Careers in Learning

2012: Emerging Trends, Roles and Responsibilities in Learning and Development

2012-01-19T16:50:00.004-05:00

The following summarizes the comments received during an informal survey of Learning Leaders in the New York Metropolitan area on the anticipated changes and new developments in the Learning & Development and User Support fields.

The comments are presented in two categories (along with an indication on the level of consensus from the Learning Leaders surveyed):

Roles and Responsibilities that will be in demand over the next 12 to 24 months, and
Emerging Trends in the Learning and Development space over the same time period.

Emerging Roles and Responsibilities:

Performance Consultants to ensure alignment between business goals, challenges and breakdowns, and learning and development initiatives. Most survey participants noted a critical need for learning and development professionals that can speak the language of business and understand profit and loss challenges, staff management and professional development concerns, and business operations. Are we better served to have L&D professionals with an MBA focus or MBA professionals with an L&D orientation? There was universal consensus on this role.
Community Engagement Managers to promote, coordinate, organize, and manage user and subject matter involvement involved in social learning initiatives. Some survey participants indicated that this role and responsibility may be incorporated into the job description of existing L&D positions. There was broad consensus on this role.
Project and Program Managers with the ability to oversee global and virtual team initiatives. Going forward, the concept of the team may include employees, subject matter experts, business partners, clients, business stakeholders, and third party vendors. These Project and Program Managers will manage team members with varying cultural perspectives and alternative work arrangements. There was broad consensus on this role.
Talent Management / Human Capital Management Specialists to provide broader organizational design and organizational effectiveness to existing internal clients. These professionals will provide expertise in "hire to fire" strategies including topics encompassing competency modeling, recruitment and selection strategies, compensation, professional development, leadership development, and succession planning. There was broad consensus on this role.
Knowledge Managers / Content Librarians to oversee, manage, update, and determine access of organizational knowledge and learning assets. This role is a morphing of the Knowledge Management discipline and the current Curriculum Manager role. There was some consensus on this role.

Additional roles and responsibilities noted included:

Learning Systems Integration Specialists to ensure seamless integration of learning systems and applications with enterprise systems. These specialists would serve as the primary liaison between Learning and Development and IT and third party vendors.
Learning Evaluation and ROI Specialists to assess the business impact of Learning and Development initiatives.
Online Learning Designers and Developers with expertise in rapid development tools.

Emerging Trends:

Social Learning encompassing the utilization of social media tools to enhance learning and retention. Most survey participants are currently involved in the development or prototyping of social learning solutions. Some of the challenges mentioned included concerns over how information is shared and accessed, conformance to regulatory and compliance guidelines, productivity loss, and the reliability of the knowledge being shared. All survey participants saw social learning as a current and emerging trend.
Greater reliance on User Generated Content: Most survey participants envision pushing more of the content creation responsibilities to the end-user and subject matter expert community. In this scenario, traditional Learning and Development departments would be responsible for: (a) the development of toolkits, templates, and training solutions to support the user community in the development quality content and learning deliverables; (b) serving as mentors and coaches to the user community on content and learning development activities; (c) quality control activities
Mobile Learning: With the explosion in usage of smart phones and mobile computing devices, a great majority of survey participants see mobile computing as a significant emerging trend. With mobile learning (mLearning) come significant challenges including usability design concerns, security and compliance concerns, network reliability and speed, and the lack of an established mobile learning pedagogy and standards. Additional concerns were noted by David Wentworth of the Institute for Corporate Productivity who wrote, "Mobile learning is not without issues, though, most of which boil down to very tactical, practical application and the ever-present challenge of garnering the support of senior leaders. Do content owners now need to develop a mobile application for every piece of content they create? If so, does there need to be versions that can run on iPhones, an Android device, BlackBerrys and Windows phones? What about tablets? Are there authoring or content creation tools that make this easy? How do we manage all of this - through our existing Learning Management System (LMS)?" (http://www.i4cp.com/trendwatchers/2011/05/06/mobile-learning-anywhere-anytime)
Additional reliance on Outsourced Services: All survey participants indicated that they anticipated lean and mean times ahead. With continued economic uncertainty, staffing levels will be managed closely and Learning and Development departments will be pressed to continue to deliver quality solutions with limited funding. In order to meet these challenges, Learning and Development leaders will need to enhance their reliance on third party vendors and outsourcing partners. This will require (a) investigation of overseas or lower cost providers of quality services; (b) Learning and Development professionals skilled at managing outside vendors; (c) staff members skilled in managing overseas vendors and virtual teams

Survey participants included learning leaders from corporations representing the Healthcare/Hospital, Aviation, Insurance, Financial Services, Professional Services, Education, Manufacturing, and Real Estate sectors.

Your primary objective for the first 30 days in your new job - BUILD TRUST

2011-06-06T11:29:00.002-04:00

Congratulations on landing your new job! You have beaten out the competition and if you are like most you are filled with some mixed emotions:

Elation at finding and accepting a new position

Nervousness that accompanies any new job or assignment

Worry that the job and the people are as advertised

Believe me, your new employer has these very same emotions. Your first 30 days are very important. During this time initial impressions and judgments will be formed about your performance as an employee, your reliability, and the outlook for your long-term employment. If these initial assessments are negative, they can result in termination, being put on a performance plan, or at the very least serve as an obstacle to be overcome.

My recommendation to all professionals when beginning a new work endeavor is to consciously work to build TRUST during your first 30 days. This TRUST needs to extend to your management, co-workers, peers, internal clients, and vendors. Here are some tips and pointers:

Work with your manager to establish goals and objectives for your first 30-60-90 days. These goals and objectives should be tangible and measurable.

Establish a dedicated time every week for a one-on-one review with your manager. This is especially important during the first 30 days when you are both learning how best to work with each other.

