If I Were Running A Company…HR Question of the Week

It’s graduation time. What do you look for in a graduating student?

If I Were Running A Company…Favoritism

There was a thought-provoking article in the New York Times about how social networks drive black unemployment. The article states the hidden force for high black unemployment  is their family and friends, where most do not hold a corporate job. I can’t speak about the research since it deals with blacks and caucasians, but I’m going further and saying favoritism is a problem not only among race, but in our networks.

The reason people say networking is the best way to get a job because you would  know someone and try to get the best first impression so they would consider you for a job in their organization. That might be fine, but if you’re in recruiting, you are trying to find the best candidates first and then the best candidate(s) that fit in the organization that is currently structured. To find the best, you have to use every resource you have.

In research, it used to be the source of hire is in newspapers. Now, it is internal hires and referrals as the top source of hires. You understand why; people within their company or their networks know the position opening in and out. The problem is do you want to keep it as it is or are you hiring to make the organization better? Actually, you should not be asking that. What you should be asking when hiring someone is what is the climate at your office? If your organization is stable and the numbers back it up, you continue to find or promote workers to keep the machine going. Anything less than that, you have to find the person that can change so your organization is stable.

After you ask that question and if the organization’s climate is unsatisfactory, then find the best person to change that. The easy route is going to your networks to help find who you are looking for. In reality, your networks is your lowest potential reach. If you want to reach to a bigger pool of candidates, go to your social networks, go to your local and regional associations, go post a job at a job board, or any outlet that brings a quality pool of candidates.

The best example is the Rooney Rule in the NFL. Everyone assumes the Rooney Rule, was to give minorities a chance to interview. In almost all these cases, head coaches and general managers are hired because they know someone. In 2007, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who the Rooneys have owned since its inception and what the rule is named after, were looking for a head coach after Bill Cowher retired. They had someone in waiting with then offensive coordinator, Ken Whisenhunt. Instead, they hired from someone outside their circles and picked Mike Tomlin. Ken Whisenhunt then became coach of the Arizona Cardinals that same year. The following year, the Steelers and Cardinals met in Super Bowl 43, where the Tomlin-coached Steelers defeated the Whisenhunt-coached Cardinals.

We can all say we’re looking for the best, but in some cases, our best is limited to a few blocks. There are biases like race, industry, class, location, and others that affects hiring, but to really find the best, you have to open your mind and be open to every consideration out there. If not, the best will walk away without you knowing it.

If I Were Running A Company…Revisiting Mobile

There has been a lot of talk about mobile recruiting and the need for companies to adapt to mobile to reach to a wider audience. There is no debate that mobile is the key in the future not only in recruiting, but in business. The debate is how are we using mobile.

Employers, including big companies, are slow to react to mobile, which is expected. What I’m having trouble with mobile recruiting is we’re essentially shifting how we job search on our desktops and laptops to our smartphones and tablets. That’s fine et al, but isn’t mobile suppose to go beyond what we do in recruiting?

What mobile can do is make the application process easier so applicants can apply with one click/tap of the button. However, what happens after that? Some suggest to post a recruitment video or cleaning up to make an attractive career site. Here’s one thing that’s missing: where’s the two-way conversation in mobile?

You can transition from the computer to mobile, but if you don’t have someone behind mobile to handle the requests, it is the job board: redux. There are apps that handle that like JobScience and beamMe, but what applicants want to do is 1) apply and 2) follow-up with a representative to see if they’re a good fit. If laptops or desktops didn’t help on that, I don’t think mobile will solve that as well unless we force the issue.

We can have all the bells and whistles in mobile, but if you don’t have the people who can engage with applicants, mobile serves as another  route to the black hole in the application process.

If I Were Running A Company…Big Data (Again)

I have been going back and forth on big data. There has been tons of blog posts about big data, including from my marketing and HR friends and one thing is clear: big data is here to stay.

With the “big bang” of big data; companies, government, institutions and others will use data to look at patterns of our behavior like what route we took and how fast we’re going, credit card payments, how much people drink at your restaurant, basically recording everyday life. This gives organizations data on how to market individuals and groups to retain their business.

