Melissa Anzman's Blog, page 10

6 Ways to Overcome Your Awful Working Persona

One thing I know for sure is that I am absolutely NOT the same employee as I was when I started my career. In fact, I am vastly different today as a person, employee and manager, then I was just two years ago. It’s hard to believe that a person can change so much in such a short amount of time, but I have.

I knew that I was a handful as an employee – I was a workhorse, driven, with a little (ok, a lot) of a know-it-all, mixed in with a very low tolerance for people not “getting it.” And it served me well for the most part career-wise, but it didn’t necessarily earn me any friends at work. As a manager, thinking back to when I first had people under me at 25 (yikes!), I was awful – I am a self-reformed micromanager, with incredibly high standards. Looking back at the employee and manager that I have been at various stages in my career, I can’t help but think what type of impression I left with my coworkers and former bosses. And I don’t think it’s as positive as I would want it to be. And it is definitely not representative to who I am as an employee/manager today.

Today, I’m not that employee and I’m definitely not that manager. (I promise – my entire approach to work has shifted significantly in the past two years). Has your working persona changed significantly as well, and you are struggling to present the “Today You” to potential employers?

6 Ways to Overcome Your Old Working Persona

The only way to overcome the past and figure out how to move forward, is to inventory the differences of your old self, to your current self, for your own knowledge. I went back and read several old email exchanges and performance reviews to get a sense of where my areas of opportunities were, and then built the picture starting there. I also happen to be friends (gasp!) with some previous coworkers, so I asked them what their thoughts were on how I was an employee. Clearly they didn’t think I was a horrible person, but they were able to provide some insight into perceptions – mostly, “way too driven,” “smarter than the boss,” and “no patience.” So I had a starting point to evaluate if those things are still true for me.
Consider who you want your work persona to be. At the core, you wake up every day and choose the type of employee and person you want to be. Sometimes you just let it fly and don’t reign-in any behaviors, but other times you present the face you want the world to see. So consider what type of employee you want to be. For me, it was easy being just who I was without a filter, early on in my career. I was in the “climbing” mode, so making friends and lasting relationships was not as important. Today, I’m more about learning and growing – so my patience has increased significantly and I truly want to partner with others to learn from them. (See? Vastly different).
Leverage the people from previous positions that actually liked you. I can’t think of a person I know who was absolutely abhorred by every single person at a company. So now is the time to gather up your previous allies and ask them to support you through endorsements and/or recommendations on LinkedIn. Missing this on your profile can send out red flags to potential employers, so have your people help you out.
Seek out training courses and books that can help you complete your transition. While classroom training represents a very small part of how adults actually learn, hiring managers and recruiters LOVE a good training certification. So if you have heard feedback that you are terrible at delivering difficult messages, look into taking a Crucial Conversations class. If you need to learn better communication skills, seek out a business communications study. There are helpful courses out there for just about anything. Start with your HR department if you’re employed, or a continuing education program at your local college.
Be upfront about it in interviews. Here’s the thing – if it is going to be clear that you were a jerk in a previous role, the best way to combat that is to address it head on during the interview process. It’s not the first thing that you should say, but if you get far enough in the process, it is important to share it in a way that shows why and also helps the hiring manager understand how you have overcome it. Here’s a sample conversation:

Recruiter: “What have you learned from previous positions?”
You: “Honestly, looking back I have learned that I was not always the most professional person, particularly early on in my career. I didn’t learn the importance of using a “filter” and ended up rocking the boat too much. After working closely with my manager and HR along the way, I learned X, Y and Z which has significantly positively impacted how I approach new positions now.”


Clean out your references! I cannot tell you how many times people include poor references. I have a significant chapter about this exact thing in my new book, but essentially, as ridiculous as “references” are these days, only include sure things. You want your references to reinforce who you are today as an employee, not the perceptions that hung around your name in a previous role. Look back to the people who you were friendly with and use them as your provided references. Do not default to just anyone, or your old work persona will follow you to your new job.

