I always liked the number 21. Legal drinking age in most places. A winning hand in Blackjack. The 21 gun salute. 21 is just an all around good number. And now 21 is being put forth as the number of hours we should have in the average work week. That’s right, 21 hours per week is enough. Actually the proposal is for no more than 1092 hours per year which works out to 21 hours per week. But if you’re willing to sacrifice and work 26 hours per week, you can get your work done in 42 weeks. If you choose this option, be sure to hydrate and take frequent breaks.
Seriously, the 21 hour proposal has been put forth by NEF, The New Economics Foundation. NEF is a London based think tank whose aim is “to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environment and social issues. We work in partnership and put people and the planet first.”
NEF claims that “a ‘normal’ working week of 21 hours could help to address a range of urgent, interlinked problems: overwork, unemployment, over-consumption, high carbon emissions, low well-being, entrenched inequalities, and the lack of time to live sustainably, to care for each other, and simply to enjoy life.”
Essentially their message is that the planet is reaching the point where we cannot afford to have people working too much and using the proceeds of that work to consume too much. Very soon there just will not be enough to go around. Already, in most places, there’s not enough work. In many places, there’s not enough room. Many people do not have enough food and are running out of water. Soon there won’t be enough clean air. (And you were worried about beer and toilet paper?)
So the answer is to downsize. Work less, live simpler and smaller, and learn to enjoy the little everyday things. Become a happy wanderer. Think of all the things you could do if you only worked 21 hours per week… (and, oh by the way, only had money for basic food, clothing and shelter.) I guess if you’re living in a hole in the ground somewhere in a third world country, half naked and starving, the 21 hour work week with three hots and a cot is looking pretty good. But, I’ve got to admit that I’m just not feeling it. I like my big house and my big cars and my big screen TVs and my big pantry filled with enough food to feed a small African country.
Do I have more than I need? Yes, absolutely and I thank God for it everyday.
I realize that it’s only by His grace (or if you don’t believe in such a thing, dumb luck) that I am not living in hole in the ground, half naked and starving. But you know what? I don’t think that the way I’m living is the reason some poor soul is living in a hole in the ground, half naked and starving. And I’m betting that if I start working 21 hours a week and get rid of all my stuff and stop consuming, the result will be more people living in holes, half naked and starving. Someone may pick up the slack and find a part time job as a result of my becoming a conscientious objector to full time employment, but I really don’t think it will solve the world’s problems.
The scary part of all this is that there are a lot of people who think that this type of radical sharing of everything is The Answer. Some will even use the Bible to support their position. They will tell you that hard-driving competitive capitalism is intrinsically evil. That it is at the root of our social, political, environmental and economic problems. That there is only so much juice in the world’s grape and everyone should have the same size straw and the same amount of time to suck. (Sorry, I can’t think of a better way to describe it.)
I can think of a better approach. Offer incentives to create “more juice” and give the juice creators bigger straws and better access to “the grape”. Let the “juice creators” work more than 21 hours a week if that’s what they choose to do. Those who opt to work less get smaller straws and more free time to suck.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Touching the Ball
When one is recovering from surgery, such as total knee replacement (TKR), one tends to watch more television than normal. One even watches commercials. (How bored am I?) The other day, one commercial actually got my attention. It’s been around a couple of years, but I usually ignore it. Perhaps you’ve seen it. It’s about a championship basketball game, presumably high school. At a critical moment near the end of the game, the ball goes out of bounds. A time out is called. A player on the team that was given possession of the ball tells his coach that he actually touched the ball before it went out of bounds. Possession should go to the other team. The player’s teammates get mad at him for speaking up, but the coach looks him in the eye and says “Good call”.
The commercial is sponsored by the Foundation for a Better Life. The foundation was created in 2001 and entirely funded by a wealthy evangelical Christian, Philip Anschutz. The messages are not overtly religious, but focus on morality and doing the right things. I’m all for it and applaud Mr. Anschutz for putting a big chunk of his considerable wealth into this program.
