Sharlyn J. Lauby's Blog, page 94

Recruiting Biases: 10 Common Types

 (Editor’s Note: Today’s article is brought to
you by our friends at
Criteria Corp, a leading provider of pre-employment testing
services. If you want to learn more about how pre-employment
testing can benefit your recruiting strategy, check out Criteria
Corp’s “Definitive
Guide to Pre-Employment Testing”. I found this to be a comprehensive
guide that I keep on the corner of my desk all the time. Enjoy the article!) 

One of the most common recruiting
metrics is time-to-fill. It’s basically the number of days it takes to fill a
position from the time the opening occurs (i.e. the requisition is opened) to
the time the candidate accepts the job offer. According to the last Society for
Human Resource Management (SHRM) Talent Acquisition Benchmarking Report, the
average time-to-fill is 36 days. On the surface, you might say,
“That’s not too bad.”

However, in the article “12
Recruiting Statistics that Will Change the Way You Hire”, the
average length of the job interview process is 24 days (23.8 to be exact). If we use both of these
numbers, this means the rest of the entire recruiting process is 12 days.
Twelve days to plan, source, select, background check, etc. Maybe it’s me but that
doesn’t seem like a very long time.

Especially when it comes to
selection.

If the company spends two-thirds of
their time interviewing candidates, it seems like they should dedicate a comparable
amount of time to making the right decision. Not necessarily equal, but
comparable given how long it takes to interview. Because getting the selection
part of the hiring process wrong can be costly.

Turnover is expensive

I don’t have to tell anyone the
negative impact that turnover has on the organization. Depending on the report
you’re looking at, the cost of a bad hire can range from 1-3 times annual
salary, depending on the position. And that doesn’t even take into account
employee morale and engagement, knowledge management, etc.

My concern is, if organizations try
to accelerate the selection process, they could be opening themselves up to
adding bias, which is defined as adding a prejudice in favor or against someone
or something that’s considered to be unfair. It’s possible we do this
unconsciously. Or maybe we’re deliberate about it.

I’m reminded of a seminar from
Dr. David Rock I heard a couple of years ago where he talked about not
all biases are bad. And of course, if all of the
biases we brought into a situation were positive, then there would be nothing
to worry about and we wouldn’t be having this conversation. But often bias is
negative. If we want to use our biases the right way then we need to take the
time needed to be aware of them. Here are ten common forms of bias and examples of how we
might see each in a recruiting situation:

Contrast effect occurs when an interviewer compares candidates to each other rather than evaluating to the organization’s performance standard. As in, “Jose is a better candidate than Leonard.” It’s important during the selection process for the recruiting team to use valid and reliable information to make their hiring decision. First-impression errors take place when an interviewer bases their entire view of a candidate on their first impression. I’ve often seen this based on the candidate’s attire. “Cecil came to the interview in jeans, he’s obviously not serious about this job.” Or tattoos. “Did you see that tattoo Cecil had on his arm? He’s not the right fit for our organization.”The Halo effect occurs when a recruiter or hiring manager allows one positive qualification or trait to take precedence over everything. This causes the interviewer to unduly favor the candidate. “For example, “Joe has a lot of enthusiasm, so naturally, he would be the most qualified for the job.”The Horn effect is the exact opposite of the Halo effect. In this situation, one negative trait or qualification takes precedence and leads to unfair prejudice towards the candidate. For example, “Joe seemed nervous during the interview. I’m not going to be able to handle the pressure of working here.”Inconsistent questioning happens when an interviewer doesn’t use a standard list of questions for each interview and cannot compare candidates to the same performance measure. Behavioral interviews are one way to bring consistency to the process. It’s important to note that even though candidates are being asked the same questions, it’s not to compare them to each other. See #1. Negative emphasis takes place when an interviewer makes assumptions about a candidate based on a small amount of negative information that is shared. An example would be if a candidate shares that they “failed” at something or made a “mistake”. Then all of a sudden, they’re no longer qualified.Nonverbal bias occurs when an interviewer is influenced by body language. You know this one. The room is cold, an employee folds their arms and now the interviewer thinks that they’re no longer interested. Sometimes it also happens when candidates are nervous and fail to make good eye contact during the interview. The Similar-to-Me Error occurs when the interviewer rates the candidate based on characteristics that the evaluator sees in themselves. The logic being – if I think I’m good at my job, then someone who is like me will also be good at their job. That makes someone the perfect candidate. The challenge with this thought process is that organizations need diversity to innovate and grow.Stereotyping happens when an interviewer assumes that a candidate has specific traits because they are a member of a group. True story: I recently attended a conference where someone stood up and said that he didn’t understand “why women were so emotional”. There was an audible gasp in the room. Enough said. So far, we’ve been talking about interviewer biases. This last one is for those job seekers out there. Cultural Noise occurs when candidates answer questions based on what they think will get them the job rather than what they actually believe or would do. This is exactly why every piece of advice to job seekers is “Don’t fake it!”