In what ways have you changed over your career? How have you overcome your old working persona? 

Welcome to Loosen Your White Collar! I'm Melissa and I help people fall in love with their jobs. Subscribe to my RSS Feed to have my posts delivered to you inbox and my newsletter for specials.

What *Really* Matters

I was lucky enough to be able to go to my niece’s first birthday this past weekend. Flying out to Kansas, I was a bit nervous about the visit ahead of me. Have I mentioned I have a BIG family? And with numbers comes… issues, complaints, gripes, squabbles, and a whole lot of personality. I was stewing a bit over the lack of “support” I have been feeling from the crew – they didn’t buy my books, they aren’t sending clients my way, they don’t read my blog or like my posts on Facebook, and so on. A whole lot of petty complaints that all stem from not really “getting” what I do for work these days.

I arrived with a gift for my niece, but also paperback copies of my first book for my siblings. And guess what – they cared! They loved the book, were excited for me and they are supportive. And as the weekend went on, I realized that they were not being unsupportive, but that they know who I am fully – outside of what I do. And that my “job” was just that to them – a piece of who I am, not the part that really matters. They aren’t going to remember me for the books I wrote or how many people I coached, but who I am outside of work.

Career is Just a Puzzle Piece, Not the Design

They were proud that I wrote a book, but only because they knew that it was something I had been dreaming of for ages. They are excited that I get to coach others because they know how passionate I am about it. But at the end of the day, they could honestly give a hoot about how I spend my time. They care about ME, not my JOB.

When I worked in a traditional job, I’m sure their level of interest in my career was exactly the same – they had some idea what I did or where I worked, but they were not nearly as invested in my career as I was. Now that I’m an entrepreneur, I changed the game and expectations. My own perspective of how much of my life has become “work” has greatly influenced how I think my family should interact with me – crazy, right? But it’s a great reminder – you are NOT what you do, it’s only a part of you.

It’s the same message that I heard in late October when listening to a very wise man speak about what really matters in the world – these five things (more on these in the upcoming weeks):

Critical thinking
Making your mark in the world
Love
Acceptance
Letting Go

Big ideas, but when you boil them all down, no where do you see, “my job,” or “how much money I make,” or “how many people I manage,” or my personal favorite, “my title.” These are all components of how we spend our time, but they are not reflective moments to create our overall success in life or how we “should” be spending our time on Earth.

This doesn’t mean that work or our careers aren’t important – they are. But they are only a piece of your life, they are not supposed to be the only part of your life. Your family and friends love you for YOU, not your paycheck, your status, or your accomplishments. Remember that when you are frustrated at work or feeling down about you current career status. It is not truly important, and it weighs little value to those who truly care for you. Your career is a part of the puzzle, not the entire design.

And with that in mind, I want to ask you all to take some time to reflect on how your career fits into your world, and are you valuing it where it “should” be? I want to hear from you how you keep it in check and if you have had a revelation recently that helps you stay on track.

P.S. – My niece’s birthday was AWESOME. Who knew that Elmo was so awesome? And guess what? My family DID tell their friends about what I was doing – I can’t even count how many times I was asked about my book and my blog from their local friends. It just happened without me even knowing it – how great is that?

Welcome to Loosen Your White Collar! I'm Melissa and I help people fall in love with their jobs. Subscribe to my RSS Feed to have my posts delivered to you inbox and my newsletter for specials.

Practical Tactical Thursday – Are Resumes and Applications Obsolete?

In the social media age that we are in, it is still hard to believe that people need to apply for a position they are interested in. Perhaps someone is designing an intuitive chip that submits your interest on your behalf without you ever having to do anything but nod, but until then, there are only a few ways to reach employers. The same ways that we have thrown our hat in the ring for years – through a resume and an application.

