inhospitable: not offering shelter; barren or forbidding I would venture to guess, Dear Reader, that your local Chamber of Commerce (wherever that may be) has some sort of “talent” program they promote as an offering to their member organizations. This is nothing new. During my eons in HR, I’ve danced on the fringes of several COCs and the clamoring from employers (in every region) for assistance in this area has always been loud – usually traveling similar well-worn paths: “Help us identify and hire candidates who are available and willing!” “Help us develop new/young/emerging leaders for o ..read more

the Establishment the existing power structure in society; the dominant groups in society and their customs or institutions; institutional authority; the dominant group in a field of endeavor, organization Dictionary.com I’ve long been drawn to those who stand in opposition to the conventional social, political or cultural norms in society. The Bohemians. The Beats. The Punks. In much the same way, I’m drawn to those in HR who march to a different drummer. Not those who don’t have the foundational/knowledge down; there’s a vast (and ever expanding) HR body of knowledge that requires anyone ..read more

The actions we take, whether as individuals or institutions, often lead to consequences that we did not anticipate. This phenomenon, known as the Law of Unintended Consequences (LOUC), is a fundamental aspect of human decision-making and has significant implications for various fields, including economics and social science. Despite its importance, the LOUC is often ignored by those in decision-making roles. The concept of the LOUC was first analyzed by sociologist Robert K. Merton in 1936. He identified five sources of unintended consequences that contribute to the divergence between intende ..read more

There are numerous notions we hold close – in our hearts and minds – about recruiting and hiring employees. We often learn these things early in our career as a manager, HR professional or recruiter. In the professional equivalent of sitting around the campfire, we hear the scary stories and soak in “advice” from those who have come before us. But a significant portion of what we think is truth might, in fact, be a myth. An urban legend. Something made up to keep us all “in line” – just as this story was designed to scare us and prevent nefarious nighttime activities.   Join me for this ..read more

I had jury duty last week. Or, to put it more accurately, last week I answered a summons to serve on a jury and thus reported to the 19th Judicial District Court to fulfill my civic duty. There were maybe 150 of us in total. Folks in business attire (suits, heels, LSU sweatshirts) and others who looked like they barely passed through a shower. Facial expressions and body language ranged from grim determination to exasperation. A fair number of people seemed eager and excited. And, naturally, this being Baton Rouge, quite a few seemed to be acquainted and/or related to each other based upon th ..read more

“The art of the possible” is a phrase often used to describe the practice of achieving the best possible outcome in a given situation – especially in the context of politics. It’s about creating achievable goals and being pragmatic rather than idealistic. Candidates (or elected representatives) who toss out this bon mot on the campaign trail desire to be thought of as intelligent (ha!), endowed with common sense (ha ha!), and agile enough to work within and amongst the existing government machinations.   Boiled down to its essence, “the art of the possible” emphasizes the elements of pra ..read more

Until 6 years ago I had never worked for an organization that scheduled to be closed for business on the Day after Thanksgiving. In addition, over the course of time, I worked for a fair number of companies that were open on Thanksgiving Day. At one organization the paid holidays were bundled into the general PTO bank so if, for example, a holiday feel on a regularly scheduled workday (i.e. M – F) and I wanted to take the day off for Thanksgiving or Christmas Day or Memorial Day (etc.), I needed to use a PTO day.  I generally didn’t waste a PTO day on Black Friday. But as we sit here in ..read more

Next week (hurray) I’m heading out to the HR Technology Conference & Exposition – one of my favorite annual events. I love the sessions, the demos, the Pitchfest, the Start-Up Pavilion, the Happy Hours, the “let’s catch up over lunch” meetings, and the parties. So many parties. My favorite sort of content? I love hearing case studies from HR teams who have implemented work tech that has created efficiencies, enhanced productivity, provided insight to leaders to enhance decision making, and improved the employee (and HR!) experience. This year, of course, there will be lots of chatter abou ..read more

Over the years, while working for some (certainly not all) of the companies in which I’ve plied my HR trade, I enjoyed the luxury of being serviced by a plant technician.   These people, some of whom handled the same customers for YEARS, would make weekly visits to our headquarters office, visit each department, and nurture the plants. They would water, fertilize, clip dead leaves, rotate towards the sun/away from the sun, move to a cooler and shadow-filled corner as required.  They would replace the stand or containers as necessary and occasionally whisk a plant away to re-pot ..read more

It’s time to address an annoying, longstanding, and frankly outdated tradition: the two-week notice. A business practice that is as obsolete as fax machines and paper resumes. Once upon a time, in an era lost to the mists of time, somebody thought: “Hey, employees need to give companies a heads up before they peace out” and thus, the two-week notice was born.  In theory, this notice period provides employers with time to find a replacement, redistribute tasks, and ensure no disruption in services. But I can guarantee you there are very few replacements being found and hired within two we ..read more