But, I must admit that I struggle with this particular example of honesty and sportsmanship. The referee is part of the game. If he blows the call, it’s part of the game. The blown call hurts one team and helps the other…it’s part of the game. So here’s the big question…when “the system” makes the wrong call, are we obligated to correct it? If the batter takes a 3-2 pitch in the strike zone, but the umpire calls it a ball, should the batter feel bad about it and try to change the call? Before instant replay how many bad calls were made in football? How many times did the player who benefited from the bad call know it was a bad call? Was the player wrong to benefit from the bad call?
It’s pretty clear to me that referees and umpires are part of sports and their calls, right or wrong, are part of the game. You win some and you lose some. But what about the cashier who gives you change for a $20 when you actually gave them a $10. What about the buyer who pays your full asking price and never ask questions about the merchandise? What about the promotion you get that really should have gone to someone else? Are undeserved wins offset by undeserved losses somewhere on a great cosmic scoreboard? Should we care and if so, should we try to change the score?
The reality is that most of us will tell the cashier that they gave us back too much change. Doing the right thing over an extra $10 feels better than keeping the $10 (unless you’re flat broke in which case you’re more likely to keep the $10 and deal with guilt later.)But most of us will not go out of our way to tell a prospective buyer the “warts and all” about the product. Caveat emptor is the game. And we’re not likely to push someone else ahead of us for that promotion. If the boss thinks I’m better qualified and more deserving, that’s just my good fortune.
So when do you call a foul on yourself? They say that our character is revealed by what we do when no one is watching. That may be true, but it is not complete. Our character is further revealed by what we do about a wrong even when others say it is right. When we touch the ball and no one else knows it. Someone else's call? That's your call.
The commercial is sponsored by the Foundation for a Better Life. The foundation was created in 2001 and entirely funded by a wealthy evangelical Christian, Philip Anschutz. The messages are not overtly religious, but focus on morality and doing the right things. I’m all for it and applaud Mr. Anschutz for putting a big chunk of his considerable wealth into this program.
But, I must admit that I struggle with this particular example of honesty and sportsmanship. The referee is part of the game. If he blows the call, it’s part of the game. The blown call hurts one team and helps the other…it’s part of the game. So here’s the big question…when “the system” makes the wrong call, are we obligated to correct it? If the batter takes a 3-2 pitch in the strike zone, but the umpire calls it a ball, should the batter feel bad about it and try to change the call? Before instant replay how many bad calls were made in football? How many times did the player who benefited from the bad call know it was a bad call? Was the player wrong to benefit from the bad call?
It’s pretty clear to me that referees and umpires are part of sports and their calls, right or wrong, are part of the game. You win some and you lose some. But what about the cashier who gives you change for a $20 when you actually gave them a $10. What about the buyer who pays your full asking price and never ask questions about the merchandise? What about the promotion you get that really should have gone to someone else? Are undeserved wins offset by undeserved losses somewhere on a great cosmic scoreboard? Should we care and if so, should we try to change the score?
The reality is that most of us will tell the cashier that they gave us back too much change. Doing the right thing over an extra $10 feels better than keeping the $10 (unless you’re flat broke in which case you’re more likely to keep the $10 and deal with guilt later.)But most of us will not go out of our way to tell a prospective buyer the “warts and all” about the product. Caveat emptor is the game. And we’re not likely to push someone else ahead of us for that promotion. If the boss thinks I’m better qualified and more deserving, that’s just my good fortune.
So when do you call a foul on yourself? They say that our character is revealed by what we do when no one is watching. That may be true, but it is not complete. Our character is further revealed by what we do about a wrong even when others say it is right. When we touch the ball and no one else knows it. Someone else's call? That's your call.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
2012
Well, I’m back in the saddle (sort of) after my Incredible Total Knee Replacement Adventure. I’ll not bore you with the details, but so far my TKR has been a success and I am ahead of the curve on rehab. Since I’m still taking pain meds, I figure it’s a great time to make predictions about 2012. So here are my Top 10 predictions for 2012.
