HR RESPONSIBLY

The question is “Are people willing to take them?”

I’m sure we all saw last week’s news reports that our nation’s unemployment rate jumped to a 14-year high of 6.5%.  For most of us, the statistic alone represents the largest number of unemployed people we’ve ever seen in our careers.

And I’m by no means doubting the significance of that number.  Look at the recent news about Citibank having a RIF of over 50,000 employees.  I mean when Zappo’s has a layoff…come on, that’s pretty significant.  At one point, I thought I was personally keeping Zappo’s in business.  But I digress.

I’m here to tell you that jobs are out there.  Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve seen some pretty nice looking human resources job postings on LinkedIn HR.  Positions like VP HR for PayPal and VP HR for DFW Airport.

Granted not everyone is VP material or wants a VP job.  But, it made me realize that jobs exist for the right people, with the right skills, who are willing to take them.  So if you’re out there right now complaining there are no jobs…consider a couple of things:

Relocation - is it possible that, to get the job you want, you might have to move?  I know, I know…you say you can’t afford to move.  The question is…can you afford not to?

Pay and Benefits - do you need to reconsider what you really need in terms of salary and benefits?  Or like in that scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, are you more like Eddie and “holding out for a management position?”

Image - should you stand on principle when a company asks if you will cut your hair, shave that mustache or only wear one earring at a time?

Knowledge - are you willing to take a night class to brush up on your skill set?  Or finally go after that certification to help set you apart from the rest?

These are challenging times, there’s no doubt about it.  But before you dismiss being unemployed or underemployed on the economy, make sure that you’re doing everything you can to be accessible in the marketplace.

Normally, I try to provide more lighthearted posts on Fridays to help ease us into the weekend.  But, since we played tag yesterday, I thought I’d get back to business . . but still rather lightheartedly.

So, I stumbled across an old (2006) post from a student at Florida A&M about how tattoos can tarnish your chances of getting a job.  And, then I re-read a post from The HR Capitalist about tattoos cutting earning potential.

I don’t get it.  According to a January 2008 Harris Interactive poll, 14% of all adults have at least one tattoo.  To put that number into perspective, that’s about a third more than the total population of metropolitan New York City.  Now, if that many people have tattoos, shouldn’t we (i.e. Corporate America) get a little more mainstream about them?

Tattoos have been around since before Ancient Egypt and tattooing is practiced globally.  In some cultures, they are used not only as body art but as rites of passage, religious symbols, and decorations of bravery.  There are lists of famous people who are well respected and revered for their talents . . . and they also happen to have tattoos.  Here are a few (note: I have not personally seen any of these, just taking the word of Tattoo Johnny):

• Thomas Edison
• Winston Churchill
• Prince Charles (who knew?!)
• JFK Jr.
• Kurt Cobain
• Julia Roberts

Our world stands to be robbed of great talent if we can’t get past a little ink (or a body piercing for that matter).  It’s not about what people look like - it’s about their hearts and their minds.

And, if that doesn’t convince you, think of the branding potential.  Harley Davidson gets a lot of free marketing with all those biker tattoos. And I know at least one person who has a tattoo of the Starbucks logo (the original one).  What do you have?

Remember when we were in school and played the game ‘tag’?  Of course you do.  Well, now that we’re grown…guess what?!  Tag still exists.  It’s either called Blog Tag or Twitter Tag or Social Networking tag.  And, here’s how it works:

You get ‘tagged’ by a blogging colleague.  In my case, I was tagged by both Beth Pulsipher over at PhotoLooney AND Leah Dossey at Creative Wisdom (aka the co-taggers).  Here are the rules (they’re pretty simple ones, too):

1. Link your original tagger(s), and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself in the post - some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs and/or Twitter.

So, Rule #1 is done.  Rule #2 states that the taggee (that’s me) must share 7 new (and hopefully interesting) things about myself via my blog.  I’m game…so here’s some inside scoop about the Bartender.

1. As a kid, I was a bubble gum champ.  Kinda funny since I don’t chew gum as a grown up.  My old orthodontist will be thrilled to read this.
2. I have absolutely no hand-eye coordination.  Zip.  Zilch.  Zero.
3. I make jewelry in my spare time.  You can check out my Etsy page at JewelCraft Designs.
4. My human resources consulting firm, ITM Group, is in the process of buying a leadership consulting company.  Look for details about this exciting new venture in the months to come!
5. Every couple has a love song.  Mr. Bartender and I have Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi.  And yes, we played it at our wedding!
6. I’m into learning about Feng Shui.  Who doesn’t need a little positive chi in their life?
7. I enjoy reading autobiographies.  Doesn’t matter who, it’s just fascinating to read about other people’s life stories.

Now that I’ve revealed my innermost secrets, Rule #3 allows me to tag 7 people (who need to keep the game of tag going.)  So, I’m officially ‘tagging’ the following 7 Tweeps.  Don’t disappoint me guys…keep the game going!

