Effective Performance Management

I’m often asked by HR professionals in my workshops, “how do I get my managers to actually MANAGE employee performance?”  I usually probe and ask some questions, and usually the kinds of answers I get are: “our managers just avoid issues…”, “they’re so busy doing email and going to meetings that they just ‘let things go’ with employees until situations get so bad…”, “our supervisors just don’t seem to ‘get’ that we can’t just fire employees without doing our due diligence.”

I could go on here…the essence of the complaints from HR professionals is that managers just seem to be too busy to do good performance management.  The question I have is, “what the heck are they workin’ on???”  Supervisors and managers are leaders, which means the majority of the time they need to be leading. However, many supervisors and managers are sort of “working” managers in that they have to-do lists a mile long, filled with tasks, of which very few of those tasks have much to do with managing employee performance.  Well, now there’s the problem.  If the to-do lists are filled up with a ton of tasks–who’s actually managing employee performance and leading the troops?  News flash–no one is.

So, in order for leaders to be effective in managing performance they first need to have the infrastructure. What I mean by infrastructure is that a performance management system must first be in place.  A system begins with accurate, up-to-date job descriptions, interview guides that include competency-based and behavior-based interview questions, and a performance review process that has aligning competencies and behavioral anchors, and clear performance objectives and standards.   Additionally, a good comp and benefits structure must be present, career development and advancement, mentoring, training and development in both technical and soft skills, and a solid one-on-one coaching and feedback process.  A one-on-one process means that monthly, each supervisor meets with his/her respective direct reports for a one-hour, 1:1 face time session–without fail.  For employees managed remotely, this is done via Skype or simply a conference call.  Nonetheless, it is a regular vehicle in which both the leader and direct reports rely on for consistent, two-way communication.  The benefits of the 1:1 sessions are enormous, but more importantly it provides a level of accountability.

In the event employee performance simply doesn’t improve, the next step is moving into a documented performance improvement plan, called a PIP, which is a roadmap to performance improvement.  However, the PIP is only as good as the effort the leader puts into it to help get the employee performance back on track.  Beyond the PIP is progressive discipline and ultimately termination.  All of these steps are part of the backbone–or infrastructure of a performance management system.  Often, HR points the finger at leadership because performance isn’t managed.  Yet, HR has failed to provide adequate resources, or a backbone system, for leaders to operate within.  In other words, if they don’t have the right coaching and training skills (via a leadership training program) and they haven’t been taught how to evalate performance, coach and give feedback–or even document a disciplinary warning…whose fault is that?  HR must own the infrastructure and ensure the leaders are trained properly and also coached in how to use the process.

For additional questions, drop me a line at natalie@rpchr.com

Until next time…

Natalie.

FMLA Abuse: How to spot it and how to control it

Since 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act has provided 12 weeks of unpaid leave for employees with a serious health condition or who have a spouse or immediate family member with a serious health condition.     So, what is considered “serious”?  According to the Department of Labor, a serious condition is defined as a condition that would require an employee to be absent from work for 3 consecutive days, see a health care provider within those 3 days, have to go back to the doc within 7 days for additional follow-up, and then have either ongoing treatment beyond that or have to go back to the doc within 30 days.   However, here is where it gets tricky… The “ongoing” treatment part.  For many employees, the use (or abuse) of Family and Medical Leave (FML) has become commonplace.  As an example, many employees call in “FMLA” if they’re going to be late for work, which might indicate that something involving their serious health condition is causing them to be late for work…  In actuality, it isn’t the serious health condition that’s causing the tardiness, but rather too many hits to the snooze button…  Instead of receiving a disciplinary warning, these types of employees have learned how to play the system so they can come/go as they please without repercussions.  For many managers, they fear challenging the employee on the tardiness or absences for fear of stepping on legal landmines.  Not good…

Right now we’re in one of the toughest economic climates the U.S. has ever seen, short of The Great Depression.  For many businesses, particularly smaller employers, the need for increased productivity and efficiency is critical.  Yet, when employers are experiencing rampant abuse of family and medical leave–and not holding employees accountable–it’s the same as being overcharged by suppliers.  So, why don’t more employers clamp down on the abuse?  The answer:  because they don’t know how.