Heighten your awareness of recruiting biases

I get it, recruiting is tough
right now. But the last thing that organizations want to do is spend a lot of
resources finding and interviewing candidates only to select the wrong person.
Part of selecting the right candidate is taking our biases out of the process.
The way we do that is by maintaining our awareness that biases exist.

Organizations can make sure
that human resources and hiring managers stay aware of bias by using this type
of information during interview skills training. You can bookmark articles like
this one and others on unconscious bias as reminders. Finally, we can make sure
to take the proper time (and ask all the right questions) during the selection
process. That benefits everyone.

If you want to learn more about
removing bias from the candidate selection process, join me and the Criteria
Corp team on Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at 10a Pacific / 1p Eastern for a webinar
on “How
to Move Your Hiring from Culture Fit to Culture Add”. We’re going to specifically talk about the
similar-to-me error and how it can negatively impact your selection process.

The post Recruiting Biases: 10 Common Types appeared first on hr bartender.

LinkedIn Reactions Expand Professional Communication

As a
human resources professional, one of the things I’m constantly reminding
managers about is the need to personalize communication. Especially when it
comes to recognition or acknowledgements. Simply saying, “Good Job!” to
everyone isn’t sufficient. I’m not saying that you have to strike the phrase
“Good Job!” from your vocabulary, but we need to be more expressive.

That’s why I was excited to hear that LinkedIn introduced a new feature called LinkedIn Reactions. It expands the current “thumbs up” option in LinkedIn to include celebrate, love, insightful, and curious.

While
like, celebrate, and love are probably self-explanatory, I think insightful and
curious could be conversation starters. According to LinkedIn, insightful
allows users to recognize a thought-provoking topic and curious can indicate a
desire to learn more.

Because
old habits can be hard to break, and I still find myself just “liking” things
on LinkedIn, I spoke with Cissy Chen, product manager at LinkedIn, to learn more about
Reactions and how to incorporate them in my interactions on the network.

Cissy, can you briefly describe for readers what LinkedIn
Reactions is and the rationale behind adding more options than just the “thumbs
up”.

[Chen]
LinkedIn Reactions is a set of lightweight expressions that give members a more
nuanced way to communicate with their network. Our research has shown that
thriving communities are fostered when members feel like they belong in a
supportive environment where they feel encouraged to express their thoughts and
ideas.

Reactions
makes it easy for members to visually express their sentiment on a topic in a
way that goes beyond a ‘Like’.  One of
the things we regularly heard from our members is that they want more
expressive ways than a ‘Like’ to respond to the variety of posts they see in
their feed. At the same time, members told us that when they post on LinkedIn,
they want more ways to feel heard and understand why someone liked what they
said.

I’m curious how LinkedIn Reactions works. Can anyone give anyone else a “Reaction”? Or is it only between first-level connections?

[Chen]
As a member, I can ‘react’ to any post (i.e. short-form, long-form, recommended
posts, etc.) that currently has a social action bar, across feed, search,
groups, recent activity, etc, including organic company updates and sponsored
content. I can only select one reaction per post from the set of Reactions that
LinkedIn shows me by holding down the Like button and sliding my finger/cursor
across to the right to select the reaction. 

Can you give us a few examples of how users would share a Reaction
with one of their connections?

[Chen]
Sure! Most LinkedIn users know how to use the ‘Like’. Here’s how you might use
the other Reactions.

‘Celebrate’ could be used to
praise an accomplishment or milestone like landing a new job or speaking at an
event‘Love’ would be used to
express deep resonance and support, like a conversation about work life balance
or the impact of mentorshipInsightful can help you
recognize a great point or interesting ideaCurious lets you show your
desire to learn more or react to a thought-provoking topic.

More
examples can be found on LinkedIn’s Help Center. 

For the skeptics out there who might say Reactions is a bit too
casual, what would you say to them?

[Chen] We took a thoughtful approach to designing these
reactions, centered around understanding which ones would be most valuable to
the types of conversations members have on LinkedIn.

This process included looking at what people are already
talking about to better understand what feedback they wanted to express and
receive. For example, we analyzed the top 1-2 word comments being used and what
types of posts people are sharing most. We also conducted global research with
LinkedIn members to get feedback on the specific reactions to ensure they were
universally understood and helpful.

To learn more about the product principles, research, and
design journey, check out this
LinkedIn article from our design team.

One last question. How do you see the new LinkedIn Reactions complementing the Endorsements and Recommendations features?

[Chen]
Endorsements and Recommendations empower members to show public support,
appreciation, and acknowledgement for specific people in their professional
network. Endorsements and Recommendations are featured on a member’s profile
and are key features in showcasing the member reputation. 

Reactions
also empowers members by giving them more ways to quickly and constructively
communicate with one another. While Endorsements and Recommendations are
fixated on a member’s profile, Reactions is leveraged in the feed and helps
jumpstart meaningful conversations for people to participate in.

My thanks to
Cissy for sharing her knowledge with us. If you want to stay in touch with
what’s happening on LinkedIn, be sure to check out the LinkedIn blog.

LinkedIn
continues to be the first name I hear when it comes to a professional online
network. That means it’s in our best interest to learn about new features and
give them a try. The people who are getting the most benefit are the ones leveraging
everything the network has to offer.