Treat your manager as a customer that needs to be satisfied. Having this orientation will build your awareness and sensitivity to your manager's level of satisfaction. Besides your 30-60-90 day goals and objectives what other conditions of satisfaction does your manager have? Be sure to ask if there is anything else that you could be doing to have your manager more satisfied with your performance.

Follow a "No Surprises" policy during your first 30 days. If deadlines are in jeopardy, communicate them as soon as you know so that other actions can be considered.

Eliminate any potential drama...no car trouble, latenesses, bursting water pipes, illnesses, etc. Anything and everything that occurs in the first 30 days are magnified.

Each of these pointers will support you in building TRUST with your new employer and will help in validating their hiring decision. These pointers when implemented long-term will also support you in continually meeting your employers expectations and will help greatly in leading to a long and productive relationship.

Hey...Wake Up!

2011-01-28T12:10:00.008-05:00

I have written several times in the past about the importance of protecting your online identity. You have to assume that prospective employers will be searching the Internet and reviewing any results that show up. This pertains to both full-time employment and consulting opportunities and includes Twitter tweets, Facebook postings, personal/professional web site content, and the like.

I have come to realize that even well skilled and experienced professionals can be blind to the importance of protecting their public identity. Please note that I used the words well skilled and experienced and not top-tier or best.

There is no distinction between posts on the Internet that are business-related or ones that are personal or private. They are all reviewed and factored when assessments and judgments are formed and a decision is made to hire or to move on to another candidate. Most importantly, these online references can have a lasting impact for years to come and play a significant factor in your career growth and development.

This article needs to serve as a wake-up call and cause a moment of reflection.

Do your online postings support your personal and professional identities?
Are you considering how these postings may be viewed or interpreted by prospective employers or clients?

Here are some actual examples that we have uncovered over the years. My intention in citing these examples is not to make a judgment about the events that unfolded but instead to illustrate how the online posting could be factored into the hiring decision:

We were recruiting for a position with a progressive e-learning development firm. The company has built an impressive reputation for the caliber of their elearning solutions and the high moral and ethical standards that they set for their business. After presenting a very impressive candidate, we were informed by the client that a Google search revealed that the candidate was involved in a home business that dealt in adult themed products. The client decided not to pursue this candidate.
After interviewing a talented candidate, a review of their Facebook page revealed several inappropriate references to their partying days in college and excessive use of foul language.
A recent Google search of a candidate revealed their personal Twitter page which showed numerous tweets every day throughout the day and raised real questions about the candidate's focus and dedication to their full-time employment. Were they working or tweeting?
One client told me that they had decided not to offer a position to a candidate because their Facebook page indicated frequent illnesses and sick days.
A Google search of another candidate uncovered the candidate’s political blog. The blog, while well written, was decidedly partisan. A prospective hiring manger with opposing political views could react negatively to the blog.
Another candidate's Twitter page showed several references to drinking, beer and alcohol. How could this be interpreted by a prospective employer or client?

There is no way to know for sure how thorough prospective employers will be in their screening of potential employees or consultants. There is, however no question that more and more are using a simple Google search to see what they may be able to learn before they make the decision to interview or hire a candidate.

The strong advice here is to THINK before posting and consider: How might this posting be viewed by others - peers, current and future employers and clients?

Time For Your Annual Career Tune-Up - 2010--->2011

2010-11-08T16:20:00.005-05:00

I have been publishing the Annual Career Tune-Up since the company was formed in 2002. The tune-up gives a quick reflection of the current year and a forecast of what may be in store in the coming year. Included are also some recommendations that you may want to consider for 2011.

As we reach the end of 2010 and look forward to 2011, there are indications that brighter economic times may be ahead. The chart from the Bureau of Labor Statistics below illustrates the cause for some of my conservative optimism:

Employment, Hours, and Earnings from the Current Employment Statistics survey (National)

While we are far from a rosy job and employment market, we are seeing increased demand for consultants and full-time employees. Here are some quick stats:

* Year to date, the revenue at KnowledgeStaff have increased by over 60%

* Sales within the healthcare sector accounted for close to 61% of the total revenue; financial services accounted for 27%

* Consultant pay rates have begun to creep upward

When the employment marketplace is uncertain but showing some signs of recovery, several things occur:

* Supply and demand forces cause salaries and consulting rates which have been depressed begin to show signs of improvement. My sense is that this will be a slow gradual improvement.

* Staffing cycle times slow; with more candidates in the marketplace, corporations are more likely to hold out for the “perfect’ candidate.

* Corporations will begin to ramp up their hiring. Traditionally we see an uptick in consulting requirements before full-time hiring although this recovery may be different as most companies needed to cut deeper within their full-time ranks.

Establish your Learning Budget
Resolve each year to acquire some new skill, tool, technology, or subject matter expertise that contributes to your ongoing career development. My recommendations for this year include:

* If you are a learning and development professional and you do not have some exposure to e-learning authoring tools, you are at a distinct competitive disadvantage. The tools that we see demanded most, in order of importance, are Adobe's Captivate, the suite of tools from Articulate, and Trivantis's Lectora ProSuite. Most if not all of these vendors offer free trial versions of their software.

* Begin to research DITA. The Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) is an XML-based architecture for authoring, producing, and delivering information. This standard has been in use within the technical publications world and we are seeing it discussed with the L&D community more and more.

* Attend and/or participate in industry conferences.

* Research the impact of social media within the L&D space. If your organization is not discussing social media, they will be.

* Read Jeanne Meister and Karie Willyerd's book, The 2020 Workplace, published by HarperCollins. This book presents a forecast for the future that I believe is spot-on and is a must read.

* Consider enrolling in a certificate program to enhance your current skill set.