And yet, in the past few weeks I have had a few people ask me if applying for a position is still… necessary. Someone mentioned that they were given advice to only carry business cards with their online resume link, to hand out to potential employers – and that if they matched a position, they would be called in for an interview. That literally made me pause. And a small caveat – I do think there is ample opportunity for changes, and I’m sure within the next few years how we express interest in a position will change. But until then… let me share some cold hard truths with you (particularly new grads or those new to the workforce):

Why Resumes and Applications are Necessary

Most companies, particularly large ones, are not able to even consider a candidate until they have completed an online application. These applications are critical for companies from a legal perspective, diversity initiatives, recruitment statistics, and more. But know this: you are not going to be extended an offer without first completing their online application.


External recruiters may take the time to go to your online resume site, but corporate in-house recruiters are not going to then seek you out. Unless you are truly outstanding – and even then, it is not very likely. Here is the difference: external recruiters or “headhunters” as they used to be called, are responsible for finding talent to fill a position. And their pay is tied to how quickly they can fill the positions they manage for the companies they consult with. So they are interested in finding YOU. However, in-house recruiters, particularly at large companies, have candidates coming to them – at very high numbers. So unless you applied and your resume came across their desk, or are a referral from a very important person within the company, or have a very niche skill set that they are desperately seeking, they simply do not have the time or need to find you.


If you’re not front-and-center, you are forgotten. Recruiters print out fewer resumes these days, but guess how they organize things now? Through their online applicant tracking system – the program that captures your information when you apply. So if you didn’t go through official channels, there is no (easy) way for you to be considered in the same group as the other candidates. And a business card and a resume link, is easy to misplace in the land of thousands of resumes.


Many recruiters are managing several different open positions (sometimes upwards of 30 and more). So when you hand them your card or send a resume link, it is virtually impossible for them to keep track of which position you expressed interest in. Especially when an online application explicitly tells them on your behalf.


Recruiters like consistency in presentation. It is easier for them to assess skills, backgrounds, qualifications, etc. for all candidates when the baseline is presented in the same manner. When you have 30+ positions and at least 200 people applying for each one (give or take), you have to train your brain to look for certain markers. And this only happens when everything is presented consistently. Trust me – you don’t want to be the one candidate who makes the recruiter work harder to “figure you out.”

What Do I Recommend?

Having a solid resume is critically important to be a viable candidate, so be sure that you still concentrate on the standard process. It is also a great idea to have an online resume in addition to your LinkedIn profile. But know this – if you do create an online resume, it needs to be professional looking and stay up to date. And this can trip you up if you are applying for more than one type of position, or seeking employment in various locations. There is nothing more off-putting than taking the time to link to an external resume and have it be a hot mess. And of course, leverage your LinkedIn account as often as possible.

Welcome to Loosen Your White Collar! I'm Melissa and I help people fall in love with their jobs. Subscribe to my RSS Feed to have my posts delivered to you inbox and my newsletter for specials.

Layoffs – A Behind the Scenes Look at Reductions in Force

It appears that while there are fewer reductions in force (RIFs) or layoffs these days than say, three years ago, layoffs are still happening and can be quite confusing to the non-HR (ok, probably to most HR people too) employee. I have had the unfortunate experience to be a part of several different layoffs at various companies. The fear and concern that employee’s face when they “feel” a RIF coming on, is frightening, so I’d like to share a behind the scenes look at what typically happens and how employees are “chosen.” Please note that this is a collection of my own experiences (from a Human Resources perspective), at several companies – not a single one in particular.

The RIF Process

As secretive and scary that an upcoming reduction in force is, there are usually signs that layoffs are coming. Each company is different, but typically when there is a lot of smoke, there is fire. The company’s finances and/or numbers are way off – you should absolutely know and feel if this is the case. There are several secretive meetings with management and Human Resources – I’m talking, several meetings that are more frequent than normal. Your manager has trouble looking you, or anyone else on the team, in the eye. Or perhaps your job is being shipped to another location. The critical factor here is the financials – if your company is not making enough money to justify and pay employees, it has to decrease costs by letting employees go.