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Employees Love to Listen to Music While They Work [POLL RESULTS]

A few weeks ago, I asked you for your thoughts on
listening to music while you work. Well, I had no idea how popular and
passionate the responses would be! It’s taken me a while to organize the responses,
but I think you’ll find them quite interesting (and fun!)

As the title of this post implies, there’s no middle ground
here. Respondents say, “Heck yea!” employees should be able to listen to music
while they’re working. Enough said.

What was interesting was the follow-up question about what
people listen to. The responses fell into three categories: 1) genre or type of
music, 2) bands or singers, and finally 3) songs.

There’s Something to the Phrase “Mood Music”

Some individuals responded with the genre or type of music.
The most common response by far was “it varies”. Happy songs for happy days. Or
maybe happy songs for bad days. Either way, mood impacted music choice.

A lot of people also commented that they listen to music
without lyrics – instrumentals, classical, white noise, or “spa-type” music.
Several readers said that words could distract them, and I can totally see
that.

I was surprised at the number of people who have put
together their own work station or mix tape. I have my own stations for
“cleaning out the garage” and “treadmill desking” but I might have to try this.
Especially with some of the suggestions you offered … which leads to the next
point.

There’s a Reason They’re Called Classic

Many of the Individuals who responded with the names of
singers or bands offered up the names of music icons (regardless of the genre):
Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Led
Zeppelin.

One person mentioned pianist Paul Cardall and said, “his
music has the ability to be heard or somehow go mute as the workday necessitates”.
I let you decide if you want to check out his music.

And two honorable mentions go to The Greatest Showman
soundtrack and Ed Sheeran. Several mentions, although no specific songs…but that’s
next.

Here’s Your Workday Playlist

While the songs people shared were all over the map, similar
to the chart above about favorite work music, there were a few tunes that
showed up multiple times. Here are the top five:

“Taking Care of Business” by Bachman Turner Overdrive

“Under Pressure” by Queen

“Working for the Weekend” by Loverboy

“Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake

The number one song that people said they listen to at work?

“9 to 5” by Dolly Parton

This was a really fun survey to do and I hope
you find the results fun as well. But I did learn a couple of business lessons.
First, given how many people responded (more than 200) and the way they
responded, music is a low-cost, no-cost perk that employees would love. And, I
wonder if music could be built into meetings and trainings as an icebreaker
activity. To
quote Sean Combs, “Music is the most powerful
form of communication in the world. It brings us all together. Even religion
separates us, but a hit record unites us across religious beliefs, race,
politics.” And maybe music can unite the business as well.

The post Employees Love to Listen to Music While They Work [POLL RESULTS] appeared first on hr bartender.

9 Steps for Optimizing the Employee Experience During Your Next Technology Project

(Editor’s Note: Today’s article is brought to you by our friends at Qualtrics , the leader in experience management. They help organizations listen, understand, and take action on experience data . Mark your calendars for the Qualtrics X4 Summit . The event will be in Salt Lake City on March 10-13, 2020. Enjoy the article!)

In a pulse survey conducted by HRE,
producers of the HR Technology Conference, almost one-third (31
percent) of respondents say their HR tech spend will increase in 2019. I realize we’re over
halfway through the year, but that’s still a significant number. Because, when
organizations purchase a technology solution, they want to know that people are
going to use it.

I’ve written
before about how employees are looking for a technology experience at work that
mirrors what we experience at home. Technology is supposed to make our lives
easier – both personally and professionally. From an organizational
perspective, the idea is that a spend in new technology is going to improve the
employee experience in some way.

At this year’s Qualtrics X4 Summit, I had the chance to hear from A.T. Still
University, about how they implemented an experience management (XM) platform that achieved higher
levels of user adoption. The key to A.T. Still’s success was planning a
strategy that considered the employee experience before, during, and after
implementation.

Create
Employee Excitement Before Implementation Begins

While the
business proposal part of the process is important, let’s consider it a
separate conversation from the implementation strategy. What we’re talking
about here is getting employees excited about the new technology before they
even access it.

I’m reminded of
the programs from my cell phone company. They tell me about the upcoming
operating system release and innovative features which raises my level of
excitement. I mark my calendar when it’s supposed to come out. That’s what
looking forward to new software looks like. A.T. Still did the same thing by:

1. Creating a shared vision. In talking about the implementation, they communicated not only the organization’s needs but also the employee’s WIIFM (What’s in it for me?). If organizations want employees to use the software, then those employees need to understand how it benefits them. That doesn’t mean the company can’t also benefit. But employees need a clear and compelling benefit.

2. Identifying and acknowledging resistors to change. We’re not just talking about the Debbie Downers and Negative Nicks. It’s possible that the organization is implementing a new technology with limited resources and not the latest and greatest technology.

3. Developing an internal tribe. New technology isn’t an HR program. Prior to implementation, A.T. Still brought together a diverse group of employees that learned about the new technology beforehand and could have conversations with their peers.