Here are a few tips to get you started on curbing FMLA Abuse:

1.  Perform an audit on all FML granted within the past year, or whatever is an appropriate time-frame for your business.

2.  Identify patterns.  When do employees call in?  Are they giving adequate notice before the start of their shifts?  Are there patterns with “FMLA days”??? Mondays and Fridays or in conjunction with off days?

3.  Review your FMLA company policy regarding using paid time off.  If you do not require employees to use their sick/vac/PTO concurrently with FMLA–change your policy.  This one change, alone, will improve your productivity.

4.  Change your policy to prohibit moonlighting.  For some employers, FMLA abuse happens when employees wish to take time off from the primary employer in order to secure other employment, temporarily.  In one instance, an employee with an accounting/tax background took about 8 weeks of FMLA during tax season…   She used the company’s salary continuation benefits to receive full pay for the first 4 weeks, then took a week of paid vacation, and then 3 weeks unpaid.  However she earned far more $$ doing taxes, so she made out like a bandit.  So, prohibit moonlighting in your policy and if you catch employees moonlighting, terminate them immediately.

5.  After auditing your FMLA cases you find some abuses, confront the employees to let them know you will be closely monitoring all FML, going forward.  And, indicate that you will be doing a lot more follow-up with physicians, etc. and hold employees accountable.  In the event fraud is detected, indicate that you will terminate or even prosecute for fraud.  When employees know there will be consequences for committing fraud, the behavior will change immediately.

If you would like more information about curbing FMLA abuse, just drop me a line or give me a call.

Enjoy!

Natalie Ivey

Natalie Ivey, MBA, SPHR is the principal with Results Performance Consulting, Inc. a firm based in Boca Raton, Florida that provides HR management consulting and professional development training.

Management Training — How do I convince the boss we need it?

I’m often asked by HR professionals, “How do I convince my boss that we need management training?”  The first problem is that many HR professionals, who recognize that training is needed, are not the strongest or most influential members in the organization.  Therefore, the place to start is gaining the power to influence the change.  How do you do it?  By gathering facts.  You must first analyze what’s going on that tells you, “we need management training!”
Some examples are:

How many employee complaints about supervisors and managers are you getting into HR or Employee Relations?

Are you seeing more complaints of unfairness, favortism, harassment, discrimination, hostile work environment?

What do your turnover #’s look like?  Where is your turnover coming from?

What do your metrics look like?  Are you losing customers or seeing profit decline?

Do you have managers who work a bazillion hours, are burned out, frustrated, and get irritated when employees “interrupt” them?

Are your performance appraisals a total joke?  Is the eval process simply a “check the box” paperwork exercise for managers?  Do they groan at the mere thought of having to actually evaluate employees and give them feedback?

These are just some examples that scream, “we need management training!”

Now, how to convince the boss:  Pull your facts together and quantify how much time it is taking to handle complaints, the cost involved, the potential risks of litigation from unresolved workplace conflicts, and then ask your boss, “Boss, what do you think our organization would look like if our managers were better leaders?  What if they delegated and developed employees?  What if we didn’t have a revolving door into HR because of all the employee complaints?  What if managers actually addressed issues properly and they didn’t blow up into employee relations issues that involve HR?  What if our employees had more autonomy and the managers didn’t work nearly 60 hours a week?”

When you present these questions to help the boss (decision maker for training) visualize what the organization could look like, you’re on the road to strategic planning to build a management training program.    The next step is using your leverage.  Get aligned with a senior leader who will become your champion.  If you are a more junior member of the management team, then you definitely need this senior-level support for your management training program.  He/she needs to help you present a business case to the decision maker.

Now, the issue is usually about spending money.  The boss doesn’t want to spend the money on training.  Yet, the boss may complain daily about the management team not handling X,Y,Z issues.  You can’t have it both ways.  Either you invest in building the capability of your management team by giving them what I call a “software upgrade” so they work more efficiently–or you can continue running old software that doesn’t do the job.  In our highly technical world, we totally get it that we need to upgrade the software in our systems to work more efficiently.  Yet, when it comes to professional development such as management training, so many senior leaders can’t seem to justify the “human software upgrade.”

Good Luck!

See you next time…

Natalie.

