What are the Top Human Resource Issues of the Upcoming Election?

According to recent survey results released by the Society of Human Resource Management's HR Issues Update the following are the top Human Resource issues their readers felt should be covered in the Presidential Debates:

• Health care reform


• Immigration reform

Rounding out the field were:

• Family and Medical Leave Policies


• Skills Shortage/Workforce Readiness


• Pay Equity/Executive Compensation


• Employer-Provided Education Tax Credits"

What important employment and HR issues do think need to be discussed in the debates and throughout the election year?

Kim R. Wells

kwells@howard.edu

Surveyed HR and Training Executives Unsure How to Apply Diversity

Based on article written by Kathy Gurchiek, Putting Diversity into Practice Stymies Many Firms, HR News 8/27/07 6:45 AM

According to a recent article by Kathy Gurchiek in Society of Human Resource Management's HR News putting diversity into practice has been a challenge for many firms. For many of you young professionals looking to access and advance in today's top corporations this may be of interest to you.

According to the article organizations are increasingly committed to diversity in their workforce, but one-fourth of more than 2,000 senior HR and training executives polled are unsure how to apply it and leverage its benefits; a conclusion based on findings by the Boston-based Novations Group, a global consulting organization that commissioned the Internet survey of 2,046 workers conducted in February 2007.

Other findings:

• 48 percent of senior management accepts the business case for diversity and does what is necessary to leverage inclusion with the organization.

• 14 percent of senior management gives lip service to diversity but lets HR pursue its inclusion efforts.

• 9 percent of senior management is not convinced of the business case for diversity but supports inclusion efforts.

• 5 percent of senior management does not accept the business case for diversity and gives little or no support to inclusion efforts.

Let us know what you think

Kim R. Wells

kwells@howard.edu

Are You An Asset or Liability?

Are you perceived as an Asset or a Liability to those you work with in school, at your internship, or as a young professional in the corporate world? Although some of us would never admit it to others, we sometimes already know the answer.

Racism is real, but racism aside, a lot of people simply aren't delivering value everyday to the people and teams that depend on them daily. Racism didn't hold millions of other Black executives from achieving, the rule of the jungle was / and is to move forward in spite of racism, to demonstrate your professional value, and not to let others deny you what is rightfully yours.

Being perceived as a liability costs you in promotion opportunities, being selected for high profile projects, cost you in salary, and being invited to interact with elite networks where decisions and opportunities are decided. People invest time and effort in people they see as valuable, they will not invest in those that are seen as "tolerated" or draining liabilities on their teams, projects, and resources.

Here are some tough professional questions to ask yourself. If you are honest congratulations, you can develop a plan and connect with people to improve your performance and outlook in these areas. If you are not honest and lie to yourself, I can guarantee that you will eventually slip into the "blame game" and professional mediocrity.

After answering each question ask yourself, based on my response and given the context of my current work environment, would I be perceived as a liability or an asset?

• Is your reputation impeccable? If not why?



• If asked would most people say you can be counted on to deliver?



• Could you be replaced easily?



• Do others believe you eliminate unnecessary barriers to get work done?

• Are you well versed in the latest technology in your field?

• If asked would others say you deliver your work in a timely manner?



• Do others believe you can handle sensitive issues?



• If asked would most people say you are accessible in a timely manner?



• Would most in your immediate circles if asked say you are a "doer" or a "complainer"?



• In your circles do you continuously discusses how hard you work? Do you think this is valued, or perceived as you are struggling to perform your duties?



• Are you satisfied with your ability to turn out high quality work quickly?



• Do you have a mastery of the critical management processes required to deliver in your field?



• Will your current professional colleagues vouch for you in a crisis?



• Do you take off a lot of time being sick or for personal issues?



• If you were out tomorrow from work would anyone miss you?



• Are you a team player, able to work with and lead people from different races and the multiple generations now working in today's workforce?

• Are there other people that you work with who are more known for getting the job done than you?



• Are you perceived as an "ideas person," but sometimes struggle to bring projects to completion?



• Who are your closest 4 professional colleagues? Why?

• Are you compensated properly for what you do?

Let us know what you think.

Kim R. Wells

kwells@howard.edu

2007 National Black MBA Conference: Black MBAs You Need to Be There!

The National Black MBA Conference is one of the best student/professional development and networking conferences in the nation. If you are a current MBA student, MBA graduate, or an employer who is serious about seeking top African American business talent you need to be there!

September 11-16, 2007

Orlando, Florida

The NBMBA Conference will have one of the largest professional Career Fairs in the nation featuring more than 350 major corporations and universities seeking quality talent. This is the best opportunity for identifying potential organizations to target within your job search, sharing your resume, exploring job opportunities, and informally interviewing with Human Resources and business representatives. Having your MBA is great, but it is not about what you know...but who you know!

