The STAR Career Workbook was designed for you to conduct the hard work you need to do, to get on the path toward a rewarding career.

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Regardless of your situation, employed, unemployed, under-employed or under-compensated, the STAR Career Workbook will help you.

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What do we need to support this culture-development?

1.  Leadership Buy-in
2. Data on the ROI for Culture development
3. Open communication, among the HR team, with key business leaders, and throughout the organization. 
4. Efforts must be authentic, not secretive or manipulative.
5. Change Agents and Champions throughout the HR team and embedded throughout the organization
6. Find some quick wins and capitalize on them
7. Be prepared to be in it for the long-haul

How does am HR organization help the company “make the list” of Best Companies to Work For?  … not just by getting votes and good survey results, but through:

1. Core Values integrated throughout the HR business processes, at every stage of the lifecycle – Authentically DO your values.
2. Research Best practices so you don’t re-invent the wheel.  Test run those that fit your core values
3. Utilize the best of the technology needed for your business processes – the same way your own customers would want from you
4. Balance between:
   1. excellent execution of core transactions,
   2. in-touch with the people, and
   3. a seat at the strategy table
5. Clarify, promote and LIVE YOUR BRAND
6. HIRE culture-builders. 
7. FIRE culture-detractors.

There is empirical evidence to support that job candidates who are referred internally become more reliable employees in the future.  One risk is in filling your team with “clones, ” so it is important to seek diversity in the candidates who are referred.  But in the end, referred candidates have a stronger sense of accountability, higher work ethic and less “ramp-up” time.

Here is some sample language you might use to request referrals from your team:

Team,

As you may know, we are recruiting for a new [insert job title] to join our team.  Referred candidates often come with a stronger sense of accountability, higher work ethic and less “ramp-up” time.  Your true reward is in gaining a teammate you can trust and enjoy working with.  There may also be a referral bonus!

Diversity of thought and style can also help our team grow and strengthen, so think of individuals in your network who would bring both strong qualifications for the role, and new ideas and perspectives.  Please ask your referral to apply directly to the online posting, by sending them the following link:  [insert link to your requisition here]

Thank you!

[Insert Your Email Signature]

I believe a good business relationship can be the same.  Maybe it is best not to have a smooth and peaceful coexistence.  What do you really accomplish if everyone around the table agrees? 

Diversity of thought brings conflict.  The work of resolving this conflict brings learning.  This learning brings understanding.  Understanding leads to resolution – and to new SOLUTIONS.  Resolution builds toward growth.  The relationship grows, the business grows, the mutual profits grow.

Some very talented people, who don’t look alot like you, may believe your doors are locked to them.  If this perception persists, your overall brand will also be damaged, and it can have devasting impact on your sales and profits too.

Branding as an employer of choice includes developing a broad pipeline of candidates and making proactive moves to diversify your talent.  Developing a pipeline of diverse candidates, representative of your community at large, is not difficult, but it can become chaotic if not managed well. 

The resources abound – websites, organizations, networks, etc. through which you can attract diverse candidates.  A well-planned effort to channel those candidates into your applicant tracking system, onto your active job requirements, and into the interview room, should be championed by a seasoned talent acquisition specialist.

Lastly, assess the recruiter’s interest in your overall business. Do they take the time to get to know your company, its goals and its people, its products or services and its market position? Do they show an interest in helping you increase your market share, directly by recruiting the talent that will do so, and indirectly by helping your team network? Do they show an interest in connecting you with other resources to keep your business going?

An ongoing relationship with your recruiter is just as important as having a good relationship with your attorney, banker or insurance agent. If the recruiter is already familiar with your company, they should be able to respond much more quickly to your needs. Good recruiters keep up with industry trends, employee benefits, compensation and personnel planning. Recruiters are more likely to give their best clients the best service, even on smaller assignments.

THE FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF A STRENGTH

ONE: LISTEN FOR YEARNINGS

Characterized as the pull or attraction to one activity over another, a process that begins in early childhood and continues. Think of a yearning you have in your work, the things you look forward to working on or that draw you back …

TWO: WATCH FOR SATISFACTIONS

Satisfactions are those experiences where the emotional and physic rewards are great. Competencies and satisfactions are not always partners. If it doesn’t feel good you are not practicing a strength. Think of the things you do at work that consistently bring satisfaction…maybe the work was tough, but the reward was strong, memorable and lasting.

THREE: WATCH FOR RAPID LEARNIG

If you catch on quickly to something your likely to be good at it. Naturals are those who learn by “jumping in”. Slow learning is evidence of a non-strength. It can never be discounted on the assumption that a person will “get it someday”. Think of things you pick up very quickly at work, and within days, or even hours, others are asking you to show them how to do it.