Natalie Ivey is a performance consultant, author, and professional speaker who provides contemporary leadership and employee development training.  Ms. Ivey can be reached at rpchr.com or at 561-208-6480.

The Need for Great–not just good–Company Policies regarding electronic communications

The case currently before the Supreme Court, involving a police officer who used his mobile device to “sext” his wife, girlfriend, and co-worker, is a reminder of the need for great–not just good–policies surrounding electronic communications.  We are, indeed, in the electronic age; therefore, policies that were effective six months ago–may now be outdated.  What does this mean for U.S. employers and HR professionals?  It means you need to take out your current policies regarding employee use of computers, email, the Internet,…dust em off, and identify whether or not your policies cover use of mobile devices, posting of information on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc., clarifies specifically what KINDS of mobile devices your people are using and what behavior is prohibited, and addresses use of social media and impacts to the organization…  The key here is ensuring that employees clearly understand that the equipment being issued to them is (1) owned by the company, (2) the equipment and messages and recordings sent and received electronically will be monitored, and (3) they have no reasonable expectation of privacy.   Also, that they have clear instructions regarding their use of social media, too.   I bring this up in this blog because of the what-ifs here… What if an employee made allegations that her supervisor is a “sexual harasser” and “predator” of his direct reports and posted it on her wall on Facebook??  Is that behavior covered in your policy–or not??

In the case currently before the Supreme Court, the officer’s immediate supervisor somewhat “trumped” the City of Ontario’s company policy by allowing personal use of the company-owned equipment–provided the officers paid for text message overage charges.   The question I have is this:  What if we had a supervisor who told one of his employees, “Fred, I know we have a policy regarding anti-harassment and all…but I want you to go over and put this Playboy magazine on Henry’s desk.  Since we know he’s gay, I’m sure he’ll find this hysterical…”  Eeeek, you say??  Of course you do, because anyone with a lick of sense would know that this supervisor is “stuck on stupid.”

We certainly wouldn’t tolerate a supervisor “trumping” the company’s anti-harassment policy and we would certainly hold him accountable for his actions.   So, I wonder how this current privacy case involving electronic communications will turn out.  What if the Supreme Court rules that the supervisor’s actions–in superceding city (company) policy–legitimately created a reasonable expectation of privacy for the officer?  What kind of Pandora’s box will we have opened??  I wonder if the ruling will then suddenly open the floodgates for other employment law cases in which a supervisor can create some sort of “safe harbor” for an employee, thus somewhat nullifying the policies we have in place?  I don’t profess to be a labor and employment law attorney, but I do pay attention to these kinds of cases.

When I saw the ADAAA enacted last year, I immediately knew Pandora’s box had been opened…  As I suspected, in a year and a half we now have many, many more employees claiming to have a disability in order to seek accommodations, or what I call “special deals” in the workplace… I’m not begrudging folks who legitimately have disabilities , migraine headaches or other issues that may qualify them as being disabled, but what I am saying is that rulings in these kinds of high profile cases often have severe ripple effects for American employers.   Let’s stay tuned to see how this turns out…in the meantime, go get your company policies, review them, and have a pow-wow with your legal counsel–pronto! :O)

See ya’ next time…

Natalie Ivey

Natalie Ivey, MBA, SPHR, is President of Results Performance Consulting, Inc. and is a professional speaker and writer with expertise in HR management and development and employee relations.

Do you need a Career Coach?

The answer to that question is–it depends.  Are you an HR professional with a ton of experience in recruitment, interviewing, salary negotiation and looking for ajob in HR?  Chances are–you don’t need a coach–you’ve already got it covered with your own skill set.  However, if you are a professional who seems “stuck” in your career or you recently experienced job loss–the answer is:  yes.

Let me first explain the differences between a Career Coach, a Career Counselor, and a Career Consultant.

A Career Counselor typically works in more academic environments, has a background in psychology and usually at least a Master’s degree.  Also, a counselor has the ability to administer a number of different assessments to determine aptitude for different occupations.  Most job seekers in transition will not find this beneficial, as needs may be more immediate to secure employment.