Prediction Number 1:
The Packers win the Super Bowl. They will beat New England in an epic game that goes down to the wire.
Prediction Number 2:
Big trouble in the Middle East. Things will come to a head this year and the results will drive up oil prices and cripple the global economy in the second half of the year.
Prediction Number 3:
President Obama gets another term. The Republicans blow it but retain a majority in the House.
Prediction Number 4:
The U.S. economy overcomes the impact of predictions 2 & 3, limps along and fairs better than many of our global competitors.
Prediction Number 5:
More crazy weather and rising commodity prices.
Prediction Number 6:
The “Occupy Wall Street” movement grows and becomes better organized.
Prediction Number 7:
Tiger Woods does not win a major.
Prediction Number 8:
The unemployment rate drops below 8% (but then edges back up).
Prediction Number 9:
We will add over $1 trillion more to the national debt.
Prediction Number 10:
The world will not end on December 21, 2012
Prediction Number 1:
The Packers win the Super Bowl. They will beat New England in an epic game that goes down to the wire.
Prediction Number 2:
Big trouble in the Middle East. Things will come to a head this year and the results will drive up oil prices and cripple the global economy in the second half of the year.
Prediction Number 3:
President Obama gets another term. The Republicans blow it but retain a majority in the House.
Prediction Number 4:
The U.S. economy overcomes the impact of predictions 2 & 3, limps along and fairs better than many of our global competitors.
Prediction Number 5:
More crazy weather and rising commodity prices.
Prediction Number 6:
The “Occupy Wall Street” movement grows and becomes better organized.
Prediction Number 7:
Tiger Woods does not win a major.
Prediction Number 8:
The unemployment rate drops below 8% (but then edges back up).
Prediction Number 9:
We will add over $1 trillion more to the national debt.
Prediction Number 10:
The world will not end on December 21, 2012
Monday, December 5, 2011
They Shoot Horses Don't They?
I have an appointment outside the office on the 12th of December with a gentleman who plans to saw off pieces of my upper and lower leg bones. He says this is absolutely necessary and all part of a construction project known as Total Knee Replacment (TKR). A football injury from the dark ages of sport finally finished off my left knee. One can only get by with bone on bone for so many years. And for the past few of those years, the pain has gotten worse and worse. I finally had to give in.
So I will be spending two or three days recovering in the hospital followed by a week or two at home. Doing this during the holidays is just my way of avoiding unnecessary and boring social interaction with people who only come around this time of year (they know who they are.) I am told that barring complications I should be limping back to work the first week of January and will likely be back on the golf course this Spring. It remains to be seen if the artificial knee will be as good of an excuse for poor play as was the arthritic one.
I do feel like I am in the mainstream of the “aging baby boomer cost of rising health care” tsunami. For 30 years I never broke down. Over the last ten years, it’s been one thing after another. The good news is that they can really fix stuff these days. At this rate, I’ll feel better in my 60’s than I did in my 40’s. But it doesn’t come cheap (I’m sure my TKR will cost 2 or 3 times more than the first house I bought.) It also begs the question: At what point do we quit fixing old worn out people parts? If you leave it up to the old worn out people, the answer is never. So I guess the bigger question may be who SHOULD be answering it? And the other big question is what can we do to make the original parts last a little longer. Virtually all of my broken parts have been sports, exercise, over-use or accident related. I probably should have done some things differently, but I had a lot of fun banging this old body around.
Now I (along with the insurance company and society and my family) will ultimately pay for it. Frankly, I don’t see a major game-changing solution to this rising healthcare dilemma. We have a growing demand for health services/products/parts and a growing supply of health services/products/parts to meet that demand. As long as we can pay for them, the bill will keep going up. So just put this TKR on my tab, OK?
So I will be spending two or three days recovering in the hospital followed by a week or two at home. Doing this during the holidays is just my way of avoiding unnecessary and boring social interaction with people who only come around this time of year (they know who they are.) I am told that barring complications I should be limping back to work the first week of January and will likely be back on the golf course this Spring. It remains to be seen if the artificial knee will be as good of an excuse for poor play as was the arthritic one.
