If I Were Running A Company…Experiencing

As I was saying…

A few months ago at my church, my priest gave a sermon about why people line up to Apple more than going to church. His reason is people want to make life easy and don’t want to do the effort. They believe the iPad/iPhone will solve all problems. First, the reason people are not going to church is not technology; it is about their stringent views and lack of willing to evolve in the current world. However, this post is not about religion.

Although the priest goes on a rant about technology, the base of his argument is that people are not going out there to experience it and this is where the priest and I meet eye-to-eye.  If you want to get something done, you have to be out there. You need someone to talk to have a feel for where you are. What technology does is to to post our experiences and share them to the world to give hope (or jealously) for others to go to that place.

Another example that it’s different between online and offline is poker. In online poker, you can be more aggressive since it is randomized and any card is a good hand. In live poker, there are so many factors to play: your cards, the players surrounding them, the dealer, betting styles, the atmosphere, their tells…and that’s the basics of it.

I’m all for technology that will benefit what we do, but don’t do it for pleasure for having the newest gadget out there. Use technology to share your experiences to everyone so they can come by the next time they are there. Pictures, tweets, videos are great, experience it yourself is a whole different environment you should try.

If I Was Running A Company…Hold It

If you been reading my blog, you know I have a series called “If I Was Running A Company…” It’s about my thoughts, ideas, trends, and case studies about HR. That portion of my blog gave me exposure from SHRM, Brazen Careerist, HR Happy Hour, and others linking to this blog, which help get a solid HR audience.  I am thankful for the HR audience (and other non-HR people) who read my babble on HR and Recruiting topics and some have taken advice, which is scary.  If you witness, I have not written an HR post in a long time.

There’s a reason…

The “If I Was Running A Company…” series will temporarily move to theGeorge Mason School of Management Alumni Chapter (GMUSOMAC) Blog.  It will be renamed  to “If I Were Running A Company…”

Several questions I will ask myself and answer:

Why the move?
The main reason is I am currently the Vice President of Outreach for GMUSOMAC and I’m responsible to attract the GMU School of Management Alums to our chapter and promote the School of Management and the communities.  I engage people about the benefits being a GMU SOM alum.  The blog would be the first step of engaging new and old alums and when we establish that, it will have a positive effect in our chapter.

This is a strategic decision so I can bring my audience to know the George Mason School of Management community and hopefully they can learn and collaborate with our alums.  We are the Originators of Hope (look up 2006 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four).

Why is the move temporary?
The board positions are for one year, unless you are re-elected. The term limit is two years. Eventually, the series will be back to my own blog, but I want to give the GMUSOMAC a boost to establish the alumni first, then the whole audience.

What’s the GMUSOMAC Blog about?
Currently, it is use to announce GMU SOM Alumni events. Next month, it will transition to a professional community blog for the GMU SOM alums. You will get blog posts from a variety of topics from HR, Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, Technology Management, Entrepreneurship, and General Business. It’s similar to Brazen Careerist except we’re not going to rank NBC Universal as the number one company for Gen Y.

What is going to happen to my blog?
It will still be the same blog… just without the business stuff. You will still hear my thoughts, my personal adventures, Tony Kornheiser news and dating stories (not going to happen for a while…the dating part).

Is “If I Was Running A Company…” grammatically incorrect?
Yes. The story behind it was I wasn’t sure what to use: “was” or “were” in the beginning.  I didn’t search if it was grammatically correct, so I chose “was.” I guessed wrong. I had a couple of friends corrected me, but then I say to myself: If “Why Can’t Us?” merchandise can sell like hotcakes in Philadelphia, why not “If I Was Running A Company…”? It took off in May 2009 when China Gorman tweeted my post on giving a pop culture HR Award to Mel Kiper and it has mistakenly been in HR blogrolls ever since. The series will be renamed “If I Were Running A Company…” since I’m dealing with a professional community blog.

There you have it. Before I go…some shameless plugs about GMUSOMAC and hopefully you subscribe to these links (It’s my blog you know):

GMUSOMAC Website
GMUSOMAC Blog (still in Beta Max)
Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
YouTube

See you on the flip side, HR.

Sunday Shout-out to Laurie Ruettimann

I have not dealt on this topic, but I will miss Laurie Ruettimann’s recently defunct blog, Punk Rock HR. It was the second HR blog I’ve read (the first was Melina Murray by googling “SHRM Chicago”) and it resonate with me.  The first post that fully got my attention was the “The guy that shall be nameless” and him leaving newspapers. That article inspired me to do the “If I Was Running A Company…” series, about my view on HR, although I know she’s annoyed of the HR and sports comparison for which I will quote my good friend, Rob Dibble, “Suck It Up!”