A Career Coach approaches working with someone from more of an emotional perspective, helping individuals overcome the devastation of job loss or to work through destructive behaviors that are preventing them from moving their lives forward.  Coaches–who are true professionals–have been certified by ICF, the International Coaching Federation or other certifying agencies.  A Career Coach will often work with an individual for 6 months to a year to assist with a transition.  However, many career coaches are not professional writers–which means they do not have the skills to write a professional resume that will get the phone to ring…

A Career Management Consultant usually works with an individual on a short-term basis to navigate him/her toward employment–much more quickly.  As a Career Consultant, I am a professional writer and senior-level HR professional with expertise in resume writing and professional development training.   During the initial consultation, I always assess whether or not an individual is in need of more in-depth coaching.  If so, I refer them to one of my colleagues who is an executive coach so they can work through what are often “jumbled thoughts” about their career direction.   As a Career Consultant, a typical client engagement is less than three months.  The reason?  Career Consultants work with individuals who have a clearer understanding of their job search objective, time frame, and have specific industries in mind.  Consultants do help individuals with career transition to other occupations and industries, too, however it is a faster process for career transition.  In using myself as the example, I’ve worked in leadership and HR for over 20 years, and I have the unique skill set to quickly assess someone’s skills, behavioral competencies, and identify other occupations and industries they may be suitable for.

To learn more about working with a Career Coach, Counselor, or a Career Consultant–give me a call.  I’ll be happy to help!

Until next time!

Natalie Ivey

Natalie Ivey is the founder of Results Performance Consulting, Inc., a firm that helps individuals and organizations through Career and HR management consulting and professional development training.  www.rpchr.com

Current job market is game of “Musical Chairs” for senior-level talent

Recently, I was talking with a friend of mine about the current state of the job market in the U.S.  My friend is an executive with a pharmaceutical company and her comment to me was, “Nat, the bodies are dropping everywhere.”  Meaning, that after several mergers with other companies, more senior-level leaders and professionals are being given their severance packages and told, “Thanks, it’s been great…but there’s the door…you’re no longer needed.”

In talking with her, it got me thinking that the current state of the economy is a bit like the child’s game, “Musical Chairs.”  “Around and around, round we go, where it stops, nobody knows.”   When the music stops, someone is going to be without a chair to sit in–or have a job.   Well, here we are in January 2010 in the largest game of Musical Chairs we’ve ever seen.   Companies have to make strategic decisions to cut their labor expenses, streamline operations, and work more efficiently.  Understandable, but these strategic decisions are shifting a lot of leadership talent to the unemployment lines and into long periods of unemployment.

I’m seeing more senior-level, very talented people experience extremely long periods of unemployment.  Why?  I’m actually investigating that right now, but anecdotally I think it’s a few key things:

1.  Lack of skills in how to “fish” for a new job, externally. I think for many senior-level leaders/professionals, they’ve been entrenched in particular occupations or industries for so long that they’ve never had to go look for a job because they’ve always had one.    For many, they’ve always been promoted internally for new opportunities, or back in the good ‘ole days, a headhunter sought them out.   In essence, these professionals have never “learned how to fish” to find a job externally.  As an example, a client of mine had worked at a VP level in banking for over 25 years.  Upon receiving the news he was losing his job because the bank was closing, his response was,”What do I do now?”  He lacked job searching skills, as his only thought process about finding a job was the Sunday classifieds or going to CareerBuilder.  He had no knowledge of social media–at all.   After being unemployed for eight months, he finally came to me and expressed these comments: “I have been trying to find a job.  I’ve applied for a ton of positions online.  I’ve called to follow-up, but I can’t get anyone to call me back…  It’s so frustrating.  The pressure is building, I have a mortgage to pay, I’m draining my savings and I’m about to have to tap into my 401k.  I’ve worked in banking all these years, I have a ton of leadership experience, but all anyone in HR sees is that I’ve only worked in banking/finance.  They can’t see that I have skills in successfully leading employees, working with customers, handling compliance, and that I can–and want to–adapt to a new position in a new industry.”

With that gentleman, we had to revamp his resume to showcase his true talents in leading people, managing budgets, communicating with clients, etc. to make him more portable–and attractive–to other industries.  And, we had to introduce him to LinkedIn and social media.  The other thing we had to do was work on his self-esteem.  After months of unemployment, this confident, former banking executive was beginning to feel like a failure.   His extended period of unemployment was exacerbating the problem of him landing a job, as he wasn’t coming across as confident during interviews.  So, vicious cycle had emerged continually keeping him unemployed.

