Halloween: an HR nightmare?

Halloween is Friday! This is the one holiday where people can dress up and pretend to be someone else. There are a lot of companies who like to have a Halloween celebration and it usually is a hit among the staff. But for management, especially HR, it can be a huge headache.
HR is already viewed as the fun police. We make people watch their Ps & Qs and remind them that their joke/behavior can be perceived as offensive. We suck the fun out of everything. Or at least that is what everybody thinks. In reality, we are merely limiting the amount of risk to which the company is exposed.
So before Friday, here are a few things to think about when celebrating Halloween in the workplace.

1. Safety - Can/will the costumes and/or accessories create a safety risk to your employees?
2. Dress Code - Is the costume appropriate. Just because it is Halloween, your employees do not have the liberty to violate your company policies?
3. Offensive - We have all seen some pretty inappropriate things on Halloween. Make sure your employees are not offending anyone with their costume choices.
4. Time - If the company is sponsoring the costume contest, are you giving the employees extra time to change their clothes? How is that being handled according to wage and hour laws?
5. Choice - Employees should have the option to participate or not. They still have a choice which could be based on a protected class such as religion so be careful about making participation mandatory.
6. Candy/Food - Consider everyone. Some of your employees may have restrictive diets and can't have candy or other treats.

As HR, we have an obligation to protect the company and staff. Halloween is scary, but litigation can be even scarier. Keep these things in mind and have a safe Halloween.
Want to hear something else scary? There are only 63 days left until 2015! With that in mind, this would be a good time to revisit your 2014 goals. Please contact me to set up a coaching session where I can help you ramp up for 2015. Email glamhr@gmail.com for more details.

Culture of Fear

With all the media coverage of the "Ebola Crisis," I started think about how fear plays a part in our everyday lives. How the 24 hour news cycle has trained us to believe everything we see, read, or hear and run with it. No matter how true, absurd, or irrational the information is.

I am not saying Ebola is real or it isn't or there shouldn't be a cause for concern. Honestly, I do not know enough about it. When I want to know, I will do my own research and not rely on the media. What I do care about, however,  is the culture of fear that is perpetuated in our personal and professional lives. Simply put, fear is a tool of control to get people to think or behave a certain way.

In HR, we talk a lot about culture. We want to create a culture where people want to work. It should be positive, motivating, engaging! But what happens when it is the opposite? What happens when the culture is negative, disengaging, and based on fear. A culture where people are afraid to speak the truth because they may be scolded like a child. Where people have to pretend to be busy so they seem valuable and won't lose their jobs. Or where the executives constantly talk about not being profitable discouraging workers from asking for raises or other compensation.

Creating this culture of fear is damaging not only to the employee, but also to the employer. The employer brand, productivity and morale suffer. As HR Pros, it is our responsibility to break this culture if it exists in our organization. I understand this is a sensitive subject and must be approached with care, but it must be done. To break a culture of fear, you must promote communication and trust. Employees should be able to tell the truth without fear of retaliation and trust that there will be follow up. In addition, companies need to be transparent with their employees. It is problematic when there is one way communication about how bad the company is doing and never how well. Communication is truly the key.

We have to break the culture of fear and create a culture of honesty, integrity, and trust. And it starts with HR standing up and speaking our truth.

3-S Look at Change

As we all know, change is inevitable. This is especially true in the business world. We can't control the change in many cases, but we can control how we and our staff experience the change. There are lots of theories about how to deal with change and many books on the subject as well. One of my favorites is Who Moved My Cheese? It is a simple story told with mice, cheese, and a maze. A book we can probably all relate to in some way.

Before implementing a big change, here are 3 questions to consider:

1. Do the people have the skills to make the change?
• Will they require additional training, coaching, or mentoring?
• Have their current positions outgrown them?
• Have the needs of the business changed in a way that they are no longer the best fit?
2. Are the systems in place for the change to work?
• Is the infrastructure strong enough to support the change?
• What technology is needed?
• Are the processes and procedures in place?
• If not, who will be responsible for creating and documenting them?
3. Is management in full support of the change?
• Do you have executive buy-in?
• Is the change and reason for the change clear?
• Has it been communicated, then over communicated?
• Simply, is everyone on the same page?

When dealing with change especially big change there are a lot of things to consider. I recommend first answering these questions in addition to the who, what, where, when, why, and how. This process will give you an idea of how to implement, what steps to takes, what obstacles you may encounter, and other opportunities.

Remember, change is good. If you are not changing, you are not growing.

Unconventional Interview Tips

I read so many articles that give the same common sense interview tips that it prompted me to offer a few not so obvious tips. We all know to arrive early and hopefully how to dress. But if some of the basics are still eluding you, contact me ASAP for help.

