Author: Sheri Mazurek

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Why I Hate the Elevator Speech

Female executive giving a speech

There are career centers and networking groups all over advising us to perfect our elevator speech. Armed with this advice, many get busy writing and practicing (well, maybe practicing) their 30 or 45 or 60 second commercial. Once the speech is perfected off you go to your networking event, conference or career fair ready to make connections.

However, often times the attempt to make an introduction and get out the elevator speech (especially at career fairs) turns into an awkward combination of a flawed sales pitch and a bad pick up line. And when this attempt is followed by an immediate presentation of your business card or resume it just makes it worse!

So why is this advice so common. Well, the statistics tell us that majority of jobs are found through networking and connections. The flaw in the elevator speech advice is that is missing the actual networking and connection building premise. Networking and building connections is not about going to an event, meeting someone and then emailing them at first opportunity with your sales pitch or resume. Making connections requires two way communication. It requires give and take. If you aren’t willing to give in the relationship, you shouldn’t be willing to take.

Next time you go to a career fair or networking event, set realistic expectations about what you want to get out of the event. If you want to network to find a job, instead of practicing your elevator speech, spend some time determining your career goals and what types of experiences will help you get there. When you meet people, spend some time getting to know them and don’t offer your business card or resume without a request or without the willingness to continue the dialogue in some fashion with the person to whom you are speaking. And if you are using a professional organization to network, get involved by volunteering. There is no better way for your to demonstrate your skills to those in the profession.

Get out there and get networking!

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Scary Things in HR

Employees-in-the-human-resources-department

What is scary about HR?

There are a number of scary things in the world and in business. In honor of Halloween week, below is a list of some of the scariest things about HR….

1. People are unpredictable. In any given situation that involves people, it may be difficult to predict a number of things about them. Managers and leaders are often puzzled by reactions, motivations and behaviors of people. Even though previous behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, people change. Their motivations change, their actions change and their reactions change. And this fear of the unpredictable actions and reactions can be the very cause of manager inaction. The next scariest thing in HR.

2. Manager inaction. Every action has a reaction. When the actions that occur in the workplace result in poor performance or creation of a toxic work environment an action is required. When a manager’s reaction is no action; the chance that the toxicity will continue to grow increases. That toxicity will do damage. This type of toxicity is controllable. Even if you can’t predict people’s reactions or behaviors with 100% accuracy, you can control your choice to react.

3. Bad HR breeds toxicity. This could be the most scary. There are most likely a number of us that can relate. If you immediately pictured the name or face of a scary HR figure from your work life, you know what I mean. Good management needs good HR and good HR needs good management. This should be a relationship that you recognize and foster. You can’t have one without the other in my opinion. If you do, you will spend way too much putting out fires and not enough on true strategic HR that will be impactful. We’ve heard it before, HR needs to speak the language of business. And we’ve said it before, managers need to follow our advice. Find a way to do both and success will be a bit easier.

What can you add? What scares you?

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Employees hate/love to go to participate in training

Employees-hate-love-to-go-to-participate-in-training

In organizations, there are people who love to participate in training events and there are at least an equal (most likely more) amount of people who hate training events. Those haters of the training events are most likely not opposed to learning. In fact, when they need know something, most of them will find a way to learn it.

So why do they hate training events?

Here are just a few reasons that might be on their list:

  • The training event doesn’t teach them anything new
  • The material is not related to their current role
  • They are busy with deadlines and see training as a waste of time
  • Past experiences with poor trainers
  • Prefer self-directed learning on a “as needed” or “just in time” basis
  • The training location is……..
  • There were required to go

Regardless of the reason, if the training event meets any of the above reasons, then just don’t waste your time or your money.

What to do instead?

Invest in development not training sessions or events. Development should focus on ensuring your employees have the skills that will be needed to support the strategic direction of the company. Development is not an event. Development requires a mixture of experiences and events that result in mastery of skills and encourage effective behaviors.

How to start?

