YourHRGuy is one year old
It is YourHRGuy’s first birthday!
Tired of working vacations?
Me too. Actually, I just got back from one where I didn’t bring my laptop and it was fantastic. Without my laptop, I “didn’t get that email” and “no, I can’t look that up right now.” My Dad took working vacations and it made my Mom pull her hair out. I never want to feel obligated to do so and neither should you. This article on CNN actually talks about some really great techniques to use:
1. Leave a roadmap.
A few weeks before you leave, start recording important information, key contacts and any deadlines that will come up while you are gone. If you leave co-workers with a guide that will help them address questions that arise and keep things moving forward, they will be less likely to contact you on vacation and you will be less likely to walk into a war zone when you return.
2. Stick to an itinerary.
While it’s best to leave the office at the office, if you must do work, set limits and boundaries for yourself and your co-workers. Don’t let activities on vacation be interrupted by work.
Instead set aside a half hour each day to think about work and stick to it. Instead of having co-workers call you, tell them when you are going to check in, so you can control the time allotted.
3. Think big.
If you have a big project and a great vacation planned for the same week, you can expect one of the two to give. Schedule the dates before and after the big stuff to lighten your load and enjoy your time off.
4. What if you’re the boss?
If you’re working for yourself, make sure you anticipate your busy seasons by reviewing your previous sales and current situation. Save vacation time for slower periods and make sure to notify customers in advance.
The first piece of advice is actually the best one for me. Leave your co-workers contact information for sources of information you usually utilize. If you are on vacation and people know how to take care of themselves, not only will they feel less inconvenienced by your absence but you will be bothered much less.
20 Great Employers For College Grads
20 great employers for college grads reveals something that isn’t actually unique to Gen Y (shock!).
For the most part, it is all about the Benjamin’s baby.
Most of these companies aren’t sexy or noble causes. In fact, I count one in each category. I see a lot of government contractors, financial institutions, old money and …
Excuse me there, I almost drifted asleep.
I don’t know. Maybe the right kind of college grad wants to go to PWC but I certainly had no inclination. Nor do most of those companies really appeal to me. So what were the criteria for the rankings?
Not surprisingly, based on some surveys of bigger companies. Is this what Gen Y wants to aspire to? As long as everything I’ve been reading about…gulp…my generation is false.
When you work hard, not everyone wins
Including yourself.
Oh the realities of working hard and not getting anything in return. For that fresh faced college grad or the fortune 100 exec starting anew in a startup, it can be a big wake up call.
It seems like the best anyone can do is work hard anyway, cross their fingers and get lucky?
But wait just a second! That doesn’t seem right. It seems wrong in fact.
So what is a person to do?
Two of my favorite websites are Slacker Manager and Lifehacker. They help you get more work done in less time, manage your day more effectively, yet still be an asset to the company you are working for. That last number is huge.
The old cliche goes, “Work smart, not hard” but these sites will actually help you do it effectively.
Do you have any other sites or resources you use to work smarter?
How can I get a different job after being laid off?
I received an e-mail from someone who is interested in a company’s return policy after layoff.
Dear HR Guy,
I was laid off from a company back in November, they laid off 20
employees. I was a team manager and I had one staff member that went also. Now the company is doing better and I’ve noticed ads in the paper for different positions. One of the last is an HR recruiting position. Are there any guidelines that companies follow in regards to calling back employees in a different position. Any insight would be appreciated.Thanks,
Laid off and waiting for the call
Dear Laid off,
Sorry to hear about that. Getting laid off is no fun.
On to your question, do companies have guidelines they follow to call back on employees in other positions that they’ve previously laid off? I have found that only in rare cases do companies have any strategy for rehiring after taking an economic dive (unless they do it often). Even more so, considering other people for different positions.
The real question is whether working for a company that is just recently recovering is a good idea for you personally. Or whether or not being an HR recruiter for a company regaining momentum is a risk you’re ready to take. If this company has the risk of hitting the ropes again, an HR recruiter can be the first person to go. Even though HR is seen as a relatively secure area in the corporate field, recruiters are sometimes seen as expendable during economic downturns.
If you feel comfortable with all of that though, I encourage you to contact the hiring manager by phone to show interest in the position. Bypassing the standard application method is probably appropriate at this point.
Want to know more about the HR guy?
Jobacle (one of my favorite blogs) has an interesting survey of sorts that might give you some insight on me and why I write. Or perhaps you can know a bit more about my background.
Career Questionnaire 1
Worst Boss
My boss at a national drug store chain was probably the worst. He had a way of rewarding the hardest working employees with the most work and giving the slackers a place to put up their feet. He even explained it to me by saying “You know Jim doesn’t work that hard. He couldn’t get this done tonight. You can though.” Thanks pal. Giving me no raise while Jim gets one while simultaneously dumping work on me gives you a bad boss award.
