The Receptionist Has More Power Than You Think

People tend to undervalue and underappreciate the role a Receptionist plays in an organization. For some reason, some people treat the Receptionist differently than they might a manager or an executive in the company. But when you come in for an interview – the Receptionist has a lot more power than you might think they do. Conventional wisdom tells us how important it is to make a good first impression - and the Receptionist is the first person at the company with which a candidate interacts. As a hiring manager, I ALWAYS ask our Receptionist what she thinks about a candidate she has met. Did they come in demanding coffee, speaking to her in a curt or rude manner that demonstrated an air of superiority? Or did they treat her with respect, asking her how her day is going and making pleasant small talk with her? The way someone interacts with her tells me a lot about the candidate and whether or not they would fit in with our culture.

Connections are the Key to Your Job Search

When it comes to job search, the old adage “it’s all in who you know” can really ring true. According to the Massachusetts Department of Labor and Workforce Development, 60 percent of job seekers find jobs with the help of their friends or relatives.

From my perspective as an employer, I highly value employee referrals and recommendations. As long as there is some experience fit for a position, an employee referral is a pretty much guaranteed interview for that candidate.

It’s no doubt then that using your network, the people to whom you are connected, is arguably the most important tool in your job search. The best web site for this, and I one I use on a daily basis, is LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is the largest professional social networking site on the net and is perhaps the best way for you to organize all of your personal and professional connections. The website is a perfect match for job search – you can, (and should)

• ASK your closest connections for professional and personal recommendations


• SEARCH jobs on LinkedIn’s job board


• JOIN job search groups organized by geography, industry, or both


• "FOLLOW" companies you are interested in to learn more about them

But the most important component of the site is its ability to show you to whom you are connected at various levels. Call it “three degrees of separation”; if you’re interested in Company XYZ – you can use this tool to find out if anyone you’re connected to is connected to anyone at that company, and can request an introduction to them.

Let’s use my profile as an example. I am connected to 471 people directly (1st level). Between my connections, their connections (2nd level), and their connection’s connections (3rd level), so on and so forth, I have over 4 million people in my LinkedIn network! How about that? Who knew I was so well connected? If you’re trying to get an interview with Triumvirate Environmental, chances are you know somebody, who knows somebody, who may know me!

One tip – don’t go trying to randomly connect to anyone and everyone – just like a traditional employee referral program – the referral is really only valuable if someone actually knows you. Blindly connecting to random people diminishes the real worth of your network.

They Myth of the One-Page Resume (Sort of...)

One of the most common questions I get asked when someone finds out I work in Human Resources is whether or not their resume really needs to be only one-page long. My answer? No, it doesn’t.

Why do people think this? Certain books suggest it. Some career counselors swear it’s the way it should be. The truth is, no self-respecting HR professional is going to look at a resume and say “Oh, this qualified candidate’s resume is two pages…they’re out!”

But there is a benefit to keeping your resume to one-page (or as few pages as possible)…the more concise you can be on your resume, the more likely the items you want to highlight will be read by the person reviewing it. Resume reviewers, in many cases, receive hundreds of resumes from job seekers; and to get through them all requires screening for key words and information that matches the requirements being sought. Only when the screener finds information of interest will they stop and read more. If they find nothing of interest on page one, they most likely won’t turn to page two. If all the good stuff is on page two, it may never be seen!

So, what’s important is not keeping your resume to one-page, but structuring your resume in such a way as to highlight the most relevant and important information about your qualifications and experiences by locating them as close to the top of the first page as possible. That’s why you’ll see many resumes begin with a “summary of qualifications” or a list of achievements. Just like a good book, if the beginning grabs the reader’s attention, they will keep reading further.

Phone Etiquette for Job Seekers

Everyone knows the importance of making a good first impression. It’s why most people work hard to prepare for the first face-to-face meeting with a potential employer. They pull out their suit, iron their clothes, get the hair done, clip their nails, etc…all with the hope of leaving the hiring company with a positive feeling about your candidacy.

But the real first impression a candidate makes is over the phone. Most employers initially reach out to applicants through the phone. This may include a quick call to schedule an interview or an impromptu phone interview. A job seeker must survive this stage of the interview process to succeed in obtaining a position.

Here are some tips and tricks on how to handle the initial contact from a company:

• Speak with enthusiasm – Don’t speak like you just got out of bed…even if you did! From the moment you answer the call to a cheerful goodbye, showing your enthusiasm about the position and the company will energize the company representative about your candidacy.

• Know who’s calling – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called someone for an interview and they’ve said “Who is this again? I’m sorry I don’t recognize the name of your company…I’ve applied for so many jobs”. This tells me the job seeker has no real interest in my company and is just looking for a job.

• Find a quiet space – It’s completely appropriate to ask the caller if you can call them back from a private area, especially if you are at work. One time, I was speaking to someone who was at work in their cube. They kept getting interrupted and whispered in response to my questions. They left an impression alright. Also, be careful of TVs blaring, dogs barking, and children crying in the background.

• Get rid of ring back tones – While music is better to listen to than a ringing phone line, I would prefer not to listen to “My Humps” as I’m waiting to speak to a candidate for an accounting position.

• Professionalize your voicemail greeting – Sound pleasant and confident in the greeting that awaits your unanswered callers. Don’t sound meek, sluggish or stern. And please please please don’t record music from the radio.

Remember that your first, first impression will likely occur over the phone. While a phone interview alone won’t win you the job, it is absolutely the first step to getting the coveted interview.

Ted Kennedy's Impact on the HR Profession

I was saddened early this morning as I heard the NPR announcement that Senator Edward Kennedy had passed away overnight. Ted Kennedy has been a Senator my whole life; and has been my Senator for most of it. Living in Massachusetts, one frequently senses the impact that he has had on the Commonwealth (that’s what we call our state, ok?).