2.  Lack of “sharpening the saw” with continuing education. I see a lot of senior-level people who possess great skills in what they do–but they don’t possess great skills beyond that.  What I mean by that is they’ve been complacent in managing their own careers.  Once the “music stopped” and they lost their jobs–they were suddenly thrust into a environment that requires survival skills.  Not unlike being marooned on a desert island without survival skills.  What I’m referring to when I say “sharpen the saw” is one of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits.  In this job market, the survival skills are in the form of both formal and informal education.  Informal education may be certification programs, such as earning a Lean 6 Sigma Certification, or going back to school to earn an advanced degree, or getting a degree in a new field that is emerging, such as bio-tech.

So, for senior-level leaders and professionals, who are struggling in the  job market, it’s time you reassess your situation.  You’ve got to get yourself some additional job search/career training–and you need to sharpen your saw.

Until next time…

Natalie.

HRD 2010: HR Accounting & Finance 101

As I travel around the country teaching HR continuing ed classes, I talk with a lot of business people on airplanes, shuttles, restaurants, etc.   What’s interesting is to hear what business people have to say about HR.   Well…I’m here to tell you that “it ain’t good.”   When I inquire as to why other professionals (Sales, Ops, R&D, Marketing, etc.) don’t have a high opinion of HR, these are the responses I get:
“HR doesn’t have a clue…”   “HR always says, ‘no’ to everything…”  “HR adds so much bureaucracy to our organization…it takes FOREVER to get anything done”  “HR…well I really don’t know WHAT  those ladies over in HR do, except for handle orientations and benefits stuff…” “HR never seems to ‘get it’ that we’re trying to launch a new product right now…we can’t waste time attending benefits meetings right now…”  “We all have to quantify our results…Sales does it, Operations does it, R&D does it, but HR just sort of bumbles along not really being held accountable.”  “Our HR VP doesn’t even know how to read the P&L…she’s clueless.”  “Oh..our HR people?? Please…spare me the conversation.  Those people up in HR just don’t seem to understand what we do.  The HR Director wanted to implement a new computer system for doing reviews, succession planning, and all the bells and whistles.  I’m all for that, but the damn thing was going to cost us $110,000!  We’re in full crisis mode right now trying to make payroll every month, let alone incur a capital expenditure!”

You see???  These are comments from a cross-section of business professionals that I have met on airplanes, in airport lounges/restaurants, etc. The common denominator is that HR seems disconnected, and HR’s value is simply not visible to them.  It is apparent that they “don’t get” HR and what HR does for their organizations.  Which means that HR is not doing a good enough PR campaign to promote the good things it’s doing.  And, a root cause may be that HR just isn’t aligned with the organization’s big picture goals.  In order for HR to showcase what HR has done to contribute–HR has to know how to impact the financials.  And, HR has to know how to time its initiatives and capital expenditures.

In this month’s RPC Performance Digest, I talked about the need for financial management education within the HR profession.  The reason I wrote about that this month is that I’ve encountered a significant number of professionals who truly do not know how to read a P&L or a Balance Sheet.

So, the topic for this blog is HRD 2010:  HR Accounting & Finance 101.   What this means is that senior HR leaders must partner with their training & development folks  in 2010 to build a basic accounting/finance curriculum.  The goal:  Increase HR’s knowledge of how to analyze and interpret financial statements.  My suggestion would be to give a simple test to HR professionals.  Give them a copy of the company’s current financials and ask them to answer some important questions.   Score the tests–implement new financial analysis curriculum–and then give another identical test, just using a different quarter’s financials.  The effectiveness of the training will be evident.

This past year has taught us all a lesson about how volatile business can be.  Huge organizations fell…millions lost jobs…and lending came to a screeching halt causing the worst economic meltdown we’ve seen since The Great Depression.  So, considering that HR is the group responsible for all things “people” and labor costs are among the highest expense lines on a P&L, suffice it say HR has to get smarter in this area…

Also, here is a fact:  80% of the HR profession is comprised by women.  And, most of the members of the profession have climbed up through the ranks from more administrative roles–not leadership roles or finance roles.  Therefore, a knowledge gap in analyzing and interpreting financials does indeed exist.