Follow
Project Management Best Practices During Implementation

So, now
employees are excited to see the new technology in action. Once implementation
begins, the focus of the user experience will start to change. It’s about
making sure that employees know how to use the technology.

A.T. Still
reminded us that self-efficacy is important. If I think that I can learn the
new technology, I’ll keep trying. If I think that the new technology will help
me achieve my goals, I’ll stay motivated. The implementation team should help
users connect with the new technology through:

4. Building for sustainability. What I mean by this is that the organization’s new technology can’t simply be the “shiny new thing” around the office. The implementation team will want to find out how people are using the software, if there’s a strong user adoption rate, or if they might have to rebrand their messaging where appropriate.

5. Closing employee experience gaps. Each of us has a different level of technology savviness. New users will have obstacles to overcome. Experienced users will be anxious to know when new (and complex) features are coming. Everyone will need a little bit of training and patience.

6. Inspiring and not mandating. A.T. Still emphasized the use of their new technology by using it in high profile organizational activities. They also made sure that they held people accountable rather than just increasing the number of automated reminders that users receive.

Never Forget the Value of a Good Post-Implementation
Debrief

I was thrilled to hear A.T. Still University emphasize their
post-implementation strategy. It’s so easy for organizations to say, “Whew!
Everyone – or almost everyone – is using the system, we’re done.” The truth is
the real work has just begun.

Sometimes the big challenge with a technology implementation is keeping high engagement rate among employees. Here are three ways to keep the momentum going:

7. Celebrate successes. A.T. Still talked about making celebrations unique, themed, and ongoing. I love this. How many times do we say that for rewards and recognition to matter it needs to be specific and well-timed? That applies to group celebrations as well.

8. Keep long-term support. At the beginning of this article, I mentioned the business proposal. This is where the implementation team needs to work on maintaining senior management support. It also means the organization must make an on-going investment in the tribe or technology subject matter experts. This could involve going to a user conference or webinars, etc. to stay current with the technology.

9. Collect feedback (and use it to take action!) Speaking of subject matter experts, the implementation team should seek regular feedback – both formal and informal – from employees. This information can be used to plan upgrades and future projects.

I loved hearing A.T. Still’s implementation story. It reminded me
that, while technology implementations can be challenging, they don’t have to
be dreaded. And the implementation plan they shared with us is exactly the kind
of list I would bookmark for future review.

P.S. If your organization is even thinking about how to use
technology to improve employee experiences, check out this Qualtrics webcast on
“Employee Experience Breakthroughs –
The HR Technology Shift”. It’s not exactly the same as the A.T. Still story, but it
connects technology and the employee experience from another perspective. The
two will give you plenty of creative inspiration for your next project.

The post 9 Steps for Optimizing the Employee Experience During Your Next Technology Project appeared first on hr bartender.

What to Ask Before You Begin Parental Leave – Ask #HR Bartender

The United States ranks last among developed countries
when it comes to paid parental leave, according
to a new study from UNICEF. While the U.S. does have the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA),
the law offers unpaid leave and it’s not exclusive for parental leave. FMLA
also includes medical leave.

So, when a soon-to-be parent is getting ready
to go on leave, how should they prepare? What questions should they ask? What
do they need to know? I think that’s what today’s reader note is getting at.

Hi. I’m a sales professional for an HCM company currently on maternity leave. I’m wondering if I can get some information on where to start with a scenario involving my job opportunity and my leave of absence.

I understand that sometimes employees are
faced with emergency leaves and they don’t get to ask all of the questions that
they want to or should. That being said, when you know that you’re going on a
leave of absence, it’s important to do some research.

Unum
recently conducted a study among 500 new parents who had or adopted a child in
the previous five years. Key findings of their study include that paid leave is the most desired benefit
(no surprise) and that almost half of employees did not meet with their manager
or HR to discuss their leave benefits (surprise!). To help us learn more about
parental leaves, I spoke with Mandy Stogner, health and wellbeing consultant at
Colonial Life/ Unum, a leading provider of worksite benefits.

Mandy, let’s put legislation like the FMLA to the side, which has
some specific (minimum) requirements in terms of requesting leave. That being
said, I’m not sure it makes sense for employees to wait until the last minute
to inform their employers about their intent to take parental leave. What are
your thoughts on the best time to start making inquiries about a leave of
absence?   

[Stogner] Welcoming a new family member is an exciting
time and cause for celebration but not everyone is comfortable sharing the news
with their manager early in the leave planning process.

Putting legislation to the side, my thoughts on the
timing would be as soon as the employee is comfortable sharing the news and is
prepared to talk about the leave plans. Being able to discuss leave and return
to work plans early will help the expecting parent set expectations and have
peace of mind while they are out on leave. 

In
my experience, employees have two types of questions when they go out on leave.
The first type are benefits related. What are the top handful of questions that
an employee should ask about their benefits when they are getting ready to go
on leave? 