Another great thing about big data is it can discover new things. As you see the video above, big data can discover your DNA sequencing and help third world countries discover areas to get water and clothing no one realize it exists.

On the down side, people who are on big data, are focusing too much on patterns. Big data assumes people will keep doing the same thing and “gaming” our emotions. Another down side is big data is focusing on others, but not themselves. Instead of focusing on their craft, some use to optimize their audience/customer reaction.

My verdict on big data is it depends on how we use data. If you use data for long-term effects, big data becomes very useful and the data becomes satisfying. If you use data for short-term gain like making a profit or capture an emotion, you lose track of who you are.

We made clear big data is here to stay. Here’s another thing that is clear but no one realizes: not one pattern stays forever. Eventually, someone or something will break the pattern. It is up to us of what we’re going to do.

If I Were Running A Company…eHarmony Job Matching

This past year, eHarmony announce they will open up a new job matching service in June to help find job seekers the right people in their field. The following is an exclusive sample questionnaire on what to expect in the new eHarmony job matching service:

1. If you decided to go to work in the morning, what will be your first stop?
A. Breakfast
B. Bathroom
C. Coffee shop
D. Office

2. When at work, how much personal space do you need?
A. I don’t have a great need of “personal space.” I like lots of together time.
B. I find my time spent working is enough personal time, the rest I like to spend with my co-worker.
C. As long as I can get one night a week to myself, my personal space needs are met.
D. When I’m with my co-worker I’m completely there, but I do need considerable time for personal reflection.
E. Screw the co-workers, I want to telecommute.

3. If you had to characterize the end of most of your working relationships, they would be described as:
A. Pleasant as breaking up can be, with both sides feeling it was the best decision
B. Sad, with one co-worker being hurt and feeling betrayed
C. Very dramatic, with lots of hurtful accusations
D. Angry, with lots of feelings of disappointment

4. What you like to do after work?
A. Happy hour
B. Go home
C. Go volunteer to a local charity
D. Get dinner at a restaurant
E. Go to an event

5. How do you like your workplace?
A. Laissez-Faire
B. Exotic
C. Utopia
D. Uptight
E. Dictatorship

6. Where is your dream workplace?
A. In the city
B. At a farm
C. At a beach
D. In the forest
E. At the mountains
F. At sea
G. Suburbia

7. If you have one dish to serve to your co-workers, what would it be?
A. Pizza
B. Deli Sandwiches
C. Burgers
D. Donuts
E. Fruits and Vegetables
F. Bacon
G. Ice Cream

8. Which of the following things would you rather have lots of?
A. Respect
B. Money
C. Fame
D. Power
E. Laughter

9. If you have a bad day, what would your co-worker prefer to do?
A. Take you to lunch
B. Forward a funny video from YouTube
C. Talk with you about the day
D. Go dancing
E. Have a beer
F. Leave you alone

10. How do you like it?
A. On top
B. Second floor
C. Window view
D. No cubicles, only bean bag chairs
E. Open doors

11. If you have one musician to air at your workplace, what would it be?
A. Nickelback
B. Extreme
C. Jonas Brothers
D. Limp Bizkit
E. Chris Brown

12. What’s your preferred mode of transportation?
A. Car
B. Bike
C. Subway/Train
D. Airplane
E. Walking

13. Describe your perfect workplace?

14. Describe your ideal co-worker?

15. Describe your working style?

16. If you follow anyone’s career, who would it be and why?

17. Are you lucky and why?

18. If you have three wishes, what would it be and why?

19. For one day if you have no rules, no penalties, no consequences, and no costs, how would you use the day?

20. What do you find attractive?

21. In negotiations, what would you accept and what you wouldn’t compromise?

22. What do you really want to do?

If I Were Running A Company…Crashing The Party

I read a blog post on a blogger who is trying to get free food at think tank events. The person doesn’t reveal the name except “Panel Crasher.” The person was recently was let go from a  nonprofit and is going to graduate school in the fall. The person is using the blog in three ways:

1. To network to find an opportunity in the short-term.
2. The D.C. panel subculture.
3. Which think tanks have the best spread.

