Returning after a long absence

Many people find that they need, or want, to return to work after an extended absence. In some cases people have kept up with their fields, in other cases they have not. Those who have kept up with advances and changes in their fields may or may not have an advantage. Everyone returning to work after an absence will be facing challenges. With companies starting up and going out of business it may not be easy to find people you have worked with to give you references. Perhaps you didn’t plan to return to work but your circumstances have changed and you now need or want to find employment. Whatever the reason for your absence or whatever your plan to return is, there are ways to prepare.

If you have been out of work for whatever circumstance and not kept up with your field that doesn’t mean you can’t find a way to learn what has been happening and also find references. Today social media allows you to look for people you haven’t been in contact with for many years. You may want to search for people you worked for or with in the past. These people won’t be able to give you a current reference, but they will be able to speak to the type of worker you are. For example how you completed your deliverables on time, how you worked well in a team environment, how you helped others, or how you went the extra mile when you didn’t need to. There are many other aspects of how you perform job responsibilities that can be covered by prior employees and colleagues.

You can also ask for references from people you are currently interacting with. Working doesn’t always mean working for a salary in a business or other commercial environment. Do you currently work on projects related to your children? Have you volunteered to be a parent who chaperons field trips, helps with planning and running events, hosts learning or social events? Are you an active member of a PTA or other organization? Have you organized events such as a trip for a group of friends? Maybe you planned a wedding. Did you research information for yourself about vacations, local places to visit for fun or learning? Any of these types of activities can require the same skills and knowledge that might be needed for a new job role. Think of all the skills and expertise needed to complete these activities that could translate to work situations.

Hopefully, you can add some more types of work you have done that can be the same or similar to what would be needed for a job role you are interested in obtaining. Basically, I believe the first thing you need to do when thinking about how to present yourself after being out of work for a while is to answer a few questions so that you can plan how to best to proceed.

You may want to consider this your current job. Yes, your job is now to work on identifying what you need to do to get a new job. I recommend you begin by looking at postings for jobs that you might like to perform. Note the skill requirements and accomplishments required. Once you have that list, think about what you have done that would show accomplishments that relate to the job requirements. Next think about people who can give you references to show how you have performed these activities.

Perhaps you can’t find references for one reason or another. You may want to volunteer for an organization that requires the skills you have or even the skills you want to learn. You can then request references from these organizations.

There is more to think about and do as you begin the journey toward employment. But, I will stop here, as this should give you a place to start. Questions? Let me know and I will attempt to answer them. Good Luck!

A New Spring: Development and Retention Programs for the New Economy

It is spring 2010. Flowers are blooming, the weather is warmer and job opportunities are increasing.  Along with the increase in job opportunities, forward thinking human resources organizations are putting plans in place for developing and retaining key talent.

As HR teams look at what needs to be done, many of these teams recognize that the economy is still in a fragile state and that it is likely to be a bumpy recovery.  They know they need to weigh decisions carefully before implementing new initiatives.

Fortunately, there are many excellent strategies to guide decision-making.  Following a systems approach is one that works well in this situation.  This approach begins by looking at the big picture – the entire organization.  It examines how a change in one element will impact the rest of the system.  Another strategy that will serve well in our new environment is to partner with other groups within the larger organization.  Maybe the HR team wants to help the organization break down stovepipes (where functions within an enterprise operate independently and do not share information or knowledge across functions) in order to allow people across the organization to gain experience through working in other groups.  This would give people from outside of the stovepipe the opportunity to add their background and experience to the group while also gaining new knowledge and skills.

For example, if the marketing organization is planning a new campaign to showcase a new product or service, it might create an opportunity for the HR team to help managers in the engineering function.  The engineering function could develop members of their team by having them work on the marketing project where they could develop a better understanding of customer needs.  This type of activity leads to benefits to the two organizations involved as well as to the HR team.