To register for the event, www.nbmbaa.org/Conference.cfm

KRW

FACEbook and MySpace: Remember Employers Are Looking

A recent article about FaceBook and MySpace discussed the new trend of employers reviewing these popular social networking sites for insights and information about job candidates. If you are a student or young professional with postings on these sites that may be..."less than flattering," than you may want to read the below article. KRW

Facebook and MySpace thwarting job opportunities

Abridged: MSNBC.com

NEW YORK, NY -- According to a March survey by Ponemon Institute, a privacy think tank, 35 percent of hiring managers use Google to do online background checks on job candidates, and 23 percent look people up on social networking sites. About one-third of those Web searches lead to rejections, according to the survey.

Social networking sites have gained popularity among hiring managers because of their convenience and a growing anxiety about hiring the right people, researchers say. Job candidates who maintain personal sites on Facebook or MySpace are learning - sometimes the hard way - that the image they present to their friends on the Internet may not be best suited for landing the position they're seeking. Big corporations long have retained professional investigators to check job applicants' academic degrees, criminal records and credit reports. But until now the cost has deterred the ability of smaller firms to do the same level of checking, said Sue Murphy, a director of National Human Resources Association. One problem is that there is little to prevent hiring managers from discriminating on the basis of personal information discovered through social Web sites.

Let us know what you think

Kim R. Wells

kwells@howard.edu

Learning to Work with Your "Peoples"

I wanted to revisit an old issue discussed in an earlier entry. This issue has been raised to me several times over the summer. I would love to hear from some of you about your personal experiences, opinions and suggestions to us all as we look to the future and move forward.


Over the years I have found that one of the greatest skills of successful Black professionals has been their ability to work as well with other African Americans as they do with White Americans (and others). This may surprise some of you, but to some of you, I have just "pulled you out of the closet!"

The inability of some African American business and professional people to work together and value their "own" has caused many of us to miss out on excellent career and business opportunities. In the process of all of this self-hate, poor treatment and service delivery to one another, many of us have had the legs cut from under our careers, businesses, educations, families and our communities. But guess what, those of us that get it and treat each other with dignity and respect, move forward, become pillars in our communities, successful professionals and business people, and promote the personal and professional growth of other talented and deserving African Americans. This is clearly a competency all Black professionals need to master if they want to develop a professional edge.

Like many of you some of my best and worst professional experiences have come at the hands of other Black people. Over the years I have been blessed with many great Black professional colleagues and mentors that have supported my personal and professional growth and invested their time and talents in my development. I have also felt the sting of jealous, ignorant, and hateful Black folks, many of whom I trusted, who engaged in a personal war of sabotage of my work, reputation, and career. The "hateful stuff" reminds me of the sick dynamics of the old slave plantations when some of the "house slaves" reportedly did everything in their power to keep the "field slaves" out of "the house" including telling the "master" everything and anything to sustain their place as Master's mos'tis loyal, competent, and trustworthy Negro. It was a sad commentary than, and its sadder today, not to mention it really gets crazy today when "the house" is sometimes owned and operated by us!

A great scholar, mentor, and friend of mine at Howard once said, "If you can't work with your own as a Black professional it will one day catch up and ruin your career." The older I get the more I have found that statement to be true and more profound.

Its really all about delivering! If you are a talented and competent Black professional, other Black professionals need to look pass your color, value your contribution and ability, and proceed to promote, compensate and do everything in their power to empower, reward, and see you succeed---just like we demand White folks do! But If you can't deliver, are messy and inconsistent in handling your business, everyone (Black, White etc.) should respectfully and decisively move on. We all know that there are some really sloppy Black "bit-ness people" out there who talk a good game, but are always a "day late and a dollar short." The problem is that you can't judge all Black businesses and professional people because a few sloppy people got pass your radar. In the long run you may miss out on great new talent and opportunity if you behave like other bigots and judge all Black professionals based on the foolishness and incompetence of a few.

Also, if I can make it plain, don't hate, sabotage, or discredit, a brother or sister who is trying to strive for professional excellence (and than further show your ignorance by accusing them of "acting white")! It's not a matter of their "Blackness" because of their professionalism, ambition, and "queen's verbiage;" but sometimes its more about some people's lack of ambition, poor professional judgement, and sloppy work ethics. One thing about great Black professionals, particularly in the past, they faced down amazing odds, and still delivered at a level of excellence that people today still can't figure out. I guess some people accused them of "acting white" too. Some of us need to stop "putting a color on excellence!" I'm feeling you Barrack!

A few other "house rules" pun is intended:

• I have observed over the years that some Black professionals don't respect the position or authority of other African American professionals they work with. Don't assume that because a senior person in your organization is Black that you can speak out of turn with them, question their credibility and decisions. I guess if they put you in your place, as they should, they are the Uncle Tom or the "incognito Black want-a-be"...WRONG! Respect his or her position, accomplishments, and authority. Maybe if you pipe down, successful Black professionals in your organization will see through your bad attitude and apparent lack of training, and work with you in developing your talents and career. Getting "too common" in your behavior toward other Black professionals, is a classic sign that you probably haven't been anywhere, and if you keep it up you probably won't.