A large-scale RIF usually takes significant time to plan and activate. I’m talking at least a month, longer depending upon the size and scope of the planned layoffs. It is virtually impossible to lay-off employees without careful planning (micro-businesses is an exception to this). Remember: the company wants to lean-out their workforce (to save costs) as much as possible, but also retain their top talent by all means necessary. So what kind of planning is involved?

Behind the Scenes Steps of a Reduction in Force

Management, along with Human Resources at the top levels, decide which areas of the business can be leaner. It is typically easier to target employees in non-management positions, even though they are usually less “expensive” to the company. Reason being? These positions can be staffed up again later if needed, using contract or temporary employees. If your company does not have a large non-exempt (hourly) workforce that fits this criteria, than this is not a consideration. The most critical examination is if each department can justify to the bottom line, that they are generating enough income to cover their own costs.
Once the area of the business has been identified, HR takes over the process. First, they speak with managers at the highest levels, asking them somewhat veiled questions about capacity of their employees, staffing needs, where they can flex their workforce, and what type of impact different areas of the business has on the overall productivity of the company. HR then tries to narrow-down the cost/benefits to decrease different departments, to ensure business continuity.
Then the evaluation process begins. There are many different steps in the evaluation process, which I will review below, but note that the first step is setting one consistent measurement tool and grading system for all positions. This “tool” is used across the board for evaluating all employees within the targeted department. There is not really an industry “standard template” per se, but there are some consistent measurements that are used. Those include: current performance, past performance rating, skill-set grading, and soft-skills (competencies). Depending upon the company, there are other measurement factors: hierarchy, time in role, time at company, business-critical position, and so on.
The tool is then completed by HR and your managers. The best practice is your management staff completes these evaluations for their employees (usually at the director or VP level, not at the manager-level). HR then adds the historical/current ratings, and each person has an overall score.
The scores are ranked and the pre-determined level of achievement (for example, anyone scoring 50 and below), draws the proverbial layoff line. But that’s not at all the end of the story!
Lawyers get involved, heavily, particularly at a publicly traded company and/or if the size of the layoff is significant. They evaluate “the list” to ensure that it is compliant with state and federal employment regulations. Things such as gender, age, minority, disability, leaves of absence, and so on are incorporated into the conversation. Once they take all of these things into consideration and their edits are included, the list is about 98% ready. There are always a few things that pop-up and a name or two added/subtracted for whatever reason.
The lawyers send the list up to the most senior-management in the company to get their sign-off and approval. Once that has been obtained, the actual RIF is planned.

Some things to know:

It is almost impossible (I’ve never seen it work), to talk your way off of the list. It truly is out of your manager’s hands once the list has been confirmed.
You can ask to be “on the list,” but know that if you volunteer for this, you cannot change your mind later. This is a big decision, so be sure to think it through from every angle before approaching your manager or HR with this request.
Being a top performer does not protect you from being laid-off, but it can help you stay employed at the company, particularly a large one.
Human Resources does not make the people selection on their own. Management at some level always has a say.
There are several things that I have not included here, as this is a very complicated process. Things like WARN, notice periods, severance calculations, and much more. This is a “simplified” version of the process to provide an overview to you.

Welcome to Loosen Your White Collar! I'm Melissa and I help people fall in love with their jobs. Subscribe to my RSS Feed to have my posts delivered to you inbox and my newsletter for specials.

Event Recap – IdeaMensch for Entrepreneurs

This week was a big one – the launch of my second book and I also attended a very cool local (traveling) event – IdeaMensch. To be honest, I am not one to usually attend these kinds of events, in fact, this was the first one I have attended since I’ve moved to Atlanta. But it came highly recommended from some of my friends (speakers at previous road stops), and I thought I’d give it a try and step out of my comfort zone a bit.