Seriously, I hope her new blog, The Cynical Girl, and her new venture at New Media Services will become a bigger success than Punk Rock HR from knowing her: 1)  she’s taller than Mike Lupica and 2) she’s has the personality and bite in her writing that will make her a success.

Now open up a Cutty Sark and have fun in Florida this week, Laurie.

If I Was Running A Company…The People

During my time at NPR, I read this article from John Hollon of TLNT about the title of Chief People Officer and the main focus was on NPR’s new HR (People) head and former colleague of mine, Jeff Perkins.

Of Note: the reason I’m writing this article is my contract for NPR is up and I’m free to do whatever I want. If I wrote this article during my stay, it would have been review with NPR, so I waited until today.

In the article, there was debate if Chief People Officer is a legitimate title or a gimmick.  The article made wonderful points on both sides and I wouldn’t have any qualms.  In NPR’s case, you have to look into their HR history.

If you would ask me between 2005-07 about NPR human resources, I would say they were solid. They had budgets to go on conferences, job fairs, goodwill events, and others, plus their brand was very strong.  What change for NPR human resources was in 2008.  Most of it I can’t discuss, but part of it is the economy, and that’s where the mood of executives (and some employees) change and that is where HR is…a solid HR team with little to no budget.

One and a half years later, they ask me to come in to assist the recruiting team and build a social recruiting strategy.  I agree to do the administrative work since HR was under staff at the time and really want to change the department, hence selecting the new VP and CPO in the first two months I was there.  In the last two months, I was helping with their social recruiting strategy, but it couldn’t be finalize since there were a lot changes going around in HR. The only achievement I was there was the creation of the Linkedin account, although the base of their social recruiting strategy is there.

Of Note again: I posted my jobs and NPR events on my all-around account, @tracytran. I couldn’t do it on @tranrecruiting since I agreed to NPR to hire me as a full-time temp, hence the business was push aside for 4 months. Hence, you had to find my jobs through keywords or dedicated column on a third-party app NPR Jobs tweets with my name.  I wish to start up an NPR Careers Twitter account, but there was not enough time for approval.

In my opinion, I thought Chief People Officer was a little cheesy at first, but realize a month later, National Public Radio change their brand to NPR because they want to be known for their multimedia entity, and likely the title change to Chief People Officer was one of those steps internally and externally.

Whither you department is called Human Resources, The People, Norris, Rikishi, or whatever you name your “HR” department, it’s the actions and results behind your title that counts. In my one month with Jeff Perkins at NPR, it looks like he is really changing the department for a new direction and for the better and wish the best of luck.

By the way, NPR is looking for a Director of Talent Acquisitions. This one is on me

If I Was Running A Company…Jobs and Profits

Remember when economists say the recession will end late last year and jobs would be returning?  Well, the recession has ended (until the recent GDP report came out), but the jobs have not come back.  How can that be? Look at your employer.

In this Washington Post article, it states that nonfinancial companies altogether have $1.8 trillion in cash. If you have 1.8 trillion, it would easy to hire workers, get decent health benefits, 401 (k), and other benefits.  Then again, it is the company’s money and they can do whatever they want.  They can fire workers, be more productive with less workers and make more of a profit.  For that, I can’t fault organizations who penny-pinch their budget…that’s capitalism.

How about small businesses?  They don’t have the cash like corporations, but they do have resources in the Chamber of Commerce to help out on taxes and benefits. Then again, the Chamber of Commerce are speaking for themselves and not the whole community.

This is where business leaders point the blame to the Obama Administration; blaming them that they’re not creating jobs.  However, the Obama Administration did end the Great Recession. If these three areas have not solve the hiring issue, who can? Actually, all three share an answer: politics

The Obama Administration have the heart that they want to help the unemployed to find jobs, but the administration’s vibe says businesses should not be trusted. Corporations have tons of money but are making excuses that the $1.8 trillion that is leftover is not enough to pay for health benefits and others, and have the audacity to blame the Obama Administration for not creating jobs. For small businesses, they’re trusting the Chamber of Commerce advice too much instead going to their gut instincts.  No matter the result, all three are to blame for the biggest losers: the unemployed.