In some cases your employer will absorb these expenses but if not, an appropriate annual investment in your professional development would be $1,500 - $2,500 per year. You're worth it.

Take Time to Reflect
Many of us, so consumed with work and extracurricular activities, drift through our careers without being mindful of its direction. The answers to these questions will help in determining whether the time may be right to investigate new career opportunities:

* Is your current position consistent with your short and long-term career goals and objectives?

* What are the new trends in the learning marketplace and is your current position consistent with these trends?

* Is your career moving forward with acceptable velocity?

* What new roles and responsibilities do you need to assume to move your career forward?

* What conversations and actions are required to get your career back on track?

* How vulnerable are you to a future downturn in the marketplace?

If you have any questions or would like a "no-obligation" appraisal of your current situation, please contact us at 866-742-2410.

Interview Questions: What Should You Be Asking?

2010-11-02T20:50:00.003-04:00

So have done your due diligence prior to the interview and reviewed the company’s web site, googled the names of all of the people that you may be meeting, and reviewed the job specification again. You have also set aside the business interview suit, organized your portfolio to highlight the experience that is reflected on the job specification and committed yourself to getting a good night’s sleep and setting out early enough to account for traffic, public transportation breakdowns and the like.

Great job! But if I were to ask you what the goal was for tomorrow’s interview would you have an answer? Sure, the goal is always to try and have the interview result in an offer however will you learn enough during the course of the interview to know whether it is a job that is consistent with your career aspirations and goals?

When I speak with people that are seeking to embark on a new job search, they often mention negative aspects of their current position that they were not aware of when they accepted the job, aspects of the position that were misrepresented, or questions that they neglected to ask during the interview stage. I offer that you need to be asking questions during the interview related to three critical areas:

1. Roles and responsibilities: Sure you have a copy of the job description however how accurate is the job description? What will be the focus of the position during the first 30 days? The first 90 days? How are roles and responsibilities delineated within the department? How might the focus of your day shift over time? For instance, will you be working to maintain existing learning programs during the first six months and then begin to focus on new development initiatives? Can you see samples of the team’s work?

2. Management and Career Development: The quality and competence of your manager contributes more to your job satisfaction than any other factor. It is very important for you to try and learn as much as you can about how you will be managed and how you will be assessed. Questions could include:

If I were to ask members of your staff how would they describe your management style?
How do you communicate with members of your staff and what kind of reporting do you require?
How often will we meet to discuss my progress?
Do you develop annual performance plans with your staff that discusses job and professional development goals?
If bonuses are a component of the compensation plan, what criteria is used in determining the bonus award?

The key here is to try and learn as much about the manager’s style and skill as possible. Be sure to validate the answers you hear with your potential peers. There is a world of difference between a skilled and secure professional manager and a poor manager that resorts to micro-management and indecision.

3. Work environment: I strongly advise using your power of observation in assessing the company’s work environment. What words would you use to describe the feeling that you had when you entered the reception area (i.e., warm, collegial, cold, hectic, loud)? How were you made to feel by the receptionist and all of the people that you interacted with?

Try and gauge what a typical work week is like in terms of work load and overtime. Are there specific times when the overtime kicks in? Is overtime the norm? Also, what is the company’s policy regarding working off-site? You goal is to determine whether the work environment will support you in doing your best work.

Take these tips and questions to heart and the likelihood of being unpleasantly surprised will decrease significantly.

So You Want to Be a Top-Tier Consultant? The Four Key Attributes

2010-10-19T16:51:00.007-04:00

Having spent over 25 years of my professional career working with consultants and representing consulting services to a Fortune 500 clientele, I have come to recognize and truly appreciate top-tier consultants.

Below are four key attributes that I have been able to identify that are consistent with these top-tier consultants. Top-tier consultants possess all of the key attributes. So how do you stack up?

Masters of their craft: The top tier consultants are masters of their craft and are firmly rooted in the philosophies and methodologies that govern their industry. Within the learning space this would include formal grounding in adult learning theory, instructional design, organization development/effectiveness, and performance improvement. They are dedicated students of their craft with a commitment to remain ahead of the bleeding edge. They typically are active in professional societies and associations, attend and present at industry conferences or write for industry publications. They have built a social and professional network where they are recognized for their knowledge and the quality of their deliverables.
They are true business partners: Top tier consultants have rock solid business and performance consulting skills. They are able to understand and uncover business goals, breakdowns, challenges, and objectives. All solutions are designed to support the client in meeting their underlying business challenges. They are viewed by clients as a business partner, not as an outside resource. Their opinions are valued and respected and in most cases their engagements lead to other engagements. They are resale machines.
They are extraordinary communicators: These consultants have an uncanny ability to communicate with people at all levels of the organization. In times of conflict and stress they are able to work with clients to resolve any issues that pose a threat to the success of the engagement. They are keenly focused on the ultimate objective of the engagement which can often get blurred when times get tough. They have the extraordinary ability to blend with clients to resolve disagreements. These consultants speak honestly and directly and their commitment to excellence is never questioned.
They are hard-wired to serve clients: Everyone knows the importance of satisfying clients but I have found that the top-tier consultants are almost genetically inclined to serve and satisfy clients. When you speak with them about the jobs that they held when they were beginning their careers, serving customers is a consistent theme. Serving clients is not a concept but a mantra. Top tier consultants recognize that while their assessments are valid, the assessments of their clients are most important. They are finely tuned to the satisfaction of their clients and are sure to consistently check in on their satisfaction. Difficult conversations are had the moment they arise, communication is proactive and engagements end positively.

Top-tier consultants are in high demand by clients and greatly minimize risks associated with a consulting engagement. For organizations like KnowledgeStaff that provide consulting services, top-tier consultants offer us a sense of comfort and peace of mind. We just know that the job is going to get done.