I do feel like I am in the mainstream of the “aging baby boomer cost of rising health care” tsunami. For 30 years I never broke down. Over the last ten years, it’s been one thing after another. The good news is that they can really fix stuff these days. At this rate, I’ll feel better in my 60’s than I did in my 40’s. But it doesn’t come cheap (I’m sure my TKR will cost 2 or 3 times more than the first house I bought.) It also begs the question: At what point do we quit fixing old worn out people parts? If you leave it up to the old worn out people, the answer is never. So I guess the bigger question may be who SHOULD be answering it? And the other big question is what can we do to make the original parts last a little longer. Virtually all of my broken parts have been sports, exercise, over-use or accident related. I probably should have done some things differently, but I had a lot of fun banging this old body around.
Now I (along with the insurance company and society and my family) will ultimately pay for it. Frankly, I don’t see a major game-changing solution to this rising healthcare dilemma. We have a growing demand for health services/products/parts and a growing supply of health services/products/parts to meet that demand. As long as we can pay for them, the bill will keep going up. So just put this TKR on my tab, OK?
Saturday, November 26, 2011
22 Secrets...Part IV
This week we’ll wrap up the last of “The 22 Secrets HR Won’t Tell You About Getting A Job.”
HR Secret Number 17:
“If you’re a candidate and the hiring manager spends 45 minutes talking about himself, the company or his Harley, let him. He’s going to come out of the interview saying you’re a great candidate.”
Yes, let him talk; but be very wary about accepting the job. Is this the type of person you really want to work for?
HR Secret Number 18:
“There’s one website that drives all HR people crazy: salary.com. It supposedly lists average salaries for different industries, but if you look up any job, the salary it gives you always seems to be $10,000 to $20,000 higher than it actually is. That just makes people mad.”
HR people and headhunters do get frustrated with the misinformation that is out there about compensation. I know this sounds like a self-serving comment, but headhunters who specialize in an industry probably have the most accurate information about compensation. Often times company HR people are more out of touch than candidates when it comes to compensation levels, especially if they are hiring for special skills or experience outside of their normal hires.
HR Secret Number 19:
“On salary, some companies try to lock you in early. At the first interview, they’ll tell me to say, ‘The budget for this position is 40K to 45K. Is that acceptable to you?’ If the candidate accepts, they’ll know they’ve got him or her stuck in that little area.”
This is probably accurate for positions in this compensation range. For positions with higher compensation, money usually doesn’t come up in the first interviews. It’s also different when a search firm is involved. We’ve already provided the company with the candidate’s compensation history and we know what the company’s pay range is for the position.
The real message here is be careful when discussing pay, especially early in the process. If the interviewer throws out a number, just respond with something to the effect that your decision will involve more factors than just pay and that you’re looking for an opportunity to contribute and grow with a successful organization, etc., etc.
HR Secret Number 20:
“You think you’re all wonderful and deserve a higher salary, but here in HR, we know the truth. And the truth is, a lot of you aren’t very good at your jobs, and you’re definitely not as good as you think you are.”
Whoa…this may apply to some small percentage of candidates, but the HR person who made this statement must be working in an industry other than transportation and logistics. Of course, we run across candidates now and then who have unrealistic compensation expectations. Usually they are younger, less experienced candidates. But most people who have 10+ years experience in an industry have a pretty good sense of their value.
HR Secret Number 21:
“Be careful if a headhunter is negotiating for you. You may want extra time off and be willing to sacrifice salary, but he is negotiating hardest for what hits his commission.”
Seriously? I guess some headhunters are so desperate for an extra buck that they work every angle. But I think this HR “Secret” reflects the HR person’s attitude about headhunters more than the reality of how headhunters actually operate. If you can’t trust your headhunter to do what is best for you as well as for the company, then you’re working with the wrong headhunter.