The unemployment is still at 9.5-9.6% where the numbers suppose  to dip at this time, but it has not happen because all three sides are playing politics. Steve Pearlstein of the Washington Post and Bob Herbert of the New York Times hit the nail when both said all three are posturing, but took offense of business leaders of attacking Obama for not creating jobs, when they have their own opportunity to hire more people, but elected not to.  To make matters worse, the unemployed might be creating a coalition to handle the BS from all three sides.

The only solution to solve all these problems are better communications among business leaders, the Chamber of Commerce and the Obama Administration on job creations, benefits, and the future of work.  If all sides communicate, you will see unemployment drop and a better understanding of healthcare and financial reform.  Am I naive this will happen? Yes. Do I think it will happen? Not a chance; it’s the mid-term elections, politics is about power and influence instead of collaboration.

For the unemployed who are getting screwed: if you’re job hunting, don’t look for job openings within the organization, look for an organization that have the balls to hire you.

Bonus: NFIB Small Business Trends

If I Was Running A Company…Ilya Kovalchuk

A bunch of my HR bloggers in the past few weeks have written a lot about LeBron James, his decision to join the Miami Heat, and how it reflects HR.  LeBron is a great example for people who like the NBA and HR…but it does not come close to what is going with Ilya Kovalchuk.

To summarize who Ilya Kovalchuk is; he’s a former number 1 pick in 2001, who played for the Atlanta Thrashers for 8 seasons.  He was a play-making forward who helped the Thrashers to go to their only playoff series in 2006-07, where they got swept by the New York Rangers. During the middle of this past season, Kovalchuk was traded to the New Jersey Devils, hoping to bring back the Stanley Cup in New Jersey. Unfortunately in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, the Devils were eliminated in 5 games by the Philadelphia Flyers.  This is where the fun begins.

The reason the Atlanta Thrashers traded Kovalchuk is because they knew they couldn’t resign him since he rejected a 12 year, $102 million deal, plus they didn’t have the budget for his demands.  Everyone in the NHL knew Kovalchuk was the top free agent this offseason, so his value was very high.  Since that was establish, Kovalchuk wanted a 10+ year, 9 figure deal.  Usually in the NHL, free agents have decided after 12PM on July 1, which starts Free Agent Frenzy and Canada Day.  The problem: Kovalchuk didn’t sign with anyone.  He had choices between the Devils, Thrashers, the Los Angeles Kings, the New York Islanders, even the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). People were worried that he might drive the value too high and/or was trying to be a divo. The problem was Kovalchuk is a top 10 talent in the NHL and he should merit in average how much the top ten make, and he is 27.

The situation has led to 20 days of drama, negotiations, bickering, and grandstanding.  However, Kovalchuk got the deal he wanted and signed a 17 year, $102 Million deal to return to the Devils.  Instead, the NHL rejected the offer because the contract was too front-loaded. It will eventually get resolved and everyone will be happy…except the Kings and every hockey fan outside of New Jersey.

In perspective:

For Ilya Kovalchuk, he had two job offers on the table: the Kings and the Devils. From reports, Kovalchuk wanted to go to L.A., but the Kings were offering 15 years, $80 million. The Devils decided to counter-offer and put 17 years and $102 million and that’s what Kovalchuk chose.  While almost everyone was signing on July 1, Kovalchuk waited to get an offer he liked and got it.

For the New Jersey Devils: they know Kovalchuk had great value, but they also know Kovalchuk wanted a contract over $100 million. They waited patiently and calculate the best offer for not only Kovalchuk’s needs, but their own needs.  Instead of paying him $10 million a year, Kovalchuk is going to get paid on average $7.5 million per year (granted, it’s a front-loaded contract).

For the NHL: I’m glad they stand up on someone (or team) that is trying to manipulate the system.  One problem: this rejection won’t last since you allow similar front-loaded contracts to go through from Marian Hossa, Chris Pronger, and Roberto Luongo. The NHL should re-read the Collective Bargaining Agreement and put it on your agenda as number one priority to cover the loophole in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement.

By the way, to look at each NHL team’s salary cap situation, go to Capgeek.com

For Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello, you are a great negotiator and you kept Kovalchuk in New Jersey for 17 years (that might be a new record). After the contract talks are done, you should have shut up.  You made the situation worse when you publicly said you hated the structure of the contract and wanted to game the system. You were gotten away with it without consequences if you said nothing.  It’s alright to be quiet from time to time.

So to my HR friends, you can enjoy the LeBron James saga, but Ilya Kovalchuk’s situation is HR’s version of Inception.

