HR Happy Hour #6

Are you looking for an HRevolution? I know I am. Do you want more opportunities to meet and network with other HR bloggers? Oh yeah, I know you do. Do you own a Mini? Then boy howdy do I have good news for you!

The latest HR Happy Hour is in the can and it was a great conversation all around. Trish Mcfarlane came on to talk about HRevolution and why you want to learn more about it by checking out their site here! Great ideas were discussed, the HR mini controversy ignited, and people touted the allure of their hometowns. You gotta check it out below.



Be sure to check out #HRHappyHour & #HRevolution on twitter for more information as well!

It's a problem of motivation

Everyone has had to deal with employees who lack motivation. In fact, a lack of motivation seems to be some people's defining characteristic. But have you ever been, or wanted to be, one of them? Have you ever had a job that you hated, for one reason or another, and just didn't want to care?

I had a job in college that I really, really, really didn't like. It wasn't the pay; it was great for a part time gig. It was a combination of people and the work. The work was boring and inconsistent. As for the people, while some were awesome, others were jerks. And I found myself quite apathetic to the whole thing.

And yet, I still went in and did my job like nothing was wrong. Sure, I wasn't giving 110%, but I wasn't slacking either. And you know what's weird? I wanted to slack off. I really did. But then stuff wouldn't get done and that thought would drive me nuts. As apathetic as I thought I was, I hated the thought that I would be performing poorly.

So, how about you? Have you ever just wanted to play Tetris and eat Cheetos all day at work? Could you do it without feeling guilty?

Newest Carnival of HR is live!

That's right, the newest Carnival of HR is up right now over at the Infohrm Blog. Lots of entries means a lot of great posts that you have to read so check it out here.

Thanks again for everyone's participation, I'm glad to see so many people happy to play along. Once again, if you would like to get on the email reminder list for future Carnival's, just drop me an email at hrminion@gmail.com.

The next Carnival of HR will be hosted at the People at work & play Blog on August 5th!

What's wrong with being a butcher?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing is wrong with being a butcher. Same thing as there is nothing wrong with being a plumber, an electrician, an exterminator, etc. That is, until the robots come in and start taking over. Damn robots.

For now, though, skilled labor has a lot of advantages over some fields. It's local, so it can't be outsourced. It requires specialized knowledge, so you can earn good money. The training does not take as long, or cost as much, as a four year degree would. And you might end up on Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. Worth It.

And it seems that people agree with me. Not only is college enrollment in general up, but some technical colleges are seeing double digit increases as well. I know being an exterminator doesn't sound like a glamorous kind of gig, and frankly, I would be constantly grossed out, but I bet it has more job security than HR right now. Not to mention a good income and a entrepreneurial opportunities. Maybe... eh, bugs... maybe not.

HR Happy Hour #5

Wow, I know I'm tooting my own horn here, but these HR Happy Hours are only getting better!

This time we tackled some tough topics like the EFCA, Women in HR, the future of HR, the need for HR to grow a pair, etc. But despite the serious topics, it was an entertaining and engaging conversation throughout. Steve, as usual, does a great job putting everything together and it was a lot of fun!

So kick back, grab a beer, and check out the conversation below. Fair warning, about 7 minutes in I emit a high pitched squeal of excitement when Jason Seiden joins the call. What can I say, I'm highly excitable.



Be sure to check out #HRHappyHour on Twitter to follow the online conversation as well.

200 and counting!

I've come to realize that my post on Monday was post number 200! Yay!! I know 200 is just another number, but for me, it's these little milestones that cause me to step back and reflect on crazy fun I have with this blog.

So, like I did when I hit 100, here is a collection of some of my favorite posts from the last 100, just in case you might have missed them.

You play the victim and I'll be the bad guy.
It's not over until you flip someone off.
Entitlement
Is anyone surprised Wall Street is losing its top talent?
Liar Liar.
You can always learn something new.
Resume Advice.
I do not think you said what I think you mean.
Don't be distracting.

Personally, I think they give you a good taste of what I'm all about. What do you think?

In other news, today is going to be a busy day. This morning I will be at the Minnesota Recruiters Conference #8 Summer 2009. Be sure to follow #mnrec on twitter for all the live updates.

Then tonight, at 8 pm EDT, the HR Happy Hour is back! Be sure to listen in live, follow #HRHappyHour on twitter for live updates, or call in and join the fun! I'll be sure to have the archive up later tonight as well.

Interpretation

So the husband and I were talking the other day about fantasy authors and how it seemed that many authors these days did not take the time to research myths or history themselves; they simply relied on other fantasy novels as their source material and inspiration. Yes, Tim and I are both huge geeks and bibliophiles so we do, in fact, have these types of conversations. Stay with me here, people -- I have a point, I promise, and it's related to HR too.

Anyway, what this means is that the authors are essentially creating stories based on their interpretations of someone else's interpretations. Doesn't that seem like a bad idea to you? Instead of trying to seek out the source material themselves and using it as the inspiration for their own stories, they are relying on the interpretations of someone else, someone they don't know, whose mind probably works in a completely different way. Doesn't seem like the proper way to conduct research to me.

Here comes the part where I connect this to HR: I love HR blogs and the blogging community. I've learned a lot in the time that I have been reading and interacting with other bloggers. And, I like to think that I have helped some of you darling readers out there as well. But I think that one of the most important things to keep in mind when reading HR blogs, or any other blog that tries to be informative, is that whatever you are reading, in the end, is someone's interpretation of a concept or situation. Somewhere out there, at one time, someone read or experienced the information that they are now provided, and short of simply repeating facts, their own perspective affects what they say.

So to all of you darlings out there who read HR blogs for advice or information, don't stop there. Don't just read a book review or advice column; take the time to find the source of that knowledge for yourself. After all, just like you shouldn't cite Wikipedia (as much as I love it!) you shouldn't rely only on HR blogs as your font of HR knowledge. The only way you'll really learn about HR is to put in the time to study it yourself.

An Effortless Carnival of HR!

That's right, the latest Carnival is up right now at the Effortless HR Blog. They really do know how to make it look effortless to throw together such a great collection of posts! Be sure to take a little time and go check it out here!

Thanks again for everyone's willingness to both be hosts and contributors! The next Carnival of HR will be on July 21st hosted by the Infohrm's Blog! And as always, feel free to drop me an email at hrminion@gmail.com if you would like to be included on the reminder email list!

HR Happy Hour #4

So the latest HR Happy Hour is in the bag and available in case you missed it. This time we brought out the big guns and focused on the SHRM '09 Annual Conference.

Sure, we had some technical difficulties and more dog barking in the background (Darby the HR Dog will not be silenced!), but the awesomeness could not be stopped!

In addition to Lance Haun, Kris Dunn, Mark Stelzner, and Laurie Ruettimann (Late to the game but impressing everyone right away!), Jessica Lee and China Gorman (SHRM's COO) were both able to join the conversation as well!

With so many HR superstars on the call, with so much insight and intelligence, the awesomeness could barely be contained. You have to check it out below!