  • Determine the direction of the company. Use an analysis tool such as S.W.O.T. to get your started.
  • Analyze the skills you will need to succeed in the future.
  • Identify the key roles in your organization for now and in the future
  • Complete a gap analysis
  • Create a development plan to fill the gaps

Note- This is one of the hardest parts for many. I recommend starting with the assumption that all of the employees in your key roles will not be at work for the next month. What would you do? Who would have to step into their roles? What would it take to get them ready? What wouldn’t happen if they weren’t there?

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Merit Pay Doesn’t Work

Person opening an empty wallet

I have written multiple times about he ever hated performance review. This dreaded ritual in many companies is also often tied to the annual salary increase. An increase that often times is given within a tight budget constraint somewhere between 2-4%. It also often called a merit increase or a pay for performance compensation system. Those who are top performers may get a 4% increase while the poor performer may get the 2-3% increase. The result of this system actual keeps employees at very close salaries. And my guess is that if the top performer in a particular position or team has a little less tenure than the bottom performer, the bottom performer could still make more money.

How exactly is that pay for performance?

Dow Scott, PhD, compensation consultant and professor of human resources in the Quinlan School of Business at Loyola University discusses this very topic in a recent article. According to Scott, these systems are outdated. (I absolutely agree!). He lists a number of reasons including the minimal range of the raises, supervisors rating employees similarly, and increases in salary that do not always align to business performance. His suggestion is base pay adjustments that are market driven. He further suggests that rewarding performance can still occur through other reward systems and these systems.

So how do you get there?

Scott provides a few thoughts on this as well. He suggests that you start with convincing managers and employees that merit pay is not the answer. I personally think this won’t be too difficult since most employees already realize this. Another suggestion is to replace it with short and long term incentives that are ties to performance goals. This is sometimes one of the most difficult, but it the definition of pay for performance. He also mentions how little resistance organizations will have with the new system. I couldn’t agree more. As mentioned before, employees already know the system doesn’t work.

What do you think?

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Great Reads This Week in HR

Two-people-talking-during-work-hours.

After seeing an info graphic earlier this week, I planned on writing a post in response to it. The info graphic can be found here and it depicts the biggest time wasters at work. At the top of the list of time wasters is talking to co-workers. This is very topic, I was going to write about; however, I found that my thoughts have already been articulated on Wally Bock’s Three Star Leadership Blog So I encourage you to visit his blog this also.

This wasn’t the only good read of the week. Take a look at these as well.

Unemployment is a Larger Barrier to Employment Than Criminal Record Published on 18 September 2012 by Nick Fishman on the EmployeeScreenIQ Blog. This blog talks about the results of yet another published info graphic which can be found here.

Creating a Meaningful Workplace: It Doesn’t Happen by Messaging Alone Jerry Holtaway on Sep 20, 2012 on TLNT This is number eight in a series. Check out the others as well.

Unlearn Your Helplessness By Suzanne Rumsey · 09.22.2012 posted on Fistful of Talent.

What did you read this week?

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Poor performance, What’s the Cause?

HR-department

We spend a lot of time in business and in HR building systems and processes to accomplish goals. Whether or not we have well defined goals, we do typically have systems or processes in place in an effort to make the business work. Sometimes the systems are well defined and sometimes they are not. Regardless, these systems are often to blame when things aren’t going well, along with everything else from the employees not listening to poor management.

So what do you do when things aren’t going well? Whether a decision is made to fire everyone or do nothing at all, the reactions are often made too quickly without proper analysis. These quick reactions lead to a repeating cycle of “things not going well.” It’s a common reaction and often times it is fueled by a desperate need to get things on the right track. So companies forge ahead and begin changing things. Frequently attempting to change everything as if they are trying to hit a reset button and just start over. However, in doing this the situation often get worse without the expected better ever coming along.

What would happen if instead of trying to change the systems, we start by looking at whether or not they are currently be followed? Are they being followed in some areas and not others? Do we have better results in the areas where they are being followed? And if we find through our analysis that the system needs changed, do we have to start over or do we just need to make a few tweaks?