Finding out what other organizations – both within and outside of your industry – are doing will also serve to inform your decision-making.  Professors, others at universities and government agencies are also looking at what the world of work is going to look like as we move forward. They too are adding to the knowledge base available to you as you put plans in place to move forward.

Jobs: A move in the right direction

March payroll employment increased 162,000—the largest gain in three years, and we believe that a string of sizable gains will follow in the coming months. Since the start of the recession in December 2007, payrolls have declined by 5.9 percent, more severe than any recession post World War II. It is not necessarily the case that the end of a recession coincides with the start of a period of sustained job creation. While the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) will not call an official end of the latest recession for some time, similar to their practice following previous recessions, we estimate that June 2009 was the trough of economic activity and thus the end of the recession.

Jobs: A move in the right direction

There are many other sources of information, recommendations and strategies, but I’ll end this list for now with the largest, newest and readily accessible resource – namely social media. Social media are today’s most talked about resource for almost everything.  However, as with each and every other resource social media are a resource and not the be-all, end-all to solve all problems.

A first step in the process is to determine what types of development – retention programs are needed and for which populations.  Begin with defining the end result.  For example, if it is determined that a leadership development program is needed, there are many more decisions that need to be made before moving forward with the implementation or the development or even the design.  For example, which population(s) are to be addressed?

Once the desired end result is fully defined one can look at what – if anything – is in place.   Other data to help with decision-making is what other companies are doing for their similar populations.  A good place to begin is to look at social media blogs and tweets and different organization’s websites.  Most on-line sites encourage comments. Readers beware; however, most do not require peer review or other types of review and validation of what is being proposed.  The older research avenues should also be reviewed.  Look at what is being published in the relevant journals and other hardcopy and on-line publications.

Another step is to speak with stakeholders and members of the target population(s).  This also requires some pre-work.  A question protocol is a good way to prepare for a discussion.  Questions that ask people to talk about what they do, what they enjoy, what they want to do next, etc. have worked well for me.  Ask about what issues they are facing, have faced, or that they see others within the organization facing.  My goal when I speak to these populations is not to ask them what they need or want in a development program.  It is my job to identify the development program and its contents.  However, the people being interviewed can tell me about what they do and the opportunities they see and the issues that they face in getting their job done.

Using the information collected from the various resources helps you decide what to include in new initiatives for developing and retaining key talent.  This allows the design of a program that meets organizational needs – and also individual needs to the degree that they map to organizational needs.  With this knowledge in hand, a presentation to the business team can be made.  More than ever before, staff organizations need to make sure that each initiative, training program, intervention, etc. proposed is based on a business opportunity in line with business strategies. A potential for increased revenue generation, retention and development of key talent is also vital.

Enjoy spring and the new beginnings for learning, development and retention programs to help grow the economy, your organization and the overall business you support.

Social Media Risks and Rewards

Thanks to social media, messages today can be delivered, commented on, edited, revised, accepted and/or rejected in a very short period of time.  Social media is interactive and universally available to anyone with access to the technology.  It also allows the message to be viewed indefinitely.

Blogging and tweeting can – and should – be used to communicate ideas and concepts that increase learning.  Just as television, radio, music and all the other entertainment media present some programs that instruct, others that entertain, and still others that do both.

As time goes on, the term social media may become viewed as a misnomer.  It is more than a medium for social interaction.  Like any other media, social media can be used for a multitude of purposes.

For right now the terminology is social media.  My point is that the term communicates a consistent message to the majority of people.

Educators, business professionals, parents and other members of society are working to define how social media can be of benefit to them and to society as a whole.   The open availability of social media is a concern to some.  These people and organizations appear to be concerned about allowing everyone and anyone to express their views, regardless of the topic.