So You've Been Out Of Work For How Long?

2010-08-12T16:06:00.002-04:00

For the past 6 months, I have been supporting a family member in his search to locate a new job. He has been seeking employment for close to a year. The mental, emotional, financial, and physical toll of his search for employment has been deep. Sadly, he is not alone. There are numerous stories of people within the KnowledgeStaff network that have been on the hunt for a new job for as long and longer. None of these people I mention are dead wood, poorly skilled or problem employees. They are all struggling job seekers, members of a fraternity that none chose to join.

But there are promising signs out there. Slowly, I am hearing stories of people landing new jobs or assignments. At KnowledgeStaff our activity with full-time placements has picked up noticeably. Predictions of a slow economic recovery seem to be on target.

A question that I get asked frequently is “How do I explain being out of work for so long?” with the follow-up question “How do I let this potential employer know that I am not damaged goods?’ These are not easy questions but the best answers to these questions may come from dissecting the concerns of the potential employers that are behind these questions.

It is important to remember that employers are readily aware of the job market and economy. In many cases they too have experienced downsizings. Unlike other market downturns they are clear that many very qualified people lost their jobs and that layoffs went much deeper than just eliminating the poor performers or dead wood.

The most frequent concerns that I hear from employers when considering candidates that have been out of work for a while are:

Why so long? They basically want to know the story behind the story. What were the circumstances that caused you to be out of work and why have you not secured a position to date? What they are listening for is sincerity and to be sure that there is no remaining bitterness. They want to hear that you are in a mood of resolve and excitement about beginning a new position and making a contribution to that organizations' success. A small dose of humility can also go a long way.

How have you been spending your time? Has the job search been a full-out endeavor? Have you been volunteering your time or done any consulting work? Candidates that appear to have been sitting on the sidelines or putting out anything less than a full-out effort may raise concerns about work ethic and commitment.

Have you made any investments (time or money) to improve your skill set and marketability? If the answer is no, there is still time. Take an online course, read some books or download a free trial version of a software tool that will enhance your marketability.

How much? We are all aware that there is a new reality when it comes to compensation. The law of supply and demand is just not in the favor of job seekers. Candidates that show a willingness to consider positions at a significantly lower level that what they are accustomed raises serious retention concerns for the employer. The best answer that I have heard presented by a candidate was to offer to commit to remain with the new employer for a period of time (12-24 months seems reasonable). Please note that the employer may not raise their concerns about retention - just know that it is most probably there and any answers that you can provide during the interview to stress your commitment and the fact that you are not a job-hopper can only help.

Human Capital Management: Opportunity or Threat?

2010-04-14T09:31:00.003-04:00

Senior level Learning and Development professionals interested in ongoing career development are often faced with the question, "What's Next?" Within the corporate sector, the primary goal is to attain the role that sets the overall strategy and direction for learning within an organization. In the best of all worlds, the position is afforded C-level status in the form of a Chief Learning Officer role.

Over the past several years, Human Capital Management (HCM) and Talent Management have garnered significant press and corporate investment. This hire to retire approach incorporates:

Organization design which involves the strategic alignment, competency development of people and associated HR strategies
Workforce planning and deployment encompassing skills inventories, career pathing, and succession planning
Recruitment and selection
Professional development covering both hard and soft skills learning and development
Knowledge management for harnessing and leveraging the intellectual capital of an organization
Performance management and measurement

HCM seems to represent an opportunity for Learning and Development professionals to move beyond the traditional boundaries and responsibilities. HCM may serve as a new answer to the "What's Next? question. At the same time HCM should be provoking some real questions:

Do I have the qualification for this role?
How do I acquire the skills to grow into this role?
Am I best qualified?
Will HCM limit my sphere of influence within the organization?

I think that the jury is still out with many unanswered questions. Will the person that leads HCM come from the Human Resources world? Will someone with an Organization Development or Organization Effectiveness orientation be tapped to lead this type of initiative? How can a traditional Learning and Development professional gain the skills to move in this direction?

I invite your thoughts, comments, and suggestions...

Your Resume and the 10 Second Rule

2010-01-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

During my career I have read hundreds and probably thousands of resumes. I have come to realize that I tend to make my initial assessments on a person and their experience in about 5 seconds but never more than 10 seconds. Normally when I am reviewing a resume there is a job requirement that I am looking to fill. So my initial scan is to see how many of those specific skills are reflected in the resume. This is even more the case when I am reviewing the resumes of candidates that have responded to a particular job posting.

I am not alone in this thinking. In speaking with colleagues, other recruiters and some hiring managers, many agree that their initial assessments are made very quickly. Depending on how busy I am at a given moment will determine just how deeply I get into a resume. For people that still rely on a cover letter to answer the question “Why should I invite you in for an interview?” I have bad news. I rarely read cover letters – in fact I don’t remember the last one that I did read.

I am not claiming that all HR reps, recruiters and hiring managers deal with resumes the same way that I do but I do believe that there are a large percentage that do. So your resume needs to produce an assessment within the first 10 seconds that it is worthy of further review.

The simplest way to accomplish this is to customize a Summary section at the beginning of the resume. The Summary section should list 4 or 5 bullet items that convey your value proposition for the position that you are applying for and basically state your case for why you should be called in for an interview. In writing your Summary section (and the rest of your resume) be sure to use words and phrases as they are used in the job description. Your description for each job that you have held should support these 4 or 5 bullet items. Remember, that while employers may care about other skills and experience, you can be sure that they DO care about the experience and skills indicated on the job description.

Give this suggestion a try. I would be surprised if you do not see an increase in the number of interviews you are able to generate.