Best Boss
My boss when I was a student at my university was definitely the best. Someone who rewarded hard work, understood his employees (even if we were 30 years younger than him), stood up for you to the big wigs and bucked the university tradition of just standing around to get things accomplished. As an extra bonus, we got to talk about riding lawn mowers in many of our mandated meetings.
Most Innovative Colleague
The creative director at my current job has to be the most innovative person I know and one of the most hilarious. I finally got to go with him on a business trip and it was a blast. He is always thinking of new ideas and is great in tandem with our mutual boss who has a great mind as well.
Most Rewarding Task
Training for our hourly level people has been the most rewarding. Basically putting together a training that motivates but empowers the downtrodden hourly worker to succeed and achieve has literally paid my salary for the rest of the year in gains. Anything you can do to empower and enrich the lives of those people who are furthest from the top but closest to the customer is worth it. It is worth it a thousand times over.
Best Item You “Permanently Borrowed”
I had a great MP3 player for a while until it broke.
Most Embarrassing Moment
I was doing a speaking competition and I totally blew it. I stood there silent for one minute before the judges finally interrupted and excused me. I have since worked on those skills just a bit.
Lowest Pay
Minimum wage in my state was at $5.25 when I started working in High School and that’s what I made at every single job until college.
Worst Holiday Gift or Bonus
Nothing. This one year, I worked my tail off for the company going above and beyond my job duties, being a superstar without demanding a super price tag. When the holidays came, no bonus. A pat on the back.
Bonus: Your Typical Day
I get up at about 7:00 in the morning. I check the internet and my email for anything particularly interesting. I head to work at about 8:00 (I usually ride my bike or walk this time of year). When I get in, I check my work email and instant messages. I do interviews, I follow up with employees, I do mentoring, I meet with my boss and do a bit of planning before lunch. After lunch is work time when I work on current projects or maintenance issues such as benefits administration. Follow that up with a meeting or two with managers and that caps off my day at about 5:00-6:00.
Why passion can’t come easy…
Everybody wants to be passionate about what they do but they have a hard time finding what they are passionate about in the first place. It seems that all sorts of people are having a hard time figuring out exactly what they want to do in life. Even people that shouldn’t know what they are passionate about yet are concerned about it.
It may seem weird but I haven’t ever worried about it. Why?
I already know what I am passionate about. I am passionate about my wife. I love her. I am passionate about being outdoors. I love fishing. I love camping. I love playing electric guitar. I love single malt whiskeys.
I know what being passionate is all about. So am I passionate about my job? Yes and no.
What you say! I know, I am writing an entire blog about HR issues and I am on the fence about if I am passionate or not?
The parts of my job I am really passionate about aren’t HR specific though. HR gives me better access to the thing I like most about business: people. Sounds corny, I know, but give me a shot. Landing a key person in an area where they are passionate and it meets a significant business need is a feeling of euphoria. Convincing an employee to stay with it, help them develop into better people and see success could drive me for months.
Employment law? Not so much. FLSA interpretation? Hell no. Those are parts of my job that I do because it is necessary if I want to do everything else.
What about your current job are you passionate about? How do you translate that into finding that next step if what you do isn’t all that?
Retaining Older Workers More Important
Forget about Gen Y/Millennials for a second, how about retaining the older generations?
Unfortunately, we can’t all work for a dot com where younger workers and older workers can enter the industry on essentially the same footing. There are many industries where the wealth of experience an older person brings to a company actually does make a real significant difference. And with early retirement being offered in many of those industries (and early retirement being a voluntary option), the time to strengthen your retention strategy is now. Canada focus says:
The study showed mature, large companies to be at greatest risk from the demographic shift, due to their hiring history - rapid growth through the 1970s, followed by downsizing in the ’90s that left them with few mid-career employees today. Leadership, sales and technical positions will be the hardest to fill.
The cost of losing older workers is high. Replacing an experienced worker can cost 50 per cent or more of their annual salary and the cost is higher in jobs requiring specialized skills, advanced training or extensive experience - all more likely in 50-plus employees.
Employers often complain the generation now entering the workforce lack core competencies - which can be counterbalanced by older employees. Many 50-plus workers have experience, dedication, focus, stability and enhanced knowledge.
So not only are people more interested in the older generation, they suddenly find worth (and aren’t anchor weight) in the corporations of today. Couple this with the fact that older workers need some serious help in the job hunt and there is opportunity screaming all over it. Some have taken advantage of this opportunity, will your company?
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About
Your HR Guy is a Human Resources Generalist practicing in the field. But don't let that fool you, this isn't a boring blog. I seek relevance and humor in a place we will spend much of our lives. Everything from workplace issues, job seeking and terrible bosses. Read more...
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