But even more so, as a Human Resources professional, I deal with Kennedy’s influence on a regular basis. He, probably more than any other U.S. Senator, has impacted labor and healthcare law in this country. He has served as the Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee in over 11 nonconcurring years until his death. Kennedy was passionate about equal opportunity. He was one of the leading sponsors of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 which provided employment protections and accommodation mandates for disabled citizens. Kennedy was also a leading voice on the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, providing job protection to care for oneself or a family member. In regards to healthcare, Kennedy was one of the leading voices for the passage of the Healthcare Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and sponsor of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). In just the last few years, Kennedy has been a leader on worker safety, co-sponsoring the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006; raising the minimum wage via the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007; the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which extended terms for people to file discrimination claims; extending unemployment insurance for those affected by lay offs; the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008, which provided protections against discrimination based on genetic information and predisposition to illnesses or disabilities; and though they have yet to pass, he was a co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) which makes it easier for unions to organize by forcing the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to certify a union through a simple majority sign up, rather than a secret ballot election.

The changes that Kennedy has championed over his illustrious career have caused some pain in the Human Resources world. We’ve had to re-evaluate job descriptions for reasonable accommodation; we’ve had to struggle with the cumbersome administration of FMLA (big shout to our favorite, intermittent leave!); we’ve had to update our EEO statements to incorporate new protected classes; and we’ve had to order, and reorder, and reorder again those over-priced laminated mandatory labor law posters to just to keep up to date on all this stuff (for every building!!). Yet, the HR industry, as represented by its leading professional association, the Society for Human Resource Management, has supported much of the changes that Kennedy pioneered. The reason? Because like Kennedy, we see the value that diversity brings to the fabric of our country and agree that as employers, all should be given equal opportunity; that people should be compensated based on skill, not race, class, or gender; and that sometimes, those affected by unfortunate, uncontrollable circumstances, like an unexpected illness or the onset of disability, need assistance and deserve protections.

As controversial as Kennedy was, one thing is clear: he made a big impact on his community, his country, and the world and all are a better place for it.

Rest in peace, Senator.

Image respectfully "borrowed" from Kennedy's Senate website, kennedy.senate.gov

Do You Have Management Courage?

At the 2009 Society for Human Resource Management conference in New Orleans, I had the good fortune to attend a session titled “Management Courage: Having the Heart of a Lion” presented by Margaret Morford, author of a book of the same name and president of HR consultancy HR Edge. Looking a bit like a tightly-wound librarian, conservative suit and bun in her hair, Morford’s Southern charm and witty stories proved that one should “never judge a book by its cover”.

Morford, who has consulted for the likes of HGTV, Wells Fargo, and Sara Lee Foods, introduced the audience of several hundred people to the concept of Management Courage, which she defines as “choosing a more difficult but more effective management strategy when easier options are available.” You see, it’s easier to avoid difficult subjects, treat everyone the same, and settle for status quo, than it is to step out of your comfort zone and confront such situations head on, even though you know it’s the right thing to do.

Morford outlines six principles of Management Courage are:

1. Not only being honest, but being the most honest. Have conversations that would be easier to just skip. Give people honest candid feedback. Tell people who aren’t promotable, that they aren’t and why.
2. Treating people equitably, but not identically. Everyone gets the same opportunity, but only those who perform get the rewards.
3. Not using individual policies as a crutch or excuse. Explain to people why something’s not working, don’t just say “the policy says so”.
4. Asking for real feedback. Have the guts to hear what people think you could improve on. Go see your biggest critic and ask them for feedback.
5. Taking responsibility for any mistakes that you or your team makes. True leaders own their mistakes and never blame others, the also never highlight the errors that their direct reports make.
6. Changing jobs when the culture isn’t right and the powers that be don’t change it. The point here is to try and create change (if possible) and if you can’t, and things don’t change, channel the courage to break free.

Morford’s utilization of the word “courage” is spot-on. Avoiding the six principles is easier, but the results get you nowhere. It takes real guts to be the kind of manager she of which she speaks. For more information on Management Courage, check out Morford’s book, a quick-read with a 5-star user rating on Barnesandnoble.com. You can else check out her company’s website at www.hredge.net.

Jack Welch on HR

Those of you who follow my blogging have seen me blog about Jack Welch before. His matter of fact style, intelligence, and success have been inspirational to me. When I signed up for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conference this year, I was elated to see he was going to be the key note speaker. He did not disappoint.

Welch has been a long proponent of the HR function in organizations. He repeatedly states that the HR leader should command the same level of respect and importance in an organization as the CFO. When asked why many other CEOs don’t get it, Welch stated sternly that HR professionals need to deliver: “You gotta have the guts to make sure you’re important in the organization…get out of the picnics, birthdays, and insurance forms business and [focus on] developing people and building confidence”.

Welch started off the conversation, which was moderated by Claire Shipman author and correspondent of ABC News, stating that it is important for HR to establish trust. So how does HR build trust within the organization? According to Welch, it’s pretty simple: “listen to people, keep confidences, and tell it straight, communicate like hell, and get out of your damn cubicle and walk the floor”. Welch stated that “if [employees] think HR people are there to truly get them to grow, they will trust them.”.

I sat in the audience amazed at this man giving tough love to an audience of 10,000 human resources professionals. Welch knows how to run a business and he recognizes that having the right people in the organization is what leads to success. He also understands that it’s HR that brings the right people in, and perhaps we could do a better job of making sure they are building themselves once there. About his candid advice, Welch said “I love ya, and I want ya to win”.

I was fortunate to get the chance to shake his hand and have him sign my copy of Winning after the talk. An awesome experience indeed.