2009-2010 Employment Opportunities and Speculations

2009-06-30T14:50:00.002-04:00

While the employment marketplace remains relatively slow, there are signs of a gradual improvement. Recent economic indicators reflect an increase in consumer confidence which is normally a leading indicator of an improving employment climate. Whether these initial positive signs continue is anyone’s guess however this is a good time to try to pinpoint segments of the employment marketplace that may rebound first or represent new opportunities. Based on our reading of the economy and recent government actions and conversations with clients, here are just a few to consider:

Learning and development to reflect new ways of doing business – the recent collapse of the financial services sector has resulted in new rules and regulations for how these corporations will function going forward. Some of these new practices are in direct response to new and yet to be announced government edicts, others will be required based on corporate operations improvement initiatives. Either way, both front and back office personnel will need to be trained in the new ways that business will be conducted.

Learning and development to ensure that these new ways of doing business are being followed – look for corporate ethics and compliance areas to undertake major learning and development initiatives to ensure that operating units are complying with government and corporate standards and guidelines.

Learning and development within the healthcare sector – it remains to be seen how the healthcare reform movement will actually take hold however some type of healthcare reform seems inevitable. With reform comes new learning and development requirements and opportunities. We are keeping a close eye on areas that address billing and claims and the electronic health records (EHR) and electronic medical records (EMR) groups.

Learning and development within the clean energy sector – all signs point to increased spending and focus on clean energy. This should result in greater employment within this market sector which will create learning and development opportunities. Additionally, I envision corporations in this sector needing to invest in community outreach and client education programs to aid in building market awareness and demand.

Salary Flexibility: Is it Enough?

2009-03-31T22:47:00.004-04:00

Scenario: You are out of work and come across a job that you are clearly overqualified for. In fact this looks just like a position that you held five years ago. The salary that is posted is close to $20,000 less than what you were making in your last position. You have been out of work for close to three months and quite frankly, you would accept that salary. You hit the send button and forward your resume to the company.

So what happens now? In most cases, experienced recruiters will quickly review your resume and not call you in for an interview. The reason is pretty simple. While you are clearly qualified for the position, you represent a huge retention risk. The investment corporations make in training and orienting a new employee is considerable. In most cases the return on their hiring investment occurs sometime between year 1 and year 2. Recruiting professionals and hiring managers recognize that once the market rebounds (and the market WILL rebound), jobs will become more plentiful and employees that are underpaid will most likely leave.

There are other employers that will recognize these very points, but instead will look to maximize their investment by hopefully having a more productive and experienced employee on board for as long as they can. They are basically willing to accept the retention risk.

In speaking with a candidate today, he presented some compelling arguments that he wanted me to convey to my client. Here are some of those arguments and a few other suggestions you may want to consider using:

Stress the increased productivity that they will receive by having a more experienced person on staff.
Discuss any additional value that you may be able to offer that a lesser skilled hire could not provide. If this additional value is relevant to the employer, it may open their eyes to a new way of thinking.
Make some guarantee regarding the minimum length of employment that you are willing to commit to.
Offer a short trial period where the employer can see you and your experience in action. At the successful conclusion of this trial, employment could continue, roles and responsibilities potentially expanded, or salary revisited.

Corporations that are hiring in this marketplace recognize the difficulties that job seekers are facing. Ultimately their hiring decisions are based on the perceived value that prospective candidates offer. And therein lies your challenge…

Facebook and other online references – a word of warning

2009-02-26T18:30:00.003-05:00

I have always taken pride in being an early adopter of new technologies and trends however I must admit that I am only now getting into Facebook. I am not sure if I truly get what this Facebook thing is all about. People leaving innocuous ditties about their lives, links to causes I have never heard about, hour by hour reflections on the weather and their health. With all of the unlimited phone plans is there any reason why people just don’t pick up the phone anymore? Don’t get me started on text messaging. Has anyone thought to do a study to find out what the impact will be on our society given that people are speaking with one another less and less frequently?

The only thing that worries me about the questions I raise is that I am starting to sound more and more like my parents. I actually made my son get a haircut when he got home from college this winter. I’m not sure if that was in reaction to his sloppy appearance or some hidden desire to have his hair length more in line with my rapidly receding hairline (OK I will admit it – it is more than just my hairline that is rapidly receding).

To bring this all back to some business relevance, here is a word of caution. Be careful what you post online. More and more of this information can be viewed by more and more people. If potential employers notice posts that raise questions or worse yet, red flags, it could endanger your employment opportunities. I always encourage people to google their names just to see what is out there. Once it appears on the Internet it can be very difficult to remove.

See you all on Facebook.

When Malware Strikes…

2009-01-07T12:32:00.002-05:00

There are computer viruses and then there are computer viruses. My family computer was recently infected with the Spyguard 2008 virus and let me tell you – this is one nasty virus that takes over your Internet browser and can also forward password information to remote computers.

I tend to take these viruses as a challenge and resolve to personally rid these viruses from my computer. I ran Spybot. I ran Ad-Aware. I ran my anti-virus software. I did this in Normal mode, Safe mode, and Safe mode with Networking. No luck.

I researched this virus and found several postings with supposed tools that would remove Spyguard 2008. The only thing that these postings did not mention was that the Spyguard 2008 virus redirects any attempts to download these tools or access their web sites. Again, no luck.

I then found that there are anti-malware forums dedicated to help and in most cases, these forums and their forum staff provide their service at NO CHARGE.

I went to www.bleepingcomputer.com and followed the instructions on how to post my issue and then waited for a reply (4 days later). My knight in shining armor was from the Netherlands and was incredibly thorough and knowledgeable. Over the course of the next day and a half, I used 7 different tools and followed 18 different steps to rid my computer of this virus.