Regardless of the situation, do the analysis. Know the cause and then you will know how to proceed.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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What Managers Wished HR Understood

manager-addressing-HR-department-on-recruiting-process.

In a recent article on ERE.net, author Ryder Cullison shared 6 Things Hiring Managers Don’t Get About Recruiting. The piece highlights some of the misconceptions mangers can have when looking for the next great employee.

The article served as a reminder that sometimes hiring managers don’t understand other things as well. And if you are a hiring manager, I am sure that you are thinking of a number of topics that HR doesn’t get about “running your business” or “dealing with your people”. So in an effort to help bridge the gap between hiring managers and HR and represent both sides, below is a list of 6 things that managers may want us to know.

Stop Telling Me No I have a business to run. Find a way to make it work.

Please Don’t Give Me another Form to Fill Out I don’t have time for forms.

Please Stop Quoting Policies that I Can Read Myself. I don’t have time to be talked to. I can read the policy. Sometimes, I need you to help me do what is right. Sometimes that’s not explained in the policy. Help me find a way to get what I want without getting into trouble.

It’s Easier for Me to Handle It On My Own-All of your rules, process, and procedures bog me down. I have a business to run and money to make. I don’t have time for you to review it or discuss it or figure out what legal wants us to do. I will just handle it my way.

But Sometimes I Get It Wrong and When I Do, I Need You Not to Lecture Me, Just Help Me Fix It. Sometimes I can’t be bothered by the rules and then I make mistakes. So when that happens, don’t give me the “I told you so” speech and don’t say, “If you would have just asked me first…” I didn’t ask you because hearing back from you takes too long.

And Sometimes I Need You to Guide Me But, I only want your guidance on my terms. So when I call, please answer the phone right way.

What can you add?

Go ahead and click the link the article above. It will make you feel like you are not alone.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz

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Practice til You Make It

A basketball player practicing in an indoor court

I love the Olympics. I love watching the amazing things others can accomplish with dedication and practice. That has always been a favorite part of my job as well. Regardless of the organization or role I had within the organization, I have always loved watching others change, develop and grow to achieve amazing things. It’s how I ended up in HR. And no, I am not going to follow up that statement by, “I just love the people side of the business.” I just love business and have found that ordinary people can accomplish amazing things within the business by working hard and putting in the time to develop their talents.

At home, far from the Olympic stage, my son is currently looking to try out for a little league travel team. This is the first year he is eligible and he is excited to try. He doesn’t have as much raw talent as some of the other players but he loves the game. What he doesn’t love is practicing the game especially when the temperatures hover above the 90 degree mark all summer. He sees working on fundamentals boring. He wants to be in the game. So as parents, my husband and I are struggling to get him to realize that if he going to make the team, he has to work for it. He will need to work harder than some of the players. He can be as good as those with the talent, but it will take practice to get there.

So what do you do with your average employees who may not have the natural ability to be superstars, but they love the game? Do you teach them their not good enough to make it or do you challenge them to put in the work? Go ahead; pull out a copy of their IDP. Oh, you don’t have one. You better get busy; they have a lot of work to do.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz

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Choices Make all the Difference

Female -nurse-holding-pills-looking-confused-trying-make-choice-

There are a number of examples in the news currently of people whose legacy has recently changed from positive to negative. The removal of the Joe Paterno statue at Penn State is one that shows how poor decisions can wipe out years of positive acts. Paterno will now be remembered more for the scandal surrounding the university and less about wins and losses of a football team.

Another example is the CEO of Yahoo who misrepresented his educational credentials. This one is a more common scenario and usually has less recourse. I have even heard many suggest that “fluffing” the resume is an accepted practice in the workforce and that recruiters expect it. While recruiters may actually expect it, it doesn’t mean it is an accepted practice. The “everybody does it” argument in business is flawed.

There are times when many of us find ourselves in critical moments and may not even realize the significance of the moment and the choice we are about to make. There are so many justifications one can find to do the wrong thing. I often hear employees make statements about their value in organizations. Top performers (and sometimes not so top performers) often develop a sense of ego that makes them feel as though they are irreplaceable and can get away with anything because the organization cannot function without their presence. This sense of ego drives poor decisions and sometimes decisions that change their legacy.