HR Secret Number 22:
“I once hired someone, and her mother didn’t think the salary we were offering was high enough, so she called me to negotiate. There are two problems with that: 1) I can’t negotiate with someone who’s not you. 2) It’s your mother. Seriously, I was like, ‘Did that woman’s mother just call me, or was that my imagination?’ I immediately withdrew the offer.”
We don’t run into this with the types of positions we fill, BUT sometimes we do get the spouse jumping into the negotiation at the last minute. My advice to any candidate is to make sure they’ve had in depth discussions with their family members BEFORE getting into the nitty-gritty of interviewing and negotiating. We’ve certainly seen offers fall apart when a spouse starts demanding too much, too late in the process.
So we’re done with the 22 Secrets. Interesting comments by some of our “friends” in the HR community and worth considering; especially if you, as a candidate, are faced with the daunting task of dealing with an HR person on your own.
With all due respect to HR people, I will leave you with this:
Question: How many HR managers does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: None, but they all want to be involved.
HR Secret Number 17:
“If you’re a candidate and the hiring manager spends 45 minutes talking about himself, the company or his Harley, let him. He’s going to come out of the interview saying you’re a great candidate.”
Yes, let him talk; but be very wary about accepting the job. Is this the type of person you really want to work for?
HR Secret Number 18:
“There’s one website that drives all HR people crazy: salary.com. It supposedly lists average salaries for different industries, but if you look up any job, the salary it gives you always seems to be $10,000 to $20,000 higher than it actually is. That just makes people mad.”
HR people and headhunters do get frustrated with the misinformation that is out there about compensation. I know this sounds like a self-serving comment, but headhunters who specialize in an industry probably have the most accurate information about compensation. Often times company HR people are more out of touch than candidates when it comes to compensation levels, especially if they are hiring for special skills or experience outside of their normal hires.
HR Secret Number 19:
“On salary, some companies try to lock you in early. At the first interview, they’ll tell me to say, ‘The budget for this position is 40K to 45K. Is that acceptable to you?’ If the candidate accepts, they’ll know they’ve got him or her stuck in that little area.”
This is probably accurate for positions in this compensation range. For positions with higher compensation, money usually doesn’t come up in the first interviews. It’s also different when a search firm is involved. We’ve already provided the company with the candidate’s compensation history and we know what the company’s pay range is for the position.
The real message here is be careful when discussing pay, especially early in the process. If the interviewer throws out a number, just respond with something to the effect that your decision will involve more factors than just pay and that you’re looking for an opportunity to contribute and grow with a successful organization, etc., etc.
HR Secret Number 20:
“You think you’re all wonderful and deserve a higher salary, but here in HR, we know the truth. And the truth is, a lot of you aren’t very good at your jobs, and you’re definitely not as good as you think you are.”
Whoa…this may apply to some small percentage of candidates, but the HR person who made this statement must be working in an industry other than transportation and logistics. Of course, we run across candidates now and then who have unrealistic compensation expectations. Usually they are younger, less experienced candidates. But most people who have 10+ years experience in an industry have a pretty good sense of their value.
HR Secret Number 21:
“Be careful if a headhunter is negotiating for you. You may want extra time off and be willing to sacrifice salary, but he is negotiating hardest for what hits his commission.”
Seriously? I guess some headhunters are so desperate for an extra buck that they work every angle. But I think this HR “Secret” reflects the HR person’s attitude about headhunters more than the reality of how headhunters actually operate. If you can’t trust your headhunter to do what is best for you as well as for the company, then you’re working with the wrong headhunter.
HR Secret Number 22:
“I once hired someone, and her mother didn’t think the salary we were offering was high enough, so she called me to negotiate. There are two problems with that: 1) I can’t negotiate with someone who’s not you. 2) It’s your mother. Seriously, I was like, ‘Did that woman’s mother just call me, or was that my imagination?’ I immediately withdrew the offer.”