If you ever find yourself in a similar position keep the following web sites in mind:

www.bleepingcomputer.com
www.malwareremoval.com
www.geekstogo.com
www.majorgeeks.com

Job Search 911

2008-10-18T17:46:00.003-04:00

Ladies and gentleman…hang on because this ride may be a little rough. We are in the midst of some tough economic times and the employment market has tightened considerably. Here is a quick brain dump of to-dos that you should consider if you are currently seeking a new opportunity.

Customize every resume that you submit for posted job opportunities. Yes it will take some additional time, however in many cases your resume is winding up in a resume database. The resume must use the same words that are found in the job description and stress all of your relevant experience for that particular position. If you adopt this strategy, your chances of being called in for an interview increase substantially.
Consider developing a version of your resume that de-emphasizes your industry experience but instead focuses on your core competencies and mastery. In today’s marketplace any candidate with a strong concentration of experience in financial services may be at a disadvantage. While it still makes sense to seek out opportunities in the financial services industry, prepare a copy of your resume that will appeal to opportunities in other industries.
Speak about the solutions that you have developed in general terms – “Worked closely with business stakeholders to analyze, design, and develop business process training that incorporated best practices and enabling applications.” – as compared to – “Created Fixed Assets self-instructional modules to teach commercial bankers to identify client's financial vulnerabilities and market appropriate solutions.”
Activate your “network of help.” This network of help will include former colleagues, managers, internal and external clients, friends, family, and the like. This is not the time to be shy. Let people know that you are seeking a new opportunity and check to see if they can help. Please do not forget that anyone that does help deserves to be re-paid in some manner.
Develop a Hit List of companies to target. This list should include companies that:
· are competitors to your previous employers
· have products and services that you are familiar with
· have been reporting positive financial results
· have been awarded significant contracts and grants
· are major employers in your geographic region
· you admire and would be interested in working for
Review the career pages from the web sites of the companies on your Hit List.
Review the career pages from the professional society web sites. Be sure to check the national and local chapter web sites. These societies include:
· American Society for Training & Development: www.astd.org
· International Society for Performance Improvement: www.ispi.org
· Society for Human Resource Management: www.shrm.org
· Organization Development Network: www.odnetwork.org
· Society for Technical Communication: www.stc.org
· Good Manufacturing Practices - Training and Education Association: www.gmptea.org
· American Medical Writers Association: www.amwa.org
· IEEE Professional Communication Society: http://ewh.ieee.org/soc/pcs/
· Society of Insurance Trainers and Educators: www.insurancetrainers.org
Find someone that can help you manage and maintain a positive mood. This person can be a friend, business advisor, employment agency rep, or family member. The key here is to try and maintain a positive outlook during your job search. The cold hard truth is that your search may be difficult and make take longer than you desire. Maintaining a positive outlook will be critical in locating a new position. In my experience, job seekers that fall into moods of resignation, despair, and defeat find it exceedingly difficult to find new employment. During your job search obstacles will appear. Some resumes you send will result in an interview but more will not. Some companies will reply to your submission but most will not. The most effective person for this role will be able to recognize when your mood is slipping and will be able to offer coaching, support, and guidance. There are more methods that you can use to locate new opportunities than I can list. The key to maintaining a positive mood is to remain firmly grounded in the quality and caliber of the skills and experience that you can offer to a new employer AND to continually explore new avenues and methods that can help lead to your next opportunity. If you do not do this, someone else will.

DELL Computer: Customer (Dis)Satisfaction

2008-09-02T22:23:00.005-04:00

OK – time for my first blog rant. Dell Computer has used up all of the good well that they had built over the past 10 years. I have been a faithful customer for my personal and business computer purchases however NEVER AGAIN!

Having dealt with numerous customer service and repair issues over the past 9 months, several themes are consistent in my dealings with Dell:

You NEVER get the person that you need to speak with on the phone the first time. On average it takes three phone transfers to get to someone that can actually help. It seems to be a game of attrition with Dell where they hope that a certain percentage of people just cry “UNCLE” and hang up.

Much is promised but little is documented…on two separate occasions I was promised refunds and credits for the trouble that I was experiencing. I took down the name of the person that I was speaking with however they were impossible to locate later on. Emails that were promised to be forwarded documenting the phone calls never arrived.

It is all outsourced…and in the great majority of cases the communication skills of these off-shore workers is poor at best. The corporate executives at Dell must know this but are clearly committed to something other than satisfying their customers (HINT: $$$).

Dell’s out-sourced customer service reps all possess names that cannot be understood. I have come to appreciate the off-shore customer service reps that answer the phone, “Thank you for calling Dell. My name is undecipherable but you can call me Thomas.”

I defy you to try and get the name of someone based in the US to help in the Customer Service department. The off-shore staff will not provide this info and after a half-hour trying to find the name of someone to call I gave up (see attrition comment above).

A percentage of Dell’s profits are expected to come from dissatisfied customers that get lazy, sloppy or just plain tired. I was overcharged on two occasions for service repairs and it took considerable effort to track down the people that needed to correct the problem. (Additional information on Item 1 above: It takes 5 phone transfers to get a refund at Dell).

As an aside…I am very happy with the HP desktop that I recently purchased and the service that I have received from their Customer Service department. A good portion of their operations appear to be off-shored as well but they just seem much nicer and committed to helping.

I invite you to join my one-man crusade to bring down the Dell Empire…

When the Internet Job Sites Just Aren’t Working…

2008-08-26T13:03:00.011-04:00

…you need to get creative and take alternative actions. Here are five tried and true steps that you can take that may help you uncover the harder-to-find job opportunities.

1. http://www.jobcentral.com/ – Unlike Monster, Hotjobs, and Careerbuilder, jobcentral.com spiders corporate career pages and pulls job openings. A search on jobcentral.com will uncover positions that exist on corporate sites but not necessarily on the more popular job sites.