1. Don't park right in front - Sounds silly, right? To be honest, my car is constantly full of kid stuff so is not always the cleanest. I do not want that to be the first impression anyone gets of me. I try to park down the block or at the back of a lot if available. That way I can do my last minute touch-ups and prep without wondering if people are watching me from the windows.
2. Don't bring too much to your interview - I typically leave my purse and cell phone in the car. I do not want to be the bag lady coming into the office looking disheveled and fumbling through my handbag. I always carry a portfolio with extra resumes, a reference list, and questions I'd like to ask during the interview. A briefcase is acceptable as long as you are not shuffling through looking for things. You want to appear organized and well put together.
3. Mirror your interviewer - You should always try to match the energy in the room. If the interviewer(s) are smiling and laughing, relax a bit. If they are very serious, sit up a bit straighter and focus in. In addition, if the person taking you to the interview room walks fast, keep up. This is the pace of the work environment and you need to show you can hang.
4. Take the water - Typically when you come in for an interview someone will offer you a beverage. TAKE IT. If you are like me, you tend to get nervous, hot, and cotton mouth no matter how prepared you are. That's okay, it's natural. That water can be a life saver on such occasions. You can take a sip between questions while you think or when you feel like you are getting too nervous.
5. Be human - It is very easy to study and be prepared for an interview and believe me that goes a long way. However, you should also show that you are not a robot and have personality. Don't be too casual or flippant, but show that you have some interpersonal skills.
6. Ask questions - Nothing bugs me more than for a candidate not to ask any questions. We sit and talk for about an hour and nothing sparked your curiosity? That can tell a hiring manger a lot about the kind of employee you will be. Also, they should be selling the company to you as well.  

Any other tips you would like to share, comment below. Also if you have questions you want answered, please reach out to me.

Good luck on that next opportunity!

Social Media & Job Hunting

It is quite inevitable that almost everyone is on social media, including that recruiter for the job you want. So how do you express yourself and have fun on social media without killing your job prospects? Keep this in mind, once it is on the world wide web, it is out there forever.

I know that sounds dramatic and very much like a parent, but coming from an HR prospective it is sage advice. Take a moment and think before you post that photo, article, and status slamming your current employer. I do not make a habit of looking up my candidates on social networks, but many employers do.

A great tip is to change the privacy settings on your social media platforms so that only friends can see your posts. I would even suggest that if you really want to vent, make the post completely private so that only you can see it. .  Be careful of sharing anything that displays poor communication skills, making discriminatory comments related to race, gender, or religion, or lying about qualifications. These are definitely things that would turn a potential employer off. I understand that people purposely post things just for likes, followers, and fans, but that inappropriate content could be killing your job search

I don't want to seem like I am anti-social media because I am not. I just think people need to be smarter about using it. A good social media strategy can help you find the job of your dreams.  If you choose to share content publicly on social media, make sure it’s working to your advantage. Make sure your messaging is consistent on all platforms. Share content that highlights your accomplishments and qualifications in a positive way by discussing articles that are relevant to your field, offering tips to your followers, or creating a blog. These uses of social media will get you recognized for being poised, professional, and polished.

Perception is reality. Make sure you are perceived in a professional light in person and online to get your dream job!

Managing a Micromanager

Working with a micromanager can be extremely difficult for any professional. It can be demoralizing, stifling, and unproductive as the person seeking control refuses to delegate, questions everything you do, and is constantly asking for updates. Usually the desire for control stems from their own insecurities in themselves, lack of control outside of work, and deeply rooted mistrust. While it is not possible to change others, we can control the way in which we handle a micromanager.

With this in mind, here a five tips for working with a micromanager:

1. Critique yourself - be honest about your work performance. First look within to see if you have given someone a reason to micromanage you.
2. Build trust - I cannot say this enough with any working relationship, and especially when working with a micromanager. They need to see that you will follow through, keep your word, and do a good job.
3. Be Proactive - anticipate the needs of the micromanager in order to alleviate some of the stress. Flag potential problems and offer solutions.
4. Role model the preferred behavior - volunteer for additional projects to show the micromanager the need for delegation and how to do it properly.
5. Keep them in the loop - don't wait for them to ask for an update, offer info on critical steps and milestones.

Management Hierarchy

Today I will be answering a reader's question. The reader asked: Why is separation/segregation of management, supervision, and employees promoted in the workplace?"

While there is no easy answer to this questions, I'll provide a few viewpoints to consider when thinking about hierarchical structures. I will also offer a few tips on managing these relationships to help you succeed in your career.

The main reason companies have hierarchies and organizational charts is to provide clarity. Org charts help employees identify who the should turn to should they have questions, comments, or concerns. Basically you will always know whom to escalate any situation.

Also, it is my experience that management likes to keep a clear boundary with employees as not to violate any policies or laws. Things can get really hairy when supervisors and managers get too friendly with their employees. Confidentiality can be broken or harmless actions can be misinterpreted. It is much easier for managers to keep a clear separation from their staff.

Additionally, if a manager becomes to close to their employee they may find it hard to coach, discipline, provide feedback, or even terminate. We are human and emotions are natural. So to avoid conflicts of interest, some managers think it best to keep their relationships with their staff strictly business.

As an employee here are a few tips to help manage these relationships:

1. Build trust - keep your word, meet deadlines, follow through
2. Manage up - know how to speak the language of management and leverage the relationship to help support your goals and the goals of the company
3. Set your own boundaries - Stay professional at all times, getting too casual could send the wrong message to management

Good luck and keep the questions coming. If you are interested in more in depth career development, please contact for more information at glamhr@gmail.com.