[Stogner] There are many unique scenarios and questions an
employee may have when preparing for parental leave. These are the most common
questions an employee may want to know before going out on leave:

Am I
eligible for paid parental leave, state paid leaves, short-term disability , and/or
paid time off (PTO)? Are there any other benefits available to me before or
after parental leave (lactation support, adoption assistance, childcare
reimbursements, etc.)?  How do I file for
these benefits?Are
any of my other benefits (401k/pension, PTO accruals, bonus structures, etc.)
affected by my leave? How do these entitlements and benefits affect my pay (i.e.
What percentage of my pay do I receive? Do I have to use PTO?)Am I
responsible for paying my own insurance premium? What actions do I need to take
to add my new baby to my coverage?How
long will my job be protected?What
are the available options for return to work (part time return to work,
telecommute, flexible hours)? 

I’m
glad you mentioned job protections. I find the second type of questions employees
ask are about their job. So, what are the questions that employees should ask
their boss about the job? On some level, I could see the employee benefits
questions being directed to HR and the job questions being directed to their
boss. 

[Stogner] Once an employee is comfortable with sharing,
it may be helpful to schedule some time after the initial notification to set
expectations and discuss in more detail the leave and return to work plans.
Having a solid transition to leave and return from leave plan will help make
the leave experience for the employee and the manager much smoother.

Here are some things to consider when developing a transition
to leave plan:

Make a list of activities, reports, tasks
that you are responsible for. Outline the processes of activities others
are not familiar with. Discuss the status and timelines of projects
the you are currently working on. Work with your manager to develop a plan to shift
this work leading up to the employee’s leave.

And here are some questions to ask regarding returning
to work plan:

What will my return to work look like?
Discuss logistics like day of week you will start back, start time each day, and
the potential for flexible work arrangements (i.e. flexible hours, gradual
return to work, telecommuting).  How do I schedule time for lactation breaks?
Where are the designated lactation spaces? How do I access them?Is there a group of working moms/dads within
the organization that can give me helpful tips to make the transition back to
work easier?

Speaking of dads, I’ve titled this post parental leave for a
reason. I want to include maternity, but also dads taking leave, adoptions,
etc. Are there any questions that would be different if I were taking time off
as a father or for an adoption? 

[Stogner] It is very important for anyone taking a leave
to welcome a family member to understand your benefits and leave options. New
dads and adoptive parents should ask the same benefit questions and have
similar preparing for leave and return to work conversations previously
mentioned. It is also important for companies and the dads themselves to
avoid the stigma of taking leave. There is a lot of research around the
benefits of dads taking parental leave. Interestingly, showing a correlation
between leave time for Dads and an increase in the health and wealth for moms.

So, let’s say the employee asked all the right questions and
they’re on leave. Let’s fast forward. You’ve mentioned earlier return to work
plans. What types of questions should an employee ask when they’re ready to
return to work?  

[Stogner] In a perfect world, the return to work details would
be part of the employee’s thoughtful leave and return to work planning prior to
going out on leave. If not, understanding these five things will be helpful:

Return to work date and schedule, Potential flexible return to work
arrangements, Accountabilities upon return, How work will be transitioned back to the
employee and Where to find helpful resources

Here are a few articles that readers might find helpful:

Bringing up Baby

Key Challenges for New Parents

State of Parental Leave
for New Dads

A huge thanks to Mandy for sharing her expertise
with us. If you want to stay in touch with Unum and learn more about the latest
in employee benefits, be sure to check out their WorkLife
blog. (P.S. I’m a contributor to the blog.)

It’s time for organizations to make sure employees are informed prior to starting parental leave. Mr. Bartender and I never had children, but I have to think the experience is both exciting and wonderful and a little scary at the same time. There’s no reason to make the employee’s job and benefits the scary part. All it takes is some preparation and open communication.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at the Flora Icelandic HR Management Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland

The post What to Ask Before You Begin Parental Leave – Ask #HR Bartender appeared first on hr bartender.

Note to Managers: Just Ask

I’ve been having a series of small
breakthroughs in my home office. This might sound weird, but I work with three
computer monitors. Yep, three. I worked with two for the longest time then
someone suggested that I try three. I thought, “I don’t know. That seems pretty
extravagant.” And it is. But I found myself in a place where I could get a
couple of reasonably priced monitors, so I decided to give it a try.

And if you think working with two monitors is
awesome…three is better. Way better. Anyway a few weeks ago, both
of my external monitors stopped working and I couldn’t figure out how to fix
them. Then finally in a moment of frustration, Mr. Bartender and I looked up
the user manual online, hit three buttons and voila! the monitors started
working.

The next day, I read an article about some
privacy issue with Zoom that instructed me to immediately delete the ap. After
doing some research to determine that was the right thing to do, I went to
double check my webcam permissions and noticed an option for audio permissions.
The reason I’m mentioning this up is because I’ve been looking for this little
box for months! I’ve been trying to find a way to use my headset with my iMac
and it’s been so frustrating. Boom! Done.

When I saw today’s Time Well Spent
from our friends at
Kronos, it was an immediate reminder for me that
sometimes the answers to our biggest frustrations are right in front of us. And
to get the answers we need, sometimes all we have to do is take the time to
ask.

Technology can do the asking for us. In this Time Well Spent, managers are looking for an employee to pick up an open shift. Wouldn’t it be great if the company’s scheduling software automatically asked employees who were qualified and eligible to cover the open shift if they want it? Because that technology exists.