2. Professional society job pages – Almost every major professional society will have a Career or Jobs section on their web sites. While most job seekers will check the main society sites, many will not check the local chapter web sites. In many instances these local chapters will have job postings not found on the society’s main web site. Be sure to check out: http://www.astd.org/, http://www.ispi.org/, http://www.shrm.org/, http://www.odnetwork.org/.

3. Attend professional society meetings. At most meetings members are given an opportunity to make announcements and you can often hear about job opportunities that aren’t otherwise published or promoted.

4. Leverage your professional society investment. Most professional societies will provide an online directory of members. In some cases, these members can represent a pipeline to consulting and permanent job opportunities.

5. Scour corporate career pages. Here are the steps that I would take to maximize my time investment.

** Develop a list of the corporations that are the major employers in your area

** Develop a list of the corporations in your area that are the major employers within the industries that you have worked (you are most marketable to these corporations)

** Develop a list of corporations in your area that appear to be doing well (increased stock price, positive press, awarding of contracts, etc.)

** Visit the career pages of the corporations on your list to see what jobs they may have posted.

** Submit your resume or better yet attempt to speak with a hiring manager within the corporation (HINT: don’t forget about those membership directories).

A Time for Reflection

2008-07-16T12:04:00.001-04:00

I just returned from an incredibly relaxing family vacation in Mexico. Having the opportunity to kick-back, relax and just spend time with family was rewarding and rejuvenating. For years I was in a heads-down, white knuckle, business-first mode and admittedly lost sight of the importance of spending quality time with my family and allowing myself some much deserved R&R.

When I founded KnowledgeStaff one of the resolutions that I made was that I was going to structure the business in a way that gave me more balance between my personal and professional commitments. I am happy to say that thus far, I have been very successful in honoring that resolution and that as a result, my family relationships and mental well-being are better than they ever have been. It is just plain working.

With my back against a lounge chair, a frozen margarita in my hand and the beautiful ocean in front of me I remember having three distinct thoughts:

The first was the importance of spending this quality time with my family away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life…this time is precious and should be enjoyed whenever possible by everyone

The second was the realization that from time to time I just need some time for myself to leave all of the issues of business behind and allow myself some time to relax and recharge my body. As I near 50 years of age this is becoming more and more important (did I really say 50?)

And finally, a confirmation of the importance of working with true professionals that get the job done – no matter what. At no point during my trip did I have any concerns that everything at work was being taken care of. I cannot tell you how liberating this is and in fact, it was these very people that allowed me to have the great time that I did. The hiring of great people is so important to not just getting the job done but to also creating any sense of balance between your personal and professional commitments.

I challenge you to take an objective look at the people around you to see if they allow you to have the type of freedom and peace of mind that I had on my recent vacation.

If they do, CONGRATULATIONS on doing a great job of identifying great employees and be sure to keep them happy.

If they do not, what actions are necessary to right the ship?

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

A resume reader’s confession…some truths about resumes from my perspective

2008-06-17T14:16:00.002-04:00

I am busy and probably have ten other things on my plate in addition to reviewing resumes and screening candidates. You have no more than 10 seconds (and in many cases less) to grab my attention. That’s it. So how are you going to grab my attention?

Most resumes today are housed in large resume databases. Most searches of those databases are done by HR generalists and recruiters that while skilled in the art of staffing, are not fully versed in all of the positions that they recruit for. How can they be? That is the dilemma that you face. Your solution is…?

I am busy. At this moment, I only care about what I am looking for. You either have the skills and experience I need or you don’t. As I am reviewing your resume very little else matters to me. Can you help me fill my need?

Sorry, but your marital status, age, weight, high school attended and love of butterflies really doesn’t interest me. In fact, it has me wonder why you would think I cared in the first place.

The look and feel of your resume does matter. With all of the books, articles and general information about writing resumes available, if your resume isn’t well formatted and visually pleasing, consider the red flag raised.

Typos = Careless = Poor Quality = NO THANK YOU.

I rarely read cover letters. I will read the email message that accompanies a resume. If your resume doesn’t pique my interest in the allotted 10 seconds I will NEVER read your cover letter. Couldn’t you address whatever you want to say in the cover letter in the resume itself?

Unless you are in academia the only purpose of your resume is to generate an interview. If your resume is not generating interviews it is not well constructed or you are not targeting the right jobs. Don’t use what doesn’t work.

I would be happy to offer some simple and pragmatic solutions to all of the scenarios and questions posed above. Just ask…

Reading the Economy

2008-06-15T12:05:00.004-04:00

Having now been in the learning and performance improvement business for 25 years I am now experiencing the third major market downturn. Interestingly, each market downturn has followed a similar business cycle:

Full Steam Ahead: All is well with corporations and the economy. Corporate profits abound with ample budgets for investment and expansion and personal income increases. In almost every instance during this phase of the market cycle, the demand for talent is greater than the available talent pool and corporations are fully staffed with full-time employees and outside consultants.

Trouble Brewing: Market uncertainty raises its ugly head as corporate profits begin to lag, rumblings of layoffs and downsizings begin, and corporate budgets are re-evaluated and pared. Normally, outside consultants are the first to be impacted as assignments or projects are either ended or not extended. The number of full-time opportunities begins to decrease and the available pool of talent begins to increase.

Market Crisis: Business takes a marked downturn with consistent stories of significant corporate losses, layoffs, and cut-backs. The general mood in the economy is one of concern and worry as the prevailing economic indicators point to a recession or stagflation. Full-time staff levels are cut and organizations re-evaluate their organizational priorities. Full-time positions are few and far between with a large number of qualified candidates vying for the few positions available. Critical projects requiring additional resources are most likely to be filled with contractors or outsourced to third-party vendors. Salaries for these positions decrease in relation to supply and demand market forces.