For many, the ramifications of the choice may only be a lost job; they may be able to move to a different company or industry and start over. Regardless, at some level their legacy has changed.

Use these situations as an example. Do a self-analysis. And always choose well. Your legacy may depend on it.

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.

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Ten Ways to Not Get Called by a Recruiter You Met at Your School’s Career Fair

Person writing job fair in a note

The stores are getting prepared by filling their shelves with back to school items and advertising their door busters prices including pencils and crayons for $.25. While one could argue it is too early to begin the “back to school” preparation, I am one who likes good planning. And while the summer becomes a season most of us long for during the cold snowy winter months, the “back to school” season signifies that my favorite times of year is approaching, fall.

Fall is full of great things including the beautiful scenery brought by the changing leaves and joys of trick or tricking with the kids while they are still young enough to find magic in a big bag of “free” candy. For those of us in HR and Recruiting, fall brings the season of college career fairs. And just like the stores preparing for their “back to school” revenue, recruiters are preparing to find the best and the brightest.

So are the best and brightest preparing for us? Are they getting ready to find their start in a great career? I am sure that many of them are doing just that; and these are the ones recruiters will be thrilled to meet at their local career fair. However, my guess is that there will still be hundreds of them that can check at least some of the things on the following list.

Ten Ways to Not Get Called by a Recruiter You Met at Your School’s Career Fair

  1. Dress in the outfit your wore to your best friends luau and pool party last week. Or any other inappropriate one for the job you want. How you dress should be a non-issue. Don’t be remembered by your outfit; be remembered for the great questions you asked or your solid communication skills.
  2. Have no idea what companies will be represented. If your idea of preparation is showing up sometime before the thing ends and just wondering around the aisles, you might get overshadowed by the more prepared. Find out who is attending the fair in advance.
  3. Find out who is attending the job fair and not do any research on the companies. You need to research the companies you want to target before you arrive. Find out what companies may have positions in your field or which ones seem to be a good cultural match for you (values, mission, hours, environment, dress code). Not doing research will leave you unarmed for a good impression.
  4. Just wing it once you get there. After you do the research, prepare the questions you want to ask the recruiter. Know which companies you want to target, find out where they are going to be located during the fair, and plan your route.
  5. Wait until after graduation to attend a job fair. Waiting until you have the credentials is going to put you behind your better prepared peers. Attend fairs beginning in your freshman or at least your sophomore year. This is a great way to see what companies are out there. Spend some time chatting with recruiters from companies you may want to get into in the future. Ask about internship opportunities and other programs for college grads. If you find an interest, write down their name and follow up with them at the next fair. (or sooner, see below)
  6. Go to the fair without any idea of what you want to do. Know your goals going in. Be prepared to let the representatives know the type of work in which you have an interest. Know some of your goals in the next few years. If you are early in your educational journey, know you goals for this fair. If it is just to meet recruiters and learn what companies are there for when you graduate, let the recruiter know that. Whatever it is, know it and be able to communicate it.
  7. Don’t follow-up with any companies after you leave. If they are interested, they will call you. Always follow-up.
  8. Fail to ask how to follow-up. Recruiters are busy. Find out how they prefer you to follow-up and listen to them. If you are too pushy, you won’t get called back. And when you follow-up, know their name and where you met them. If you are leaving a message, be specific about what you spoke about. Recruiters talk to hundreds of candidates. Help them remember you. (and like I said before, not by your outfit.)
  9. Ask the recruiter if you really have to complete an online application. If the recruiter says you have to do it. Do it. No further explanation. And when you complete the application, complete it. All of it. And don’t put “see resume” on the application in place of educational credential or work experience. Actually, don’t put it down for anything.
  10. Get angry with the processes or the long lines at the booths and complain about the give-a-ways. This is another way in which you do not want to be remembered.

What can you add?

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For more resources, See the Human Resources library.