Employees can handle things on their own. Even if your organization doesn’t have technology that automatically reached out to other employees, wouldn’t it be awesome if the open shift was automatically posted in a place where any employee could see it and sign up if they want the extra shift? Because you know, that technology also exists.

Managers can use technology to distribute mass messages. Managers don’t have to sit in their offices calling lists of employees to find someone to fill an open shift. They could use platforms like Workplace by Facebook or the company intranet to let employees know there’s an open shift. The technology already exists.

Sometimes organizations take the long way
instead of letting technology help them, just like my examples above where I
spent a lot of time trying to find something that was right in front of me.

If you don’t know the answer, just ask. If
you’re looking for a better way, just ask. If you want to see if the process
can happen faster, just ask. You get the point. We don’t have to search
for our answers in a sea of noise (or in a
haystack).

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4 Practical Tips for Effective Business Communication

One
of the skills every professional needs to possess is the ability to effectively
communicate. We communicate with companies, clients, vendors, our bosses,
co-workers, and employees. We simply cannot let our ability to communicate
become something that we skate through our career and hope it all works out.
The opportunity for misunderstandings is too great.

At
last year’s WordCamp Orlando, Nathan
Ingram, led a session on effective business
communication. He is the creator of ADVANCE Coaching
and works primarily with WordPress web developers to help them becoming more
successful in their freelance businesses. I thought his points about business
communication were great reminders for everyone.

4
Components of Successful Business Communications

CLARITY:
In the business world, reaching agreement doesn’t always mean there’s clarity. Specificity
is about clarity. We can get specific by asking questions. One of the best
skills we can develop is the ability to ask good questions, which can
ultimately help us achieve the clarity we’re looking for.

COMMITTMENTS:
According to Ingram, all healthy relationships – including working relationships
are based on commitments. It makes sense. We commit to being a part of a team,
doing our fair share, delivering a result to a customer, etc.

DOCUMENTATION:
It’s time to realize that we can’t rely on our memory. Or our co-worker’s
memory. Or our boss’ memory. There’s
nothing wrong with taking notes and documenting stuff.
Good communication is a balance between expectations and results. Don’t forget
technology can help us with this.

INTERACTION:
Without regular interaction, people make assumptions. Following-up with others
is important, and it doesn’t need to be lengthy. Ingram shared a 3-sentence
model for interacting with stakeholders.

Past: Explain what we’ve done.Present: This is what we’re doing.Future: This is what we’re going to do
next.

Our business communications don’t need to be
long or elaborate. They do need to be effective. In fact, some might argue that
if we
can master the art of simplicity when it comes to
our business communications, maybe more people would open our emails and read
them.

What are your secrets for effective business communications? Leave us your tips in the comments.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Denver, CO

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Is It Okay to Contact a Job Candidate Via Their Work Email – Ask #HR Bartender

In today’s tough recruiting market,
organizations are looking for every way possible to
find qualified job candidates. Today’s reader
note asks a straightforward question about doing that.

Hi Sharlyn! Can I get your advice? Is it inappropriate to email a potential job candidate at the work email address?

Instead of me just offering my opinion in answering
this question, I wanted to bring you some differing thoughts. In situations
like this, there’s not necessarily one right response. It could come down to
what the recruiter is comfortable with or the what the company culture will
support. I reached out on a
public Facebook group called “Recruiters Online”
to see what they thought. The group has more than 15,000 members and offers a
lively discussion about what’s happening in talent acquisition.

On the “Hmm, no or maybe not” team

My thought would be to not reach out to a job candidate via their work email unless that’s how they contacted me. And there are completely legitimate reasons for them doing so. Not everyone looking for work is sneaking around behind their boss’ back. For example, maybe the offices are moving, and this employee can’t move to the new location. Here are a few other reasons not to make a work email the initial point of contact:

Jeanne Achille, CEO of The Devon Group and chair of the Women in HR Tech Summit – Use personal. Most corporate networks are monitored.

Mairy
Hernandez, HR manager at a robotics automation start-up and career advisor to
job seekers – Contacting them via work email can be
sensitive to the candidate, especially since it leaves a trail of evidence
discoverable by IT, so I would advise against it. Is it really necessary to use
their work email? Especially when now you can pretty much reach out to anyone
via social media.

Jack Kelly, founder and CEO of
WeCruitr.com – I place people on Wall Street and their emails are
monitored by compliance departments to ensure employees aren’t breaking the
rules. So, you have to be super careful. If your focus doesn’t have this issue,
then go for it. The worst that happens is that they’ll be rude. When that
happens, treat it as an objection, overcome it, and pitch the position.

Anna
Szymanski Kett, owner of Quality Professional Recruiting
– I would never do that. When they contact me using their work email, I ask
them for their personal one to continue discussions.

Phidelia
Johnson, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, executive human capital management strategist at
Redefined HR – I’m against the idea of using
work email because it could backfire where the candidate doesn’t get the job
and the employer (through IT) finds out about it and the candidate gets terminated. Unfortunately,
I have seen this happen.