As I shared in this month’s RPC Digest, 20 percent of the HR professionals I interact with in classroom education (HR certification programs) indicated that they did not know how to read a company’s financials.  That means that HR doesn’t know how to read an annual report–or other financials such as a Balance Sheet or a Statement of Cash Flow.  If HR doesn’t speak the language of money and finance–how will HR ever get that seat at the table??? Answer:  it won’t.

So, HRD practitioners:  2010 is the year of Accounting and Finance curriculum for HR.  And, HR professionasl, 2010 is the year that you take ownership of your career development:  get financial knowledge!

I wish all of my readers a very joyous holiday season and a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Warmest holiday wishes,

Natalie Ivey
HRD Consultant/Principal
rpchr.com

What it takes to be a leader

When I teach leadership development workshops, I always ask a group of supervisors this question:  “Have you ever worked for a bad boss?” I always get unanimous hand raises…  Then I ask, “What are some of the things that bad bosses do?”  The responses:

they micromanage
they don’t trust their people to do the job
they’re never available and always “in a meeting”
they don’t ever tell you if you’re doing a good job
they work a bazilion hours but never get anything done
they work 24/7 sending emails on the weekend
they never ‘back us up’
they set expectations that are ‘clear as mud’ and then yell when things don’t get done right
they cave in to politics and won’t challenge up even when it’s necessary…
they don’t give us the tools/resources to do the job–but scream when job doesn’t get done

When I ask the question, “So, what are some of the things that good bosses do?”  The responses are just the opposite:

they trust us–and let us do our jobs without micromanaging

they give clear direction and set expectations
they give us the tools/resources to get the job done
they create ’stretch’ goals to challenge their people
they are assertive and challenge up when appropriate
they delegate responsibility to develop the skills of the people on the team
they give recognition and a pat on the pack when a job is well done
they’re open to feedback so they can improve

So, what does it take to be a great leader?  RESPECT.   It’s about respecting the people who work for you and caring enough about them to give them the right tools, resources, training, and clear direction of what is to be accomplished–and to reward them when they have done so.  Another way to look at being a leader is that it’s a lot like being an orchestra conductor.  To be a great conductor can’t get the orchestra working well together if you’re sitting next to the oboe player telling her how to play the oboe the way YOU used to play the it… (that’s called micromanaging, by the way…)  You have to first set clear expectations about the piece of music you want the orchestra to play, provide them with adequate resources (such as having enough horns, percussion, etc.), setting goals, such as how soon they need to have perfected the concerto, AND then recognizing them and rewarding them for their achievement in meeting your expectations.   Too often, leaders are so busy trying to play the oboe–that they completely lose sight of the rest of the orchestra.  You can’t get a group working well together if you’re focusing on one small issue at a time–commonly known as “putting out fires.”   That is also known as “reactionary leadership.”

In summary, being a great leader means you have to genuinely care about leading a group of people toward a common goal.  If you are someone who prefers to work alone, or who prefers to work on accomplishing individual goals–leadership may not be for you–and that’s okay.   Leadership is about knowing how to leverage the talents, skills, and abilities of people to accomplish common goals.

Resume : Why Doing it Yourself is Costing You

Ah, the resume.  That wonderful document that is supposed to make one look good on paper…  Well, these days trying to do it yourself is just simply an old strategy–in a new game. The job market is tight right now, meaning that there are more qualified applicants than there are jobs.  Not even ten years ago, the situation was reversed.  Employers needed applicants more than applicants needed employers…  So, that meant ten years ago you probably could’ve gotten by with a “home made” resume.  However, that is not the case in today’s economy.

A little history…over the past ten years, organizations have invested millions into their performance management systems.  Specifically, they’ve invested millions into their recruitment and selection systems.  What this means is that HR and Recruiters are using new tolls, new processes, and testing systems to ensure they get the right person in the right job–at the right time.  In talking with job seekers today, I find that many are just simply “in the dark” about the types of screening processes that are being used during the recruitment process.