• Some of you also need to get rid of that "iron curtain" you lift up every time you have to work with other Black people...especially if you leave the curtain open for everyone else! Some of you don't realize that you are acting like the blind Black bigot in the famous Dave Chappelle skit who was a racist but didn't know that he too was Black! When you discriminate against your own people YOU look ridiculous, and White folks that you may be trying to impress will eventually see through your shallow act and begin labeling you as the real problem.

If you are going to succeed as a young African American professional you will need to be culturally competent just like everyone else. Don't think you will get away with "color-coded behavior" toward other Black people to get ahead, this isn't kindergarten. Instead focus on professional performance and healthy working relationships with all professionals you work with. Require and support excellence with all people you work with across the board. We all know that there are still racial barriers to Black professionals in the workplace, but don't let those barriers be created or perpetuated by you.

Let us know what you think.

kwells@howard.edy

Kim R. Wells

Survey Details What Top Entry Level Employers Want Most

The following article appeared in a recent World at Work newsletter. It is sourced from CollegeGrad.com and shows results of a recent employer survey. In this survey employers ranked and discussed what their priorities and key considerations were when recruiting and hiring college students.

This may not be a comforting article to some of you young professionals entering or preparing for the job market, but I believe this article will provide you with a valid example of some of the key perceptions and considerations of employers when recruiting and hiring new and recent graduates. If strategically absorbed, this kind of information can provide you with a professional edge in the job market by increasing your understanding of employer needs, even if you currently fall outside of some of the metrics presented. Use this information to your advantage to examine your academic background, job search presentation, and how to position yourself to be more marketable. KRW

World at Work/CollegeGrad.com Article:

42% of surveyed employers ranked a student’s major as the top priority for hiring consideration. This is up from 37% in 2006. Interviewing skills and a student’s internships and experience, ranked second and third.

"College students shouldn't be worried about whether they attended the right college or maintained perfect grades," said Brian Krueger, president of CollegeGrad.com, which conducted the survey. "The results of this survey clearly show that these are not what most employers are looking at first."

What does it mean that employers first look at a candidate's major? Employers explain that in initial hiring consideration, they are first concerned with a set of necessary skills. "We are looking for candidates that possess the technical and enabling skills required to be an effective client service delivery professional," said Blane Ruschak, national director of campus recruiting for KPMG.

Also critical to employers is to find candidates passionate about their potential industry. Randy Goldberg, national recruiting director for Hyatt Hotels explains that finding job seekers excited about their future position occurs most often when the candidate's major matches their prospective field of employment. "Most of our entry-level management positions are not your typical 9 to 5 positions," said Goldberg, "so seeking out candidates with hospitality schooling and experience is a key ingredient to achieving a rewarding career with Hyatt."

Employers repeatedly state that in order for students to separate themselves from candidates with the same major, students must be able to relate past experiences to the current job opportunity in an interview setting. Also important is for students to demonstrate a range of transferable soft skills to complement the skills associated with their major.

Krueger points out that "If a candidate is comfortable not only gathering and analyzing technical data, but also effectively communicating the results in presentations, lectures, and one-on-one, this is much more valuable to a prospective employer than those who can only crunch the numbers. And those who can demonstrate this ability in an interview will stand out from among their peers."

Employers seeking candidates with less technical majors also point to versatility as an important professional skill. "We are looking for candidates to be in a continuous learning mode, have a positive attitude and demonstrate a global perspective in their thinking and actions," Ruschak said. In addition to Ruschak's list of top soft skills for KPMG, other employers would also include the importance of communication skills, dedication, integrity, enthusiasm, creativity and adaptability. According to Vicki Decker, director of career services for Winona State University, "These skills result in successful candidates and are not necessarily tied to any given major." Additionally, they can all be summed up in one word: passion. Passion about the opportunity is important to employers because it cannot be taught or faked. When employers recognize that a student's enthusiasm and excitement about the job is genuine, that student will most often get the job.

To demonstrate enthusiasm during the interview, Krueger advises providing examples of how passion has had a positive impact on results. "If you can show an employer in your words, actions and past behaviors that you have true passion for achieving excellence, you can and will be chosen over the superstar."

The information was gathered while compiling the list of more than 500 Top Entry Level Employers for 2007. Employers were asked to rank criteria in order of importance for hiring consideration.

Following are the overall survey results:

1-The student's major (42%)

2-The student's interviewing skills (25%)

3-The student's internship/experience (16%)

4-Other miscellaneous qualifications (10%)

5-The student's computer skills (3%)

6-The student's personal appearance (2%)

7-The student's GPA (1%)

8-The college the student graduated from (1%)

Reported August 9, 2008 by http://www.collegegrad.com/
Copyright © 2007

What do you think? Please let us know

Kwells@howard.edu

Kim R. Wells