Knowing the “type” of people who have participated in these events across the country I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. An awesome venue, a packed room, entrepreneurs sharing how they turned their idea into something BIG, and meeting people who were sharing similar “working for yourself” struggles. Even knowing that going in, I was still pleasantly surprised by how awesome the event was.

There were a few hecklers in the crowd that thought the event was about selling them on products (which it is not at all), but once we got back on track, I had the privilege of hearing passionate people sharing their stories of how they became, and remain, entrepreneurs. The businesses were varied – the CEO of a sales technology company SalesLoft kicked off the event; followed by Gundeep Hora who has started and sold so many successful media sales companies it’s hard to keep track, but he’s currently working on TrendOY!; then the most passionate speaker of all, Erin Levin at Imba Films who is raising money to bring an incredible documentary about the African Children’s Choir to life (go vote for her please); and the last speaker was Steve Youngblood from Salestrakr, a CRM platform.

Yeah, there was a lot of juicy information shared. But what struck me the most, was each one of them continued fighting and refused to say no or give up when things got tough. Even when they did take a break, it was only to come back stronger than before.

I am not getting paid to write about this, but I do have to say that IdeaMensch was one of the best events I’ve been to recently. It wasn’t the most “suave” event or the most glitzy, but being able to meet the people behind the idea of the road trip was so awesome – their dedication and passion to bring people with ideas together, made the experience that much better. And while Atlanta was on the tail-end of their road trip to 48 states, I highly recommend that you try and capture an upcoming one and at the very least, start reading the interviews they post every day on the site.

 

Welcome to Loosen Your White Collar! I'm Melissa and I help people fall in love with their jobs. Subscribe to my RSS Feed to have my posts delivered to you inbox and my newsletter for specials.

How to Land a Job: Secrets from an HR Insider

It’s time to start job landing instead of job hunting!

I am so excited that my new book is finally available! In How to Land a Job: Secrets from an HR Insider, I share everything I have learned working in Human Resources, as an experienced job seeker, and from all of the clients I have helped along the way. So many people have shared in my frustration at the lack of relevant and current job seeking information out there – most of the “popular” books were published 20 years ago. I promise you that the job market and hunt then, is much different than it is now.

Ready to buy? Looking for testimonials? No problem!

What is How to Land a Job?

This is THE definitive guide to landing a job, once and for all. Been searching for ages and not getting any traction? I’ll help you troubleshoot why and start getting calls. Bored in your current job and want to find a better one? I’ll show you how to construct a “secret” job search and negotiate the details in your new offer. Not sure where to start or what type of job to apply to? I have included a to-do list for you to follow and help you determine, based on your experience, the exact job you should be applying for. And so much more! You can find all of the details about the book and a chapter breakdown over at Land-A-Job.com.

Important Things to Note

You have three different packages to choose from – the ebook itself, extra templates and examples, and your own resume critique with coaching discounts. Read more about the different prices here. (The ebook is only $10!).
If you are a newsletter subscriber, you just received a 20% discount. Not a subscriber, but want the code? No problem, sign-up now and you will have access to the discount coupon through October 11, 2012 (11:59pm ET).
The first 10 people who purchase the Complete Package, will get an additional 10% off coaching sessions, for a total of 20% discount.
There is a fabulous giveaway and review over on Frugal Beautiful that you must absolutely check out – and don’t forget to enter to win.

PS Bloggers: I have an awesome affiliate program where you earn 51% of sales. Check out the details here.

 

Welcome to Loosen Your White Collar! I'm Melissa and I help people fall in love with their jobs. Subscribe to my RSS Feed to have my posts delivered to you inbox and my newsletter for specials.