If I Was Running A Company…Another Mel Kiper Award (July 2010)



I haven’t done this for a long time since I’ve been busy working, networking, tweeting, and catching up on stuff.  I’m also thinking about this heat wave that DC has been in for almost a month.  I would love it that the terrible blizzard earlier this year would return.  I can’t do that, but there is one recipient that will remind us of winter in summer.  Ladies and gentlemen, your next recipient of the Mel Kiper Award:

The 1979-1984 New York Islanders

Between 1979 to 1984, the New York Islanders won 4 straight Stanley Cups.  They were the dynasty of the early 1980s with players like Mike Bossy, Ken Morrow, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith and others; and Al Arbour giving instructions behind the bench.  What made this team special was not the players, the coach, Long Island. They were remembered for two words: PLAYOFF BEARDS!!!

The Islanders were credited of creating the playoff beards and the rest is history.  The playoff beards did four things:

Tradition

Before the 1979 season in 1976-1978, the Islanders were a great regular season team.  However, they were eliminated in the semifinals in those years and people were wondering if they can ever win a big series.  In the 1979-1980 season, they only had 91 points, but won the Stanley Cup that year.  All it took was a change in culture (or in this case, hair growth on the jaw line) and when a few players grew their beards, the Islanders won Stanley Cup after Stanley Cup for 4 seasons.

Motivation

By growing their playoff beards, the Islanders players look at Ken Morrow and others that when the playoff beard is growing, it starts to get serious.  This gave the Islanders an incentive to play harder each game and series so they want to see their own players grow their beards until they touch the Stanley Cup.

Legacy

After the Islanders dynasty ended, teams were trying to do their own traditions: The Winnipeg Jets did the whiteout, teams didn’t touch the conference trophies, playoff mullets, mohawks, you name it.  All these superstitions gave belief that one day, they can touch the Stanley Cup. Not only the playoff beards spread the NHL, it has spread to other sports leagues believing by growing their playoff beard, they have a shot at a title.  Fortunately for the New York Islanders, they won 4 straight and 19 straight playoff series, which will never be accomplish again in our lifetime in any sport.

Community

The New York Islanders sole purpose of growing the beard was winning the Stanley Cup and have achieve that, but the playoff beard had a life on its own.  Teams and the NHL itself, encourage players and fans to grow their beards to not only support their team, but do it for a real cause.  A few years ago, the NHL started a Beard-A-Thon for fans to grow their beards during the playoffs and to donate money to various charities.  In 2010, the Beard-a-Thon raised over $300,000 to the NHL team charities.

If it weren’t for the playoff beards, would we talk about the New York Islanders being a dynasty in the early 1980s?  We would never know and gladly don’t have to because the playoff beard change history and fate for the Islanders and for that: Thank you, New York Islanders.

If I Was Running A Company…Onboarding

Onboarding is simple: New employee comes in, learns the company and the system, and co-workers feel comfortable.  There are some who hate the process because 1) they don’t want to stay with the company that long, 2) they want to work, not learn the company and 3) they really hate the process overall.

There is the rare exception where onboarding can be a good thing. The video below might not be a classic employer video, but this video encourages me to join with the team (and if that doesn’t work out, I’ll buy season tickets if I have the money):

(The good part begins at 1:15)

Now, who wants to join this organization?  I DO!  By the way, about Dan Gilbert…

If I Was Running A Company…The Unemployed

There has been a lot of talk about an article The Huffington Post did on companies bypassing people who are unemployed because they been out in the workforce for a long time.  I’ve read numerous blogs after the story went out and I had three conclusions.  One conclusion is I’m not shock by the result.  It’s the “recency effect” bias we all have.  It is not about what you’ve done, but what can you do for me.

The second conclusion is in this still rough economy, companies do not want to take risks and worry any “false” move and the company is tanking.

The final conclusion is I want to talk about why people are unemployed: US!

I want to discuss three separate culprits of why people are unemployed for this long: the job seeker, the recruiter, and the hiring manager.

To the Job Seeker:

I know you have been looking for work for a long time, but you have to know the rules of the game.  Your resume has to be at most two pages with no grammatical errors, no falsifications, and it’s simple, neat, and focus on the position you apply for AND matches the organization’s vision.  This possibly could be 3-5 different resumes you have to do. Get a nice suit and tie at a thrift store for interviews and remember to clean up (the suit and yourself).  Prepare yourself by going to internet and research companies and people and discuss what they like to prepare for networking or an interview.  Check your posture and make eye (or head contact) to the interviewer.  Remember: play by their rules.