For starters, unless you’re applying to small business, your resume may not even be seen at all.  Companies are now using different types of resume portal systems, somewhat like a big bucket that captures all the inbound resumes for open positions.  If your resume goes into the bucket–without you knowing how to create the resume properly–your resume will just float down to the bottom of the bucket…never to be even seen by a human.

I never said life was fair–but there is a way to even up the odds.  Get your resume written professionally.  Professional resume writers know how to design resumes for various types of submission processes.  Also, they know how to showcase your talents–far better than you do–to help you get that phone to ring.  By the way, a resume is supposed to get you interviews–not get you the job.  The resume document gets your foot in the door–if it’s a good one.  If it’s a home made document…well…let’s just say you’ve probably wasted a lot of time an effort in writing it, submitting it, and waiting for the phone to ring.

These days, you must make sure your resume showcases your portable skills.  What are those?  They are the skills you can take with you regardless of the type of industry.  An example, if you’ve worked as a manager of a hair salon for the past five years, you may make the mistake of highlighting (no pun intended) your knowledge of the salon industry.  If jobs in the salon industry are tight and you have to transition to another industry, you need to amplify your management skills.  Specifically, your people skills in leading a team of employees, providing coaching and development, training, managing performance, etc.

So, if you’re out there spending countless hours re-writing your own resume, applying for jobs, and not getting the phone to ring…you need a new strategy.    Get your resume written professionally.

Happy Job Hunting!

Natalie.

–Natalie Ivey is a Senior Professional in Human Resources and a professional resume writer, based in Boca Raton, Florida.  She can be reached at (561) 208-6480 or at natalie@rpchr.com

Networking: It’s the Key to Landing a Job!

We’ve all heard that it takes networking…but what does that really mean??  What it means is that if you’re a job seeker, you need to let EVERYONE around you know that you are looking for an opportunity.  And, you need to be specific about what you’re looking for.  Don’t just say, “Oh, I’ll take anything at this point…I just need the income.”  Well, even if you say that to your next door neighbor…how motivated is your neighbor going to be in endorsing you if he/she sees an opportunity??

Networking, face-to-face can include talking with friends, neighbors, former colleagues, your kid’s soccer coach, your personal trainer, your hairstylist, etc. about the fact that you are looking.  Here is an example of how you might mention this to someone within a business organization of which you are a member:  ”Hi Sally, it’s great to see you at this month’s meeting!  How have you been?”  And, the question will come back to you, about how you are… Say, “Actually, Sally, I’m doing okay.  Although, I’m really trying to put the word out that I’m looking for a new position.  Unfortunately, I just got laid off about two weeks ago.”  Let Sally respond and then say, “What I’m looking for, Sally, is a project management position with a telecom company, preferably a wireless carrier like an At&t, Verizon, or XYZ company.  My background is in managing projects to install new cell phone towers, and I really want another opportunity just like the one I had.”  Allow Sally to say a few words so you don’t dominate conversation…  Then say, “Sally, would you mind if I connected with you on Linkedin?”  She’ll of course say, “yes.”  Then say, “If you wouldn’t mind, I would really appreciate it if you’d think about people you know who may have a contact at XYZ company.  And, if they’re on LinkedIn, I’d like to ask you for an introduction to them.  Will that be okay?”  Again, of course it will be okay…you KNOW Sally.  And, she’ll be happy to help you with your job search.

Networking is not necessarily about just tapping into your immediate sphere of connections, it’s about who your connections know…and who they know, and so on and so on.  To make networking work for you, the first part is the hardest…admitting that you have to TELL PEOPLE YOUR’E LOOKING FOR A JOB.  Get over the grieving process within TWO WEEKS of losing your job.  That’s it!  Any more grieving after that and procrastination (like doing laundry, giving the dog a bath, shopping, etc.) will set in.  And, the more you procrastinate the longer it’s going to take you to find a job.  Before you know it, you’ll be out of a job for six months or longer.  The more time drags on, the more depressed you’ll become.

Now, if you’ve already done that and you’ve been out of work for longer than six months.  Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and plan a new strategy.  Get some help.  My firm offers services to help you, but even with the help of a career consultant–it comes down to personal motivation.  All I can do is point my clients in the right direction.  It’s up to them to execute…

So, what are you waiting for?  Get goin’!! :O)

Natalie.

Next Page »