Last Chance Before eBook 2 Launch…

Hello everyone! Tuesday is the official launch date of my new ebook, How to Land a Job: Secrets from an HR Insider. I’ll share all of the details on launch day, but now is your last chance to grab a 20% discount coupon for all of the goodies. All you have to do is sign-up for my newsletter before Tuesday – and you will receive the discount info (and more fun things). Oh, and be sure to check out our Affiliate program too - http://loosenyourwhitecollar.com/affiliates/

Miss the deadline for the discount? Send me an email with a fabulous story why (aka – “my dog ate my homework”), make me laugh, and the code will be yours while the sale lasts (through Thursday at midnight ET).

Looking forward to sharing all of the book details and discounts, on Tuesday. Happy landing in the mean time.

(Book cover preview because I just can’t help myself):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Loosen Your White Collar! I'm Melissa and I help people fall in love with their jobs. Subscribe to my RSS Feed to have my posts delivered to you inbox and my newsletter for specials.

“Ignorance is Bliss”

I am a big fan of CBS Sunday Morning – in fact, I DVR it every week to be sure I never miss an episode. I have learned so much from the show over the years because they report interesting and quirky news stories that you cannot find anywhere else. And that is where today’s post comes from – a piece done on CBS Sunday Morning by Mo Rocca.

We have all heard this term in various areas – work, family, friends. But where did the phrase actually come from? Most say it’s from a poem by Thomas Gray from 1742 (although of course there is debate over this), but I like the idea that it could have come from the details behind the assassination of President Garfield.

The brief story: When President Garfield was shot in 1881, the wound was not fatal, it was the treatment by his doctor, Dr. BLISS, and the infection that ensued that finally killed Garfield. Dr. Bliss, took control of Garfield’s care when there were several doctors fighting over what to do and became the President’s self-appointed physician. He won the spot by his charisma, willpower, and most likely, his bossiness. But he didn’t know what he was doing – not really. He was so enamored by the power that came with being the President’s doctor that he refused to listen to his colleagues who could have saved Garfield’s life. So Garfield died, due to Bliss’s ignorance of treating his patient – ignorance = Dr. Bliss.

This story captured my attention because it is still a relevant theme in today’s work environment. Hopefully people are not going to die due to your ignorance, but how many times have you taken over a project, or gone in one direction, or completely shut-out competing ideas? At higher levels within an organization, this happens all of the time – someone wants to be recognized for having the solution, the politics are in full-effect, subordinates can’t possibly know more about a situation than they do, and so on.

We don’t know, what we don’t know – hence, ignorance is bliss.

I can recall several times in my career when I thought I absolutely knew best and refused to allow others’ to influence my approach. I blamed it on “my personality,” but in all honesty, it’s a character flaw. I was not at all open to suggestions, feedback, or alternative solutions. And that pissed people off. A few of those times, I was acting out of ignorance – someone else probably had valuable information that could have benefited the project. I can’t remember what exactly helped me change my approach, perhaps a stern word from a boss or I just grew up a bit, but I absolutely value other’s input now. And I have many examples where it provided valuable data and helped me succeed – an editor who pointed out a faulty sentence, a friend who interpreted a post different than I had intended it, a coworker who provided a difference perspective, and so on.

So I ask you to take pause. You do not want to be known as “Dr. Bliss” – operating without all of the available knowledge; not letting other experts in. Consider the value, even at the risk of your own ego, of letting others become your partner in finding a solution.

Welcome to Loosen Your White Collar! I'm Melissa and I help people fall in love with their jobs. Subscribe to my RSS Feed to have my posts delivered to you inbox and my newsletter for specials.

5 Ways to Become a Strategic Hire

The best candidate doesn’t always get the job. In fact, rarely does the top candidate win the position – instead, they are beat out by someone else. A strategic hire. A better interviewer. A more likable person. A friend of the hiring manager. And so on. Companies have to hire in their own best interests and sometimes that means making a strategic decision over “qualifications.”

What Does Strategic Hiring Mean?