1. Gina Loree Marks (BLOG www.embodygrace.com) Twitter @gloreebe88
2. HR_Minion (BLOG www.hrminion.blogspot.com) Twitter @HR_Minion
3. Laurie Ruettimann (BLOG www.punkrockhr.com) Twitter @lruettimann
4. Terri Marshall (BLOG www.naturallygreenlifecoach.com) Twitter @Mgkchild
5. Breanne Potter (BLOG www.thembtiblog.com) Twitter @phdbre
6. Maren Hogan (BLOG www.marenated.com) Twitter @marenhogan
7. Jessica Lee (BLOG www.jessicalee.typepad.com) Twitter @jessica_lee

I gotta run - taking the seaplane to St. Croix to teach an HR certification class.  Have fun reading these blogs and following some great people on Twitter!

We all have moments in time when we’re faced with a little bit (or a lot) of stress.  It might be over our bills, the in-laws coming to visit, or whether or not to have Thai or Tapas for dinner.  Regardless of what hits your stress button, it’s important to recognize when you’re stressed and what you can do to alleviate it.

According to MedicineNet.com, stress is simply forces of nature impacting us on an individual level.  Those forces could be internal or external.  External factors are our jobs, relationships, home life, etc.  Internal factors are the way we deal with stress including our overall health and fitness.

When faced with a stressful situation, we have to realize two things:

1. That we are experiencing stress
2. The best way for us to handle stress

Here’s an example of why these are important: if you’re a person who gravitates toward comfort foods when you’re stressed, you want to know that so you can make sure you manage your food choices well during stressful situations.

While it’s tempting to just say ‘drink more wine‘ or ‘get a massage’, stress is a bit more complex than that.  I’m all for a great glass of wine and a massage (and if you can manage both at the same time…I say go for it) but you can’t always leave what you’re doing for such distractions.

So, I’d like to leave you with my own personal stress relief tip.  Works every time.  Ready?

The next time you’re stressed, grab an assorted handful of Jelly Belly jellybeans.  (NOTE:  this only works with Jelly Belly brand).  Close the door.  Put a few JBs on your desk.  Now close your eyes and eat one.  Try to guess the flavor.  (That’s why it only works with Jelly Belly brand.)  Repeat about 5 times.

By the time you finish the fifth one, you’ll be so completely engrossed in this taste bud exercise that you’ll have forgotten about your stress.  (Disclaimer: stress relief by use of jellybeans has not been endorsed by the Surgeon General, has not been proven to offer long-term therapeutic properties, and may not be appropriate for all stress-related situations.)

That being said, Jelly Belly therapy is a pretty effective way to help put those nagging annoyances behind you so you can get on with the rest of your day.

And, before you say I’m crazy…try it.  It really works!

Popcorn has never really been a craving of mine.  I think it’s because I wore braces as a kid and you’re not supposed to eat popcorn when you wear braces.

But of course, popcorn and adult beverages do tend to show up in the same places, as they did during a recent visit to the Naples Grande Beach Resort.  If you haven’t visited Naples, Florida lately, it’s not the retirement community that some might remember it to be.  The city is booming and the Naples Grande is a posh, modern, happening place where you can get in some serious fun and sun.

So I was at the bar sipping a Purple Haze martini with some friends and the server left us some popcorn.  Not just any popcorn, mind you…she said it was white truffle popcorn.  Well my foodie ears just perked right up and I decided to give it a try.

Tasty!!  So much so, in fact, that we proceeded to eat three bowls of it and ask the server to show us how to make it.  All you do is spray a little white truffle oil on plain old popcorn.  How easy is that?!

Now that the weather is turning chilly, this will be a great treat to savor as we fend off cabin fever in front of the TV.  Enjoy!

A new favorite show of mine is Cash Cab.  If you haven’t seen this show yet, check it out on The Discovery Channel.  The premise of the show is that unassuming people get into the “Cash Cab” (yes, a real New York taxi cab) and can earn bucks on the way to their destination by answering general knowledge questions.

Now, Mr. Bartender and I consider ourselves to be relatively well-read, so we enjoy trying to answer the questions along with the contestants.  And we’re not a bad team - I’m not great at the biology questions but I do know my music trivia.

The interesting part of the show is when passengers arrive at their destination.  If they arrive having won some cash, they have the chance to go ‘double or nothing’ on a single bonus question.  The interesting part is how people make the decision to go for it or not.

1. Many people just take the money and run.
2. Some folks evaluate if they did a good job on the previous questions to determine if they should risk it all.
3. And, then there are the ones who say “I got in the cab thinking I would pay for the trip…so what have I got to lose.”

It kinda reminds me of work.  We have those people who are just in it for the paycheck.  Then there are the ones who will only exert extra effort when they know they’ll get something.  And lastly, we have the employees who just go for the gusto all day, every day.

Hmmm…if your employees were in the Cash Cab, which option would they choose?  Maybe a better question is … which one would you choose?