If you been unemployed for so long, there are different avenues you can take: go to a temp agency to regain your skills; volunteer; network to conventional and unconventional areas, and/or blog about your experience and problem solve.  If you’re social profile is professional, put it on your resume; it’s the recruiter’s version of Easter Egg Codes.  Be open of why there is a gap in your employment history but don’t sit around hoping for a job…FORCE THE ISSUE ON THE EMPLOYER TO BE CONSIDERED (but not too much that could annoy the recruiter)!

If you still don’t have a job, it is likely someone was either a more qualified candidate or a better fit with the company. That does not mean failure, it means you have polish your skills and play the game wisely.

To the Recruiter:

You are there to find, source, and scout talent.  Technology is a helpful tool, but it is not the answer to find candidates.  At times, you have to read the resumes yourself since some can tell great stories of what the company needs, which technology can’t do.  Keywords only tell part of the story. You have to find the whole story which could be satisfying or not.  Also, you are the extension of the company brand.  Not only you have to tell the job seekers about the company, but you tell why you join this company you are recruiting for.  If your answer is money…you lost a chunk of the talent pool.  Finally, another part of your job that no one thinks about is if the applicant and hiring manager mesh.  It was you that forward the resume to the hiring manager.  You have a bit part on the selection process. Make sure all sides are comfortable before the hiring manager makes the selection.

Although you are a recruiter, it doesn’t mean you just recruit for your own company. You can provide guidance to job seekers of where they should apply and who do you know in that company. Any bit of help will encourage the job search.

To the Hiring Manager:

I know you have a lot on your plate, but there is much more than skill to fill the position.  You would like to prefer someone who has continuously done it than someone who has been in the job market for a long time.  Look beyond the resume and talk, listen to the tone and body language to see if they want to be there.  There are some that you want to play it safe, but there are some that would be daring.  The only question is can you trust the daring?  This is the most important attribute if the working relationship work: chemistry and it must start in the beginning.

I would also like to add there’s no candidate that is perfect from the start date. If you expect a perfect candidate walking down your company, you are sadly mistaken.  It is up to you that you can handle talent and develop the employee to where he/she would be at.

Just think of the job show like a variety game show: if you impress the three main people (including yourself), you’re in the mix. If either of three was not impress of your interview, you’re likely out of the running. A job search will have a winner and a bunch of losers, but remember this: the hiring process is subjective. You might be viewed as not a good fit for one company, but viewed by another company as the right personality and right for the employer. Everyone has their favorite flavor; just hope you’re the one selected.

Good Luck.

If I Was Running A Company…John Wooden

It is sad that John Wooden passed away before hitting 100.  The basketball and business world will miss him.  I can talk about his contributions in basketball, including being the first to go to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach. However, his success was well beyond the basketball court.

On top of this post is John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success and the statement that defines the Pyramid of Success.  It was a leadership tool of where you at within and the people you are surround either by family, friends, or co-workers.  What I’m amazed with Wooden is not the result, but how he got the result.

In the sports and business world, organizations are worried about the bottom line.  If you win, you stay, if you lose, your job is on the line.  John Wooden never thought about the wins and losses.  What Wooden wanted his players and coaches to focus on the process of getting better.  Wooden’s philosophy is if you thinking about winning or losing, you’re never going to get better.  Wooden wanted to start on the fundamentals first, then work your way up.  When the fundamentals are set, then focus on the little things that can yield to the big picture.  This is what we’re missing in business: people focusing too much on the result and not enough on the process.

Why do you think John Wooden was successful all throughout life?  He wanted to teach and hope his players/employees execute and teach their people to be leaders.  What John Wooden miss was not the fame, money, or the championships, but the practices to see if the players got better everyday.  Too bad the business world is results-driven.  If organizations enjoy the process of being a business, I do not know how many successful organizations we have in this world.  This is why businesses can’t succeed because of raw talent, they need to learn the process of being an all-around business person.  Skill is very important (as it is the heart of the pyramid), but, you must have the mental and physical abilities before heading up to the middle row.

When you head back to work on Monday, think about where you and your organization is heading.  Do not think about the result, think about the process.  If you’re at a dead-end, then find another route (basically another job or a different staff). If there’s light through a dark area, figure out what needs to be done.  One bad thing should be view as an obstacle, not the nail in the coffin.  There are many routes to choose from, but it’s ultimately you and your organization’s decision to choose what path you head.

What John Wooden wants us to think that the championships, accolades, and fortune are great, it’s the journey, the marathon, the contest, and the process that made him live and work for a long time.  If you enjoy the journey, you will reap life/career’s rewards, however it is shaped.

R.I.P Wizard of Westwood.