By definition, making a “strategic hire” means that the company chooses the candidate that has the ability to elevate the company in a significant way. For example: for a sales position, it may mean that they choose the candidate with the most direct, long-term relationships with a customer they have been trying to close. For a publicity position, it could be hiring the person with the most “social clout” instead of the person who has secured the most reviews. In a research and development position, it could be choosing the candidate with the most patents instead of the one who knows the technology.

It doesn’t always make sense and it’s definitely not “fair,” but more times than not, it works out well for the company (which is the goal). Why am I sharing this with you? Because not only do you have to be the most qualified candidate, but you also need to be considered a strategic hire. In a competitive job market, being a strategic hire/choice will almost always put you a notch ahead of another candidate (with the same or similar experience). It’s your ace in the hole, your rabbit in the hat, your Hail-Mary pass.

How to Become a Strategic Hire

To truly become a strategic hire, you have to have specific skills, knowledge or connections that are deemed valuable by your potential employer. You probably possess many of these things already, but are not leveraging them appropriately during the interview process. Figuring out your “ace” will take some forethought and a little research, but the potential pay-off is huge.

1. Start by taking inventory of your actual skills, knowledge and connections. Write them down – you will be referring to this list often. Be sure to include all of the “hats” you have worn in your various roles, all of the special projects you have taken on, the computer programs that you know how to navigate, the people you speak to (your clients and friends), and what you have successfully delivered during your career (and be sure to include your internship experiences as well).

2. Know the industry that you are applying into, even if you don’t think you have an “industry-specific” job. Being able to show that you are interested in the company’s specific industry and have real knowledge during the interview process will help bump you up in the eyes of the recruiting team. You will come across as interested in the specific job and as an intelligent candidate.

3. Read between the lines of the job description and figure out the gap they are trying to fill. The job is open because there is a glaring gap at the company. You want to figure out how you can not only fill the gap, but make an impact beyond what had previously been there. This is sometimes easier in certain positions, than others. But here are a few ideas:

Sales: your rolodex, contact lists, deal-size history, selling skills or courses, connections
Publicity: your national placements, number of connections on social media platforms, big campaigns – who you worked with and what your success rate was, big names you have worked with
Marketing: your marketing campaigns – size, scope, success rates, conversions; social media knowledge and experience; products/platforms you have marketed; budget scope
IT: program knowledge, platform knowledge, soft/hardware, levels of service, scope of project management and delivery, beta testing, and don’t forget all of the IT systems/tools you use at home
Human Resources: your experience outside of HR, unconventional thinking/deliverables, connections – within HR, industry and outside, RIF experience and scope, client group interaction
Communications: your portfolio of special projects, launches, reach and audience, efficiency/turn around, reporting hierarchy, online platforms

4. Slip in your strategic difference at the right point in the process – when meeting, for the first time, with the hiring manager. No one cares more about what the new hire will bring to the table than the decision maker – your soon to be boss. You do not need to be overt about it, but by asking questions throughout the interview process you will be able to piece together the gap. The way you deliver the message is critically important. You want to point out the problem without blame, and provide a solution. For example in a sales role: “I have been fortunate enough to work with Costco in the past and have established great ongoing relationships with the buyer. I think they would be a great client to on-board here for the XYZ program and I look forward to bringing your program to their attention.”

5. Remember that presenting yourself as a strategic hire (and being able to back it up) is only part of the picture. You still need to have the basic qualifications for the position, have stellar resume materials, and interview well!

Have you been hired as a strategic hire before? Or maybe you have been overlooked due to “more strategic” candidate? I’d love to hear all about them – and I have a few fun ones I will share as well.

Welcome to Loosen Your White Collar! I'm Melissa and I help people fall in love with their jobs. Subscribe to my RSS Feed to have my posts delivered to you inbox and my newsletter for specials.