We don’t run into this with the types of positions we fill, BUT sometimes we do get the spouse jumping into the negotiation at the last minute. My advice to any candidate is to make sure they’ve had in depth discussions with their family members BEFORE getting into the nitty-gritty of interviewing and negotiating. We’ve certainly seen offers fall apart when a spouse starts demanding too much, too late in the process.
So we’re done with the 22 Secrets. Interesting comments by some of our “friends” in the HR community and worth considering; especially if you, as a candidate, are faced with the daunting task of dealing with an HR person on your own.
With all due respect to HR people, I will leave you with this:
Question: How many HR managers does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: None, but they all want to be involved.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Back to The 22 Secrets....Part III
Last week I had to rant about the Penn State mess. This week we pick up again on the “22 Secrets HR Won’t Tell You About Getting A Job”. Week before last we looked at the first 8 secrets. Now I’m ready to tackle Secrets 9-16.
HR Secret Number 9:
“Most of us use applicant-tracking systems that scan résumés for key words. The secret to getting your résumé through the system is to pull key words directly from the job description and put them on. The more matches you have, the more likely your résumé will get picked and actually seen by a real person.”
This is probably good advice if you are responding to a job posting with a large corporation. Just don’t put a laundry list of key words on your resume. It may get you past the ATS, but when a person looks at it they will not be impressed. Take the time to work keywords into your resume where it makes sense and if your actual work experience supports their inclusion to your resume.
HR Secret Number 10:
“Résumés don’t need color to stand out. When I see a little color, I smirk. And when I see a ton of color, I cringe. And walking in and dropping off your resume is no longer seen as a good thing. It’s actually a little creepy.”
Agree. Me too. Ditto. Just don’t do it. Yes, it really is creepy.
HR Secret Number 11:
“It’s amazing when people come in for an interview and say, ‘Can you tell me about your business?’ Seriously, people. There’s an Internet. Look it up.”
It’s even more amazing when a headhunter has taken the time to tell the candidate about the company AND the position AND provided links to the company website AND perhaps given the candidate even more information about the company’s key executives, competitors, financial results, etc etc….and the candidate still acts like he just landed from another planet five minutes before the interview.
HR Secret Number 12:
“A lot of managers don’t want to hire people with young kids, and they use all sorts of tricks to find that out, illegally. One woman kept a picture of two really cute children on her desk even though she didn’t have children [hoping job candidates would ask about them]. Another guy used to walk people out to their car to see whether they had car seats.”
I don’t know about this one. I guess there’s still some bias out there, but this one seems pretty dated. I think most people realize that kids and families are part of the deal. And you can make a case that someone with young kids is very motivated to work and earn a living. There are probably some jobs and situations where young kids can be an issue if the employee is the primary or only caregiver. If you have young kids and you need some flexibility to handle kid issues, focus on jobs which can accommodate that need.
Now don’t walk into the interview with the “kid thing” as your number one talking point. Don’t even bring it up if you don’t have too. Just make sure that this potential job situation will fit your personal life requirements whatever those may be. Otherwise, you might get the job, but it won’t turn out well in the long-run.
HR Secret Number 13:
“Is it harder to get the job if you’re fat? Absolutely. Hiring managers make quick judgments based on stereotypes. They’re just following George Clooney’s character in Up in the Air, who said ‘I stereotype. It’s faster.”
The bad news if you’re fat is that this is TRUE. The good news is that with so many people in our society now being significantly overweight, the odds are pretty good that the hiring manager is also fat. So it’s all relative. If the hiring manager is fatter than you are, you’re probably ok.
The real question is do you appear healthy and energetic? Weight is only one of many factors that can work against you. For example, if you smoke you smell like a smoker (and probably look like a smoker). In most cases a big negative. If you’re old AND you look a lot older than your age, it can be a problem. If you’re 50, but look 60, and you smoke, and you’re fat…you need to give some serious thought to a makeover. I know that sounds harsh, but it is what it is.