Some posts and comments may be inappropriate.  They may contain inflammatory and often erroneous content.  But free speech should never be curtailed or even discouraged.   Because of the interactive nature of these new communication mechanisms, readers are able to reply or comment on these posts immediately.  Therefore, many people have pointed out the errors and inappropriateness of these entries.  I believe that most people will look past the negative. Perhaps a code of ethics will be needed to control libelous or hateful comments.  However, I’m optimistic that things can be managed without formal controls.

… the absence of proven best practices has left some colleges leery of jumping into the social Web, says Sean Fitzgerald, vice president for business development at the marketing firm Spectrum Creative Solutions. “We’ve found that a lot of clients that we talk to are real apprehensive about using social networking tools because they don’t know much about it,” Fitzgerald says.

“It’s easy to be against something you’re afraid of, and it’s easy to be afraid of something you don’t understand,” says Brad Ward, CEO of BlueFuego, a consulting agency that monitors chatter about its clients (which include Abilene Christian University, Indiana University and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst) and advises them on the “do’s and dont’s” of the social Web. “That’s where I think a lot of administrators are on this.”  http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/10/09/socialmedia

Looking back at the history of communication, tools and techniques for communication have changed as each mode of communication grew.  There is a theory that humans first communicated for survival.  Communication could be used to indicate danger, food or other essentials for life.  In time gestures, language, art and other modes were integrated.  Similar process takes place when a new type of media is developed.  Somewhere along the line, all methods of communication are used for learning, entertainment and a host of other purposes.

Once a message is posted on a social medium, instantaneous communication and interaction becomes possible, both across the world and across cultural and educational levels.  With the advent of this new media, teachers become learners and vice versa.  In fact, most participants are both teachers and learners.  They are also able to function as members of a discussion group where concepts and ideas are explored.

Those with knowledge, information, views, or just willingness to participate, are able to make comments and express their viewpoint through social media.  We are in a new era where teachers no longer need to be the major source for spreading knowledge.  Many good teachers are pleased to have additional sources of information.

Many people are restricted from using or fully using social media by their employers or schools.  In some cases, people within learning institutions and industries are trying to use social media to help an organization succeed.  In some cases, control of these communications is good.  However, in other cases it might be fear of losing control or concerns unrelated to the actual situation and need.

At the end of the day, what we are talking about is another medium for communication. Social media should be treated as a communications mechanism.  It can deliver many messages to many audiences.   This of course is what makes social media so powerful.  But, it is merely a tool and should be viewed as what it is.  A hammer is a tool, it can be used to create, or destroy. Social media is a tool and how it is used will vary by its users.

We are fortunate to be living in an age where we have the opportunity to access and share information. We can learn, teach, share and grow at speeds that were unimaginable just a few short years ago.

More people worldwide are using social media. Comscore.com, which tracks Internet activity trends, reported that in April, social networking grew to 140 million users worldwide. Facebook had 67.5 million visitors, and Twitter had 17 million visitors. The MU Facebook network now has about 45,000 profiles attached to it.

….

Some people find social media to be a positive experience for education.

“We’re globally connected,” said Jason Ohler, a former professor of education technology at the University of Alaska, now a media psychology professor at Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, Calif. “It only makes sense to be globally connected when we pursue education.”

Some Columbia students are not so easily persuaded.

“I don’t really care. It (social media) probably wouldn’t help. It’s social type stuff — we’re trying to learn,” said Michael Phillip, a 20-year-old junior mechanical engineering major at MU.  “It wouldn’t be distracting. It just wouldn’t be necessary.”

With technology still advancing and opinions about social media differing, time will tell where social media fits in.

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/08/05/what-do-you-think-using-social-media-sites-education-system/

There is valid concern from members of academic communities and business organizations about liability for comments posted by employees, students and others in their employ or otherwise associated with their community.  These are problems that need to be dealt with.  Social media has a great deal to offer and we as a society need to find ways for people to use these new communication tools responsibly.  We need to develop processes that allow open dialog without leaving the individual or the organization open to litigation.  I believe this is the direction that needs to be taken so that the benefits of these new media can be open to everyone.