Practical Tactical Thursday – Flexible Schedules

In case you didn’t get the memo, we live in a technology-filled work environment with so many more options of how we can get work done. I can’t even remember how I worked before my crackberry addiction (a.k.a. Blackberry, smartphone, etc.) – being constantly available and in touch is an expectation for many in today’s work environment. The quest for finding the “perfect work/life balance” is forever ongoing, and luckily, there are now many different ways to create your own balance.

What about Flexible Schedules?

About five years ago, the idea of flexible schedules was emerging at larger companies but the opportunities were limited and usually reserved for a specific demographic – working mothers. In fact, there are several annual reports out there that rank how “friendly” different companies are to mothers who return to the workforce post-delivery. Something companies forgot: people who aren’t mothers want flexible options too, and now they are finally available.

Flexible schedules can include a variety of different options and give and take. You can work part-time, remotely, work a 90/10 schedule, half-day Friday, combination, and so on. The beauty is that flexible means that you can create the best schedule for you – and if you have enough knowledge going into the conversation, it will be difficult for your manager to turn you down!

I’m not going to lie and say that it can happen everywhere, it can’t. Or tell you that it will be easy, because it won’t. However, it is possible and my tips below will help you do just that.

Four Things to Consider:

Do you have a position that can truly be done on a flexible schedule? Take a moment to really think about this; the answer may not be as clear-cut as you hope it is. This is not about want, but execution. If you manage people, that can make it a bit harder unless your team is based in other offices. If you have to interact face-to-face to deliver bad news daily, that can be a deal-breaker. Think of all of the activities that you do in the office that include interaction with others – can these activities be done at the same level of effectiveness over the phone, video conference, chat, email, etc. as they are currently being delivered? The biggest concern managers have about approving any type of “abnormal” schedule is if the work will still get done appropriately. If you feel you can meet this concern head-on, then you are ahead of the game.
Don’t let history be a stopping point for you. Just because no one in your role/department/company has had a flexible schedule, does not mean that it is not an option. Sometimes there needs to be a person to break through – and that can be you. And do not let someone else’s previous attempts stop you from pursuing this. Each situation is different, and you will never know, if you do not ask for yourself.
Be prepared when having the conversation. I mean be over-prepared, people. I remember one of my employees coming to me as their HR contact, and asking for my help in creating a plan for them to move forward with a flexible option. Together, we created a few scenarios that fit the needs of the company and the employee. She was the first person in that department to be approved for a flexible schedule, and I know from the meetings that it was mainly because she had addressed every single objection in her pitch. You will most likely have to sell this to your management team and to HR. So having all of the angles covered, will make the sales process easier.
Understand the impact to your teammates. I cannot tell you how many times I have been at the short-end of the stick when my teammates have been approved for various flex schedules and I was left in the office picking up the pieces. I am not saying this is always the case, but it can happen. If you are the one going on a flex schedule, you need to work through and understand the impact to your colleagues. Are there things that they will need to take over from you? Will you be working just as hard as when you were in the office? Will you be available for questions? Will the workload be consistent? And after reviewing all of those questions, the way you discuss and refer to your new schedule is going to be critically important for the overall cohesiveness of your team. Your manager should help with this, but you are the key component. From personal experience, there is nothing more grating than hearing about “why you need” a flexible schedule – we all need one!!! And another sticking point will be around using these words: work/life balance, my family, my kids, and so on. We all have personal lives, so be super-careful when describing the situation. In fact, I would recommend that you leave it as vague as possible – I’ll be on alternative hours; We need coverage differently; My clients have requested XX, and so on. Don’t lie, just massage the truth a little – these are the people who will have to cover for you, so make sure that you understand that piece of the equation before making the request.

Interested in creating your own Flexible Schedule? Look for an upcoming post about how to ask for one and get results!

Welcome to Loosen Your White Collar! I'm Melissa and I help people fall in love with their jobs. Subscribe to my RSS Feed to have my posts delivered to you inbox and my newsletter for specials.