HR Secret Number 14:
“I once had a hiring manager who refused to hire someone because the job required her to be on call one weekend a month and she had talked in the interview about how much she goes to church. Another candidate didn’t get hired because the manager was worried that the car he drove wasn’t nice enough.”
There are a lot of reasons why hiring managers reject candidates. Life is not fair and the playing field is not always level. Prejudice is alive and well and cuts both ways. Sometimes you get the job for the wrong reasons and sometime you don’t get the job for the wrong reasons. This should not be a secret.
HR Secret Number 15:
“Don’t just silence your phone for the interview. Turn it all the way off.”
I’ll take it one step further. Don’t take your phone into the interview.
HR Secret Number 16:
“If you’ve got a weak handshake, I make a note of it.”
This is old-school and still relevant in the U.S. and Europe. But if you go global, just be aware of handshake customs and preferences in other cultures. A firm handshake might cost you a hand in some places.
Next week we’ll wrap up the 22 Secrets. In the mean time, have a Happy Thanksgiving.
If you’re reading this blog you probably have a lot to be thankful for. Chances are that you are living better than 99% of the people currently inhabiting this planet and better than 99.99% of those who have ever lived. So quit your bitchin’ and count your blessings.
HR Secret Number 9:
“Most of us use applicant-tracking systems that scan résumés for key words. The secret to getting your résumé through the system is to pull key words directly from the job description and put them on. The more matches you have, the more likely your résumé will get picked and actually seen by a real person.”
This is probably good advice if you are responding to a job posting with a large corporation. Just don’t put a laundry list of key words on your resume. It may get you past the ATS, but when a person looks at it they will not be impressed. Take the time to work keywords into your resume where it makes sense and if your actual work experience supports their inclusion to your resume.
HR Secret Number 10:
“Résumés don’t need color to stand out. When I see a little color, I smirk. And when I see a ton of color, I cringe. And walking in and dropping off your resume is no longer seen as a good thing. It’s actually a little creepy.”
Agree. Me too. Ditto. Just don’t do it. Yes, it really is creepy.
HR Secret Number 11:
“It’s amazing when people come in for an interview and say, ‘Can you tell me about your business?’ Seriously, people. There’s an Internet. Look it up.”
It’s even more amazing when a headhunter has taken the time to tell the candidate about the company AND the position AND provided links to the company website AND perhaps given the candidate even more information about the company’s key executives, competitors, financial results, etc etc….and the candidate still acts like he just landed from another planet five minutes before the interview.
HR Secret Number 12:
“A lot of managers don’t want to hire people with young kids, and they use all sorts of tricks to find that out, illegally. One woman kept a picture of two really cute children on her desk even though she didn’t have children [hoping job candidates would ask about them]. Another guy used to walk people out to their car to see whether they had car seats.”
I don’t know about this one. I guess there’s still some bias out there, but this one seems pretty dated. I think most people realize that kids and families are part of the deal. And you can make a case that someone with young kids is very motivated to work and earn a living. There are probably some jobs and situations where young kids can be an issue if the employee is the primary or only caregiver. If you have young kids and you need some flexibility to handle kid issues, focus on jobs which can accommodate that need.
Now don’t walk into the interview with the “kid thing” as your number one talking point. Don’t even bring it up if you don’t have too. Just make sure that this potential job situation will fit your personal life requirements whatever those may be. Otherwise, you might get the job, but it won’t turn out well in the long-run.
HR Secret Number 13:
“Is it harder to get the job if you’re fat? Absolutely. Hiring managers make quick judgments based on stereotypes. They’re just following George Clooney’s character in Up in the Air, who said ‘I stereotype. It’s faster.”
The bad news if you’re fat is that this is TRUE. The good news is that with so many people in our society now being significantly overweight, the odds are pretty good that the hiring manager is also fat. So it’s all relative. If the hiring manager is fatter than you are, you’re probably ok.