Signs of Life: The prevailing conversation in the business world is one of a market rebound and improving business climate. While conditions in the economy are beginning to look better, most corporations are wary of adding to their permanent headcount. The number of full-time positions begins to increase slowly with most new initiatives being staffed with outside consultants or outsourced to third-party vendors.

I find a large percentage of professionals that we encounter are not mindful of the climate in the marketplace until it is too late. Each of the phases listed above require different actions to ensure ongoing income and employment.

This mindfulness is also important for consultants and business owners. As a case in point, during the last significant market downturn, we placed a heavy marketing focus on the pharmaceutical and health care markets. These industries are historically less impacted by market recessions. It proved the correct strategy as our revenues remained steady at a time when most competitors suffered significant decreases in sales and several competitors left the marketplace entirely.

The Iraq War: A Lesson in Poor Performance Management?

2008-05-29T10:32:00.003-04:00

In watching General Petraeus’s recent testimony on Capital Hill I was struck once again by how varied the assessments were of the United States’ progress in the Iraq War. Partisan politics was again on display as most Democrats asserted the troop surge a failure while most Republicans viewed the surge as a success. Clearly different standards exist in terms of the conditions of satisfaction for assessing the surge as a failure or success. And so the debate rages on…

What I found most interesting is how the 18 Iraq Benchmarks were not a major topic in the discussion on our progress in Iraq. These 18 Benchmarks, as defined in the Iraq Supplemental Appropriations bill (H.R. 2206) and signed into law on May 25, 2007 indicated that the “…United States strategy in Iraq, hereafter, shall be conditioned on the Iraqi government meeting benchmarks, as told to members of Congress by the President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

It would stand to reason that any assessment on success or failure would have to be predicated on a review of the progress in meeting those 18 Benchmarks. But when was the last time you recall hearing about these benchmarks? How many of these benchmarks do you recall?

It would not be a bad idea for representative of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to visit Capitol Hill and the Defense Department. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management definition of Performance Management includes:

planning work and setting expectations,
continually monitoring performance,
developing the capacity to perform,
periodically rating performance in a summary fashion, and
rewarding good performance.

It is hard to imagine taking the time to establish these critical Benchmarks for performance and then not continually monitoring and rating the Iraqi government’s performance in fulfilling these benchmarks. Continuous monitoring and assessment are required to keep these types of standards for performance relevant. Without this consistency these performance measures fade into the woodwork and lose all relevance.

Differentiation: Pragmatic or Cold-Hearted Management?

2008-03-31T21:13:00.003-04:00

I recently uploaded some books on CD onto my iPod. In listening to Jack Welch’s Winning, he discusses the concept of differentiation where he advocates that organizations segment their people, business lines and products into three groups and that each should be treated differently:

Top 20%: should be highly praised and showered with rewards for their fine accomplishments
Middle 70%: are incredibly valuable to the organization and should be trained, kept engaged and motivated. The focus should be on moving potential high performers into the Top 20%
Bottom 10%: should be removed from the organization

In essence, Jack Welch’s concept of differentiation promoted “cultivating the strong and culling the weak.”

The book reminded me the time I was invited to fly down to my client’s headquarters and give a presentation on KnowledgeStaff’s capabilities to their Learning Board. The board was comprised of the various learning leaders throughout their enterprise. The presentation was to be given during the lunch break of their Annual meeting however I was invited to sit in on the morning session.

After the introductions, the head of the Learning Board asked all members to write down the names of the bottom 15% of their organizations. These were individuals who had been involved in professional development conversations throughout the year but had just not risen above the 15% threshold. The names were compiled and it was clear that these employees would soon be seeking new employment.

I was struck by the businesslike tone of the meeting to this point which bordered on ruthlessness.

Each member of the Board was then asked to write down the names of the top 10% of their organizations. The names were gathered and the Board then reviewed all of the current openings throughout the enterprise to see if any of these individuals merited a promotion to one of these positions. In several cases names were matched with the open positions and conversations were scheduled with the employee.

The head of the Learning Board then asked each member to write down the name of any member of their organizations that the company could not afford to lose. Several names were listed and within a matter of about 30 minutes, four new positions were created.

Finally, a discussion began on the succession planning of members of the Board. The discussion included a conversation on the career advancement of several members and who within the organization could possibly fill their shoes. That portion of the meeting concluded and I began my song and dance during lunch which thankfully went very well.

On my flight home I played back the meeting over and over. It was very clear to me that this organization was not ruthless but instead firmly committed to excellence.

I highly recommend Winning. Jack Welch does a very good job of introducing the importance of implementing a solid performance management program where goals and expectation are clearly defined and where ongoing conversations are had to continually evaluate individual and organizational performance.

What do you think? Is differentiation pragmatic or cold-hearted management?

If the RECESSION hits…

2008-03-25T11:58:00.002-04:00

Over the past 5 years much has been written about the movement to try and quantify the value that Learning and Development provides to the organization. The ROI and Measurement movement has produced seminars, books, new methodologies, and new career opportunities.

As the evidence of recession continues to build some late adopters are scrambling to put some facts and figures in front of the decision makers that may, at this very moment, be reviewing organization charts to determine where the cuts, if necessary, will be made. These late adopters are probably too late.

The questions I pose are:

Will the efforts of the past several years to validate the value of Learning and Development pay off?
Will Learning and Development organizations, traditionally viewed as an expense line item, suddenly be viewed as profit producers?
Will the cutbacks that have occurred in rough economic time within Learning and Development be as severe or will senior management have a new regard?

These questions remain unanswered however it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.