In the “Sure, why not or yes” camp

Some recruiters will say that the way to find passive candidates is by contacting them using any means necessary. If there’s a concern about email, then make initial contact by phone. The job candidate can tell you they’re not interested and if they are, then they can share a preferred method of contact. Here are some additional viewpoints from recruiters who use the strategy:

Darryl
Dioso, managing partner at Resource Management Solutions Group
– No problems here. Typically, I get a response that they’re interested and
would prefer to continue discussions using their personal email or texts.

Michael
Dube, human resources manager at Chubb – If you’re an
external recruiter and you’re hesitant at contacting a candidate via work email
I’d hate to see your billings for the year. It’s 2019. Recruiting is brazen,
and you need to be aggressive in a professional and tactful way. No employee is
going to get in trouble if a recruiter solicits them at work. They should be
smart enough to email offline.

Kara Rice
Heath, managing director of iNNOV8 Talent – I do it
and I simply say ‘Hey —–, do you have a personal email? I would love to send
you some info there instead.’ Works like a charm.

Jason
Metz, talent sourcer for Mosaic, a non-profit faith-based
organization doing healthcare services for people with intellectual
disabilities – Work it the right way, go in with the idea that you are
connecting not going in with the idea you are hiring. Another way is to use it
as an attention getter to point towards a LI message or other contact. Work
what you can to get the right folks. I’ve gotten a ton of response from work
emails.

Robin
Quale, talent acquisition consultant at Queue Talent
– Yes. But always tactfully, don’t go blasting the job description at them in
the email.

A huge thank you to the individuals who responded and shared their thoughts. As you can see, the responses are pretty evenly split between “yes” and “no”. But there is one central theme in everyone’s reply: remember the candidate experience. As a recruiter, your initial contact with a candidate is a part of it. Create a good first impression and maybe that job candidate will give you their personal email or answer a work email.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Fort Lauderdale, FL

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Building Trust Is a Process, Not an Activity

(Editor’s Note: Today’s article is brought to
you by  our
friends at Kronos , a leading provider of workforce
management and human capital management cloud solutions. Want to create a more
trusting work environment? Check out Kronos CEO Aron Ain’s book “ Work Inspired:
How to Build an Organization Where Everyone Loves to Work ”.
Enjoy the article!)  

Ropes
courses are outdoor team building activities where
participants are exposed to physical activities as a way to problem-solve (How
am I going to do this?), communicate (I need some help doing this!), and bond
(Thank you for helping me do this.) Many years ago, going to a ropes
teambuilding course was all the rage.

One of the most common activities in a ropes
course was the trust fall. It was when a participant simply fell backward
trusting that their colleagues would catch them. I couldn’t help but laugh when
I saw this Time
Well Spent from our
friends at Kronos. It also reminded me that trust isn’t
created with a single activity, building and maintaining trust is a process
that happens over time.

Trust is tied to the organization’s brand.
Whether it’s the consumer brand or the employment brand, trust is a part of the
brand. People see the brand and say, “I can trust that brand.” Or “I want to
trust that brand.” And they start to engage with it. Then people find out if
what they initially saw is true (or not) and whether they will continue to
engage with the organization.

Every day is about maintaining trust.
I wonder what company cultures would be like if they viewed their goal as being
simply to
build and maintain trust. That doesn’t mean organizations
can’t change things or that they will make everyone deliriously happy. It is
possible to be disappointed or unhappy with something but trust the source. For
example, when a new policy is implemented and while it might not benefit me, I
understand that it will benefit most.

Losing trust doesn’t have to be the end.
Sometimes trust is broken. It happens among individuals as well as with
organizations. Both sides have a decision to make when trust evaporates – will
we work to regain trust or not. In some cases, it might make sense to realize
that the trusting relationship isn’t going to happen. But in many cases, trust
can be repaired. It takes time, honest conversations, and a willingness to
apologize and forgive.

In today’s business world, consumers are
looking to spend their dollars with organizations they trust. Candidates are
looking to work for organizations
they trust. Employees want to work with managers they
can trust. You get the point. Trust isn’t like a trust fall. It’s not a single
activity. Rather it’s a process that takes time to build and even more time to
maintain.

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Employee Engagement: Employees Want To Be Recognized For Their Hard Work

(Editor’s Note: Today’s article is brought to you by Bonusly , a fun, personal recognition and rewards program that enriches your company culture and improves employee engagement. They were named one of the 50 Best Places to Work by Outside Magazine . Enjoy the article!)

I’d like to think by now that we
all know employee engagement is an organizational
challenge, regardless of
what your current engagement scores are. Creating and maintaining an engaged
workforce is tough. And as human resources professionals, we spend a lot of our
time trying to help our organizations figure out how to do it better.

The good news is that we know
the solution. The way we get employees more engaged is to make them feel
connected to their work. And show them their work has value. Sounds simple,
right?