The real question is do you appear healthy and energetic? Weight is only one of many factors that can work against you. For example, if you smoke you smell like a smoker (and probably look like a smoker). In most cases a big negative. If you’re old AND you look a lot older than your age, it can be a problem. If you’re 50, but look 60, and you smoke, and you’re fat…you need to give some serious thought to a makeover. I know that sounds harsh, but it is what it is.
HR Secret Number 14:
“I once had a hiring manager who refused to hire someone because the job required her to be on call one weekend a month and she had talked in the interview about how much she goes to church. Another candidate didn’t get hired because the manager was worried that the car he drove wasn’t nice enough.”
There are a lot of reasons why hiring managers reject candidates. Life is not fair and the playing field is not always level. Prejudice is alive and well and cuts both ways. Sometimes you get the job for the wrong reasons and sometime you don’t get the job for the wrong reasons. This should not be a secret.
HR Secret Number 15:
“Don’t just silence your phone for the interview. Turn it all the way off.”
I’ll take it one step further. Don’t take your phone into the interview.
HR Secret Number 16:
“If you’ve got a weak handshake, I make a note of it.”
This is old-school and still relevant in the U.S. and Europe. But if you go global, just be aware of handshake customs and preferences in other cultures. A firm handshake might cost you a hand in some places.
Next week we’ll wrap up the 22 Secrets. In the mean time, have a Happy Thanksgiving.
If you’re reading this blog you probably have a lot to be thankful for. Chances are that you are living better than 99% of the people currently inhabiting this planet and better than 99.99% of those who have ever lived. So quit your bitchin’ and count your blessings.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Happy Valley
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
-Edmund Burke
At first I said, NO, I’m not writing about the Penn State mess. It’s been beaten to death all week and I’m sick of it. But, I cannot ignore it.
The victims, the real victims, those boys who were molested; must be wondering why did it take so long? How could some adults know, and so many adults suspect, that something evil was happening to these children; yet do nothing about it? How can that be? I think it was because those adults decided that doing something would hurt more than doing nothing. It’s that simple. And the more one has to lose by doing something, the more it hurts and the less likely one is inclined to do anything.
Happy Valley, aka State College, aka the home of The Penn State University Nittany Lions, virtually the only big-time college football program that was still CLEAN; had a lot to lose. The Clean Football Program in The Happy Valley. Who wants to screw that up if they can avoid it? So they avoid it. But doing nothing always makes it worse in the long run. Ask the Catholic Church how well doing nothing has worked out for them?
If there is any lesson to be learned from this latest horror story, it’s that we cannot pass the buck when it comes to making a tough decision IF it’s the right decision. If you don’t make the tough decision today, you will always face a tougher decision tomorrow. Perhaps Happy Valley would not have been quite so happy for awhile had someone made the tough decision years ago. But recovery would have been quick and complete. Now the recovery will be long and painful and, perhaps never totally complete.
-Edmund Burke
At first I said, NO, I’m not writing about the Penn State mess. It’s been beaten to death all week and I’m sick of it. But, I cannot ignore it.
The victims, the real victims, those boys who were molested; must be wondering why did it take so long? How could some adults know, and so many adults suspect, that something evil was happening to these children; yet do nothing about it? How can that be? I think it was because those adults decided that doing something would hurt more than doing nothing. It’s that simple. And the more one has to lose by doing something, the more it hurts and the less likely one is inclined to do anything.
Happy Valley, aka State College, aka the home of The Penn State University Nittany Lions, virtually the only big-time college football program that was still CLEAN; had a lot to lose. The Clean Football Program in The Happy Valley. Who wants to screw that up if they can avoid it? So they avoid it. But doing nothing always makes it worse in the long run. Ask the Catholic Church how well doing nothing has worked out for them?
If there is any lesson to be learned from this latest horror story, it’s that we cannot pass the buck when it comes to making a tough decision IF it’s the right decision. If you don’t make the tough decision today, you will always face a tougher decision tomorrow. Perhaps Happy Valley would not have been quite so happy for awhile had someone made the tough decision years ago. But recovery would have been quick and complete. Now the recovery will be long and painful and, perhaps never totally complete.
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