The “Panel Crasher” reminds me the one time I crashed a panel session. It was in 2010 when SHRM was holding their Leadership Conference in Crystal City. A day before, I had a conversation with Matthew Stollak over on Twitter that I wanted to attend the social media panel (which was a hot topic back then among HR professionals). Matthew said I can come by for the session.

The next day, I went to the hotel and went to the back entrances. I used to work at Crystal City, so I know the ins and outs of the place. I went to the social media panel and one of the SHRM reps asked me why you’re here. I told them I was invited by Matthew. we went around a few more times and then she backed away and I got to hear the session.

Would I want you to crash the party every time? No, that takes time and planning, but then again, you can mention that in your Linkedin profile under “skills.” I want you to be selective of who and where to go. Here are tips to properly crash the party:

1. Ask someone: Ask someone who is attending a session you want to attend and ask for an invite. They will let you in, but don’t cause a scene.

2. Check the attendee list: do not use the attendee list to steal someone’s identity. Look at the attendee list, see who is attending. If they can’t make the event, ask them to take their spot. Their contact info, if made public, is on Eventbrite or you could do a hard search.

3. Have a plan: Don’t crash the party for food or something else. If you want to crash, there has to be a reason. Look at relevant events, then look at who’s attending the events and their title at the organization. Talk to the people you want, then leave.

4. Happy Hour: Crashing the party is a hassle, go to a bar or restaurant. after the event, people go to bars and restaurants to take a load off. Talk to them before they start “unloading.”

Your economic situation might not be good, but you need to use the proper resources to get what you want. Don’t crash the party for the food or the people; crash it for the experience and the follow-up.

If I Were Running A Company…Information Interviews

On last week’s post, I tackled that open houses is the best recruitment tool companies should be utilizing. The most underutilized tool out there that our profession should use more is information interviews.

Information interviews are similar to open houses except the applicant makes the first move and wants to visit your workplace to learn about the organization, the positions available, and the industry. 

I personally like doing information interviews because it’s where I’m more honest and blunt about my job, the organization, and the industry to give the interview an image and direction on what to expect. I am also creating a talent pipeline so when a position pops up, I can check if the person has the skills or if they have develop those skills in time.

The  big downside to information interviews is timing. Recruiters (or hiring managers) are very busy trying to find their people and don’t have enough time to chat. In addition, recruiters will ask what is so valuable to have this interview on their time. Personally, the best time for an interview is around lunch time so you can have a half-hour to an hour alone with the recruiter/hiring manager. Don’t be afraid to ask. The worst case scenario is they decline your request and you move on.

If open houses are like broadway plays, information interviews are the radio/podcasts of the job. Information interviews are supposed to be personal and honest and that is how recruiting should work, not a sales pitch.

If I Were Running A Company…Abolishing the Job Description

There has been a lot of talk recently about job descriptions and almost all of them are not favorable. You can read the sample of the hatred job descriptions here and here.

I agree with most of the blog posts that job descriptions are long, restricted, and don’t describe the realities of the job. Sometimes it’s a pain to read these job descriptions and to be fair, I’m guilty of it myself.

What I don’t agree with is the “job description 2.0″ is the next best thing. Yes, everything is going mobile, video, and big data, but does that really tell about the job? If the company is purely telecommuting, then yes. However, most of the jobs out there have you commuting to a physical building. Video and mobile only works if the person does not have the time going to the place. Although video and mobile job descriptions are the next step, it can be still manipulated because the organization still controls the content on what you are seeing.

So what to do with job descriptions? Let’s admit what job descriptions are: minimal requirements for the job. They are not supposed to give a realistic view of the job because people interpret job descriptions differently. It’s a low barrier entry so it can attract “qualified” candidates. That is why it is important you go above and beyond on your resume/Linkedin profile and cover letter to get the recruiter/hiring manager’s attention and I don’t mean pictures or fancy fonts.

So what is the best method to build a job description? Two words: Open House!

Open house covers so many things about recruiting: meeting face-to-face with potential employees, going to their offices and see the inter-workings of the company and your department, you have a list of people who attend the event and can source them, and prospects can ask questions about the job and the company on the spot.