But this
is where things get challenging. It’s not as easy as it sounds to create those
connections. I can immediately think of three employee activities that provide
an opportunity to create connections between employees and their work:

Performance feedback. I think this is one of those reasons
that performance management processes are being ditched and revamped.
Performance feedback is about more than the annual employee review. It’s also
not about discipline. Performance feedback includes those regular conversations with employees. Both the good and the not-so-good ones.

Communication tools. While performance might be discussed
during formal 1:1 meetings between managers and employees, these types of
meetings are also great ways to share information. In addition, today’s
technology tools allow for communication to happen in a variety of
ways. We’re no longer
stuck with email as our only option. Video and enterprise collaboration
platforms can make communication faster and easier.

Appreciation and recognition. Unfortunately, I don’t know that we talk
about using this aspect nearly enough as a means of connecting people with
their work. I do believe there’s some connection between the work employees do
and the things they enjoy and do well. Organizations have an opportunity to
create connection by sharing with employees what they excel at.

Connecting Recognition and
Employee Engagement

In the Bonusly
and HR.com report “The State of Employee Engagement in 2019”, 71% of highly engaged organizations
recognize employees for a job well done. On the flip side, only 41% of less
engaged organizations recognize their employees. The bottom-line? Old school
mantras like “No news is good news” isn’t an acceptable form of performance
feedback. Employees want to be recognized for their hard work. Eighty-two
percent (82%) of employees say that recognition is an important part of their happiness at work, according to a Bonusly joint study with
Survey Monkey.

The good news is
that the basic principles of recognition haven’t changed. Recognition doesn’t
need to be grandiose or expensive. That being said, it does need to be:

Authentic. People can tell when they’re being given
fake praise or a fake compliment. It’s an empty gesture that does nothing for
the giver or receiver.Timely. Telling someone, “Hey! You did something great six months
ago.” doesn’t make a person feel good. If the employee’s actions were terrific,
let them know right away.Behavior-focused. I don’t have anything against the
phrase, “Good job!” but let’s face it, good job doesn’t tell an employee what
they did that was good. “Thanks for turning in your report a day early.” does.Addresses the needs of the receiver. Recognition should be delivered in a way
that the receiver appreciates. Not everyone responds to public recognition. And
some people really want public recognition. Recognize employees in a way they
enjoy.

However, even though some of the principles of recognition haven’t changed, there are a few things that have. The biggest change I see is that everyone needs to be involved in the process for effective employee engagement. Managers obviously need to be involved and we’re used to that. Managers also receive training on how to properly deliver feedback and recognition. In many organizations, managers are even given a recognition budget.

This is where
we often don’t offer equal training and
resources – for employees.
Not to take anything away from managers, but employees want to be recognized by
their co-workers for a job well done. Chances are employees spend more time
with their peers than with their managers.

But remember
the four components of good recognition above (i.e. authentic, timely, behavior
focused, and meets the receiver’s needs). Organizations can’t simply create
those “Caught ya!” programs and expect it to do much to move the needle on
engagement. Those types of spot reward programs serve a different purpose in
the organization.

5 Ways to
Encourage Peer to peer (P2P) Recognition

In a Bonusly survey, respondents were asked about their preferred methods for receiving appreciation and the responses were varied. Employees want words, deeds, and gifts. They want it all. Which means that both managers and employees need to be in a position to effectively deliver them all. Since I’d like to believe that most organizations have some resources set aside for managers to recognize employees, let’s talk about five ways that organizations can encourage peer to peer recognition.

Build a tribe. While it is important to have support at every level of the organization, a great way to encourage peer to peer recognition is by having employees promote it. Companies can put together employee groups to find out what people are thinking about recognition and how they want to be recognized.Align recognition with existing programs, specifically recruiting. The hiring process is a candidate’s first impression of the company culture. Organizations can use collaborative hiring as a way to build relationships between employees. Current employees become invested in a new hire’s success and they provide recognition along the way.Examine your technology capabilities. Obviously, all recognition shouldn’t be online, but many human resources technology solutions have the ability to integrate with recognition solutions. Employees are used to giving feedback via their mobile devices. It could be a win for everyone, especially remote workers.Find
ways for managers and employees to partner. To this point, we’ve talked about managers providing
recognition and peer to peer recognition. There are types of recognition
experiences in which employees and managers might want to work together. The
first ones that come to mind are celebrations such as birthdays, graduations,
and retirements.Embrace
empowerment. I’m sure
there are skeptics out there who might say P2P programs promote “quid pro quo”
gift card swaps. Personally, I believe those situations are the exceptions and
not the rule. In fact, I chatted with the Bonusly team about this and their
research has found quite the opposite – that P2P recognition encourages positive
behavior. It’s time to
trust our employees to do the right thing.

Organizations want employees to
connect with them and their work. The way to do that is by telling them they’re
doing a good job. And not just once a year during their annual review. Or once
a month in a one-on-one meeting. Granted, those things are important, but
employees can feel connected daily through words, deeds, and gifts from
managers and co-workers which are delivered in an authentic, timely way, that
meet their needs.

If you want to learn more about
creating a peer to peer recognition culture, check out Bonusly’s “Guide to Modern Employee Recognition”. This is one eBook you’ll want to share
with your management team.

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