’t have zero unemployment even if we really wanted to.
And political extremism is killing any hope for a healthy business market and job growth in this country. By the numbers, the greatest job growth comes in small business, the global innovators and incubators of the new millennium.
Sure, there are still inherent problems with our recruiting processes here, there and everywhere, as well as a major skills shortage and (bidding) war for specific talent that inflates the market while other sectors lie flat, but the good folk on last night’s #TChat helped to solve all that.
Hey, maybe we should put all of you into office. Yes, that’s the new plan and we can still have our economists as advisors.
Right on.
A very special thank you to Jessica Miller-Merrill (@blogging4jobs) for moderating last night and the entire Zero Unemployment movement for making a difference!
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.png00Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2011-09-08 11:54:002020-05-20 17:50:23Zero Unemployment: It's On Us: #TChat Recap
Whether you believe there’s a talent war or not, there are still too many of us out of work. There are shortages of skills, a growing global competitiveness and industries with jobs that will most likely never be heard from again.
But buying into the fairy tale that [insert politician and/or political party of choice here] can and should be the magical job creator that will save us from ourselves only lends us false hope. Unfortunately we’re going to hear a lot of that rhetoric in the next 18 months.
This is just brings false hope that will be defaulted on time and time again. And listen, I’m a Keynesian, one who believes that when the private sector fails miserably – think Great Depression and our very recent economic ice age we’re still thawing from – the public sector needs to take monetary action to try and stabilize the financial markets and get folks back to work in the short term.
I’m not an economist, but I am an econ hobbyist who cares about tempering the beast of business’s destructive nature. Whether you agreed with it or not, short-term public stimulus can help spark long-term job growth if channeled at improving the infrastructure that makes it easier to conduct business in the US and beyond (think trains, planes and automobiles).
But that’s only part of the picture. You also have to have sustainable economic growth and incentives to invest in growing your talent base locally, virtually and globally. And if you have a sound business model, customers and sustainable growth, investors may come a-knockin’ to give you the capital you need to further grow, and maybe, just maybe, hire more talent.
On one of my recent trips across the US I caught up on one of my favorite podcast shows – NPR Planet Money. In one episode titled How do you create a job?, the hosts asked Princeton economist Orley Ashenfelter what he thinks when politicians say they created jobs:
I usually laugh. … When someone says that they are stating a fact: “While I was in office, employment increased by 150,000,” or whatever it increased by. Whether or not you can attribute that to what they did is another, much more difficult question…And by the way, you don’t often hear people say, “I destroyed 150 thousand jobs.”
The true bottom line here is that the government has to appeal to corporate greed. You have to incent business with lower taxes and/or improve the infrastructure in which we conduct business in order to stimulate job growth.
And even then there are no guarantees companies will start hiring. Many are sitting on mounds of cash, investing in stock buybacks, R&D or hiring outside of the US in emerging markets.
It’s called the marginal efficiency of investment – how much of a dollar you invest do you get to keep in profits. Businesses are not in the business of keeping people employed. They’re in the business of making money, and along the way they employ folks as a means to that end. But if you woo the beast, then maybe, just maybe they’ll start hiring, if the cost of paying someone to do a job is less than the output the job produces in revenue. Thankfully there is hiring happening in the US. Not enough to dramatically chip away at the unemployment rate, but it is happening.
I know this all sounds at odds from harmonizing workplace humanity I usually write about. It’s not, though. I’ve learned more about the economics of 21st century life in the past year to fill, well, a lifetime, and I’m a supporter of the Zero Unemployment movement (my recent rants with them were captured on video here and here).
There are no magic job wands. If there were, you know I’d be waving mine.
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.png00Kevin W. Grossmanhttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngKevin W. Grossman2011-05-16 09:05:502020-05-20 17:06:13Fighting the Beast of Unemployment: An Economic Boost is Needed
A lot of companies, through recruiting advertising, corporate mission statements, employee communications or any other aphorism-friendly medium, proudly proclaim some variation on the theme, “Our people are our greatest assets.”
As the economy slowly rebounds, however, there’s a pretty good paper trail showing that, in fact, many of these assets were treated, essentially, like a cost center, at least when it comes to the old p&l. Shedding the fixed costs of human capital might make sense on a balance sheet, and has, over the short term, created both shareholder value and historic levels of employee productivity.
For the overwhelming majority of workers, there’s nothing fixed about human capital. And they’re about to prove it; with the expected mass exodus of talent in the wake of the rebounding economy, many companies and talent organizations are about to discover, in fact, that “our people are our greatest assets” is more than a corporate catch-phrase.
Because a lot of those assets are about to walk out the door, taking with them, in many cases to competitors, a level of institutional and internal knowledge whose value on the balance sheet might be hard to calculate, but whose bottom line effect will be felt by many organizations for years to come.
The upcoming seismic spike in employee turnover will look different than any we’ve seen in the past. A recent Monster.com survey showed that fully 82% of fully employed workers have updated their resumes in the past 6 months, and a whopping 96% of employees with tenures of over 5 years are openly exploring opportunities.
Any recruiter can tell you, candidates with up-to-date resumes and job longevity are pretty much the Holy Grail of talent acquisition. And the crusade for your organization’s employees is about to begin.
Join #TChat tonight as we discuss what employers and job seekers alike can do to take advantage of this historic confluence of trends that stand poised to redefine the status quo of workforce and talent management.
#TChat Questions and Recommended Reading (4.5.11)
Whether you’re a recruiter, job seeker, or employer, the ‘perfect storm’ of accelerated attrition and acquisition will change the way you work, and who you work with, and we want to hear from you tonight from 8-9 PM ET.
Here are the questions we’re going to be discussing tonight, along with some recommended reading to help inform, and inspire, tonight’s #TChat conversation:
Should I Stay Or Should I Go? Workplace Culture Factors to Consider Before Leaving Your Job
Q1: Almost 90% of workers report being “open” to looking for new jobs. Why is this number so high?
Visit www.talentculture.com for more great information on #TChat and resources on culture fatigue and how to overcome it!
Our Monster social media team supports the effort behind #TChat and its mission of sharing “ideas to help your business and your career accelerate – the right people, the right ideas, at the right time.”
We’ll be joining the conversation live every Tuesday night as co-hosts with Kevin Grossman and Meghan M. Biro from 8-9 PM E.T. via @monster_works and @MonsterWW. Hope to see you tonight at 8 PM ET for #TChat!
https://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.png00Meghan M. Birohttps://talentculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/TCLogo_web-272x60-1.pngMeghan M. Biro2011-04-05 14:21:422020-05-20 16:58:08Consider Culture Before Leaving Your Job: #TChat
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