Before graduating college, I attended an open house for NPR for an HR internship in the summer. I did meet with recruiters at my college job fair, but going to their building and see their operations that made me think, “Yeah, I want to work here.” A few months later, I got the internship.

The downside of an open house is it takes time and effort to execute it. My recommendation is doing it 3-4 times a year. If you have a single office shared by other companies in the building, collaborate with them to have a building open house so people can visit other companies in that building.

Should job descriptions need to be abolished? No. Think of job descriptions as a form of media. Movies and televisions are supposed to entertain at your own home or local movie theatres. That is what most job descriptions are: attract you to apply. If you want a realistic job description, go take the stage and see the craftsmanship of the work first hand. That is the best job description.

If I Were Running A Company…Privacy

Last week, I read two article on recruiting and internet privacy from two prominent bloggers: Laurie Ruettimann and Glen Cathey. I share those stories on my feed and one in particular replied to a friend and I about their former employer:

@stephaniekays @tracytran my old employer utilizes probably 6 upgraded “fake” LinkedIn accounts for employees to use.

— Malnurtured Snay (@MalnurturedSnay) March 18, 2013

Here’s my view of privacy: you do whatever you want. If you want to make yourself public, go ahead. If you want to be private and only keep track with friends and family, that’s fine. You set your privacy settings; but then again you have Facebook and Google collecting your data, so you’re screwed unless you never went to the internet.

In my case, I had to be public because there are many Tracy Trans out there, including porn stars (yes, I did search my name before I started this social media thing), so I have to set apart from the rest because I don’t want people be confused as a person who has boobs, but in reality, is really a boob.

The problem with searching people on the internet is how companies and employees search for people. As seen above, if companies are creating “fake” profiles to source people, what are they actually achieving? Are they trying to find dirt? The point of social media is close the communications gap so you have something to talk about on the phone or face-to-face. Having “fake profiles” won’t solve the answer.

To refresh what my profession does:

• We review the applicant’s information
• We source candidates to bring the quality pool up
• If we’re intrigued by the applicant based on the information they give, we shoot an email or make a phone call
• After the initial interviews, it goes to the hiring manager and the recruiter then becomes the advisor

Simply put, the recruiter is a scout for the organization. Great recruiters care about information and potential, and use restraint. Ordinary recruiters will try everything to find a red flag and find every flaw to put you down a notch instead of finding people and help them develop.

So we have no idea who is a real recruiter or not. The only way to determine if they’re a real recruiter is if they connect to you by phone, email, or social media. Real recruiters will connect. We’re kingmakers, not pawns.

If I Were Running A Company…Mainstream

I have never been to the SXSW Festival in Austin. I want to go SXSW Festival for the tech and music scenes, plus to see Whole Foods headquarters and migas tacos. Every year, I want to come to SXSW for the experience, but at the same time, I don’t want to go because of that experience.

I’ve been hearing the past few years from friends that the once hip SXSW is getting bigger and corporate. Some say they don’t want to attend again and some would want to go to a “real” tech conference like XOXO in Portland, Oregon. Welcome to the concept of mainstream.

Going mainstream is not a bad thing: bigger crowds, bigger acts, bigger profits, better sponsors. The biggest issue of going mainstream and the most important: losing the community and its voice.  Nearly every event created starts with a community, which is mostly one sector, and they have the voice of what is on the agenda. However, the bigger the event, sponsors have more control on the agenda and a diverse audience, which might be good, but can dilute the core community. How to solve this problem?

The best solution is collaboration between attendees and sponsors. Veteran attendees need to educate new and “out-of-circle” attendees of how to be part of the community in the conference, while sponsors can support with resources and support.

Lost in the hoopla is conferences need to promote individualism instead of ideas, next big things, and corporate branding. What attracts people is the personalities behind the products and ideas, not the other way around. Conferences want us to find the next big thing, but that’s terrible thinking. You want individuals to find each other to discuss ideas, debate, and collaborate. Everything has a shelf life, but individuals last longer because we can adjust; products and ideas cannot.

Mainstream is fine, but it is how the conference setup is key. If you focus on community and individuals, your conference will continue to be a hit, no matter the size. If you focus on branding and profit, you lost your core. You don’t want to lose your identity coming out of the conference.