FOUR: GLIMPSES OF EXCELENCE

You can spot a strength by glimpsing a moment of excellence within a performance. Only the trained eye can glimpse moments of excellence. One of the most effective ways to master this technique is by studying success. Think of things you’ve done when you were complimented on your excellence, when someone used words like, “perfect, excellent job, or well-done.”

FIVE: TOTAL PERFORMANCE OF EXCELLENCE

Total performance of excellence is a flow of successful behavior, when there are no conscious steps in the mind of the performer. Total performance isn’t a glimpse but the complete extension of an activity. It doesn’t happen occasionally, but each time the activity is performed. One final test of total performance is the improvement of activity over a period of time. The satisfaction gained by total performance will cause a person to want to repeat it, but with repetition must come improvement. Think of times when you have “lost yourself” in the execution of your work, when the effort was effortless and the success was repeatable and sustainable.

Adapted from: Soar With Your Strengths, Donald O. Clifton and Paula Nelson, Bantam Doubleday Dell, NY, 1992

I believe the experience will build some solid hope for everyone.  I find that as employees are included in the inner workings of the company, its strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, they become more engaged and more secure in their jobs.  Security is the one gift all U.S. employees are praying for this season.

The return on investment for the company in this exercise will be increased retention and higher productivity – the scientifically proven results of increased employee engagement. 

If you haven’t heard the whispers from the headhunting community yet, the word is that Q1 and Q2 of 2010 will be a time of heavy cherry-picking for recruiters, and your top talent will be looking to make a jump for financial gains or career advancement, after sticking it out through the economic crunch and their employers’ related compensation and benefit reductions.  A simple act of inclusiveness may be the first best step to retaining this talent. 

For your ‘B’ performers, your gain is simple, yet very impactful improved performance.  They will be more incented to learn new skills, adapt to changes and be responsive to short term goals, when they understand the vision and strategy of the organization.

The communication might be in the form of a newsletter, a web conference or an all-hands teleconference, but the more personal, the better, and the involvement and leadership of your recognized top executive(s) is critical.  I would recommend a communication that engages as many senses as possible: sight, sound and touch.  In other words, an all-hands teleconference would be followed up with an email detailing the message from the call, followed by a postcard outlining in a “branded” way, the main points of the vision.  The last piece should soon be found tacked up on cubicle walls and taped to corners of white boards. 

In this way, your message carries forward into the new year and this tactile reminder provides an opportunity for reinforcement to the message.  Know, however, that your employees will hold you to your word.  If their post card says “Remember ESP: Excellence and Service will build our Profits,” and your decisions in Q2 of 2010 detract from employees’ ability to provide good customer service, your message will begin to work against you.

In sum, we have a major opportunity – and a challenge in front of us.  Our economy, world-wide, is turning for the better.  We can build on this positive trend with a message of hope, and set our feet on the path of integrity.  Let’s Roll!

For further ideas on this or related topics, feel free to contact Dan Medlin at dmedlin1@StarHR.biz, visit www.StarHR.biz or call (512) 750-6740.

If you are job-searching because you are in a company that is not a match to your values or you are in a salary range that is well below your market value, I advise caution. 

• Stay valuable:  Times are tough and companies are looking for every cost-saving measure they can find.  While you are trying to build new bridges, make sure you don’t burn the one you are on.  Focus on results you can deliver in your current role. Seek ways you can help the bottom-line of the organization, with new sources of revenue, cost-saving measures, new efficiencies, ability to do more and multi-task, etc.

What is one thing you can do this week/month to help the “bottom line” at your current employer?

• Do your best every day:  Like never before, at least since the last economic crunch, we are surviving in our jobs day in and day out.  Keep your productivity high.  Plan your day well and execute your plan.  Stay off of Facebook and YouTube, and shop for new shoes on your own time.

What are some things you need to clean up in your daily work – distractions, time-wasters, etc.?

• Honor your current employer:  Continue to speak highly of your current employer, learn the marketing messages the company is advocating and “tow that line.”  Recommend your company through all of your networking channels.

What are the short-term goals and long-term values of your current employer?

• Finish strong and document your methods for those that will follow you:  As you quietly bring to a close your work at your current employer, give more than you’ve ever given in your passion and commitment, and then make sure your success can be repeated by others who might succeed you.

What do you need to wrap up and document to leave behind a strong legacy when you depart?

• Keep your search confidential:  It is critical that you not discuss your desire to move on with anyone at your current employer, even with your closest work friends.  In some cases, you simply should not trust the confidence of anyone you work with, but even if your soul tells you that can trust them, telling them about your plans puts them in a compromising position.  Their loyalty is now in question, and if they are directly asked about what you have told them, and their job is on the line for speaking truth, you know what they will need to do.

Think through now how you will handle emails, phone calls and other job search activity so that your efforts are not compromised in your current workplace.

*****************

Dan Medlin’s career includes over 20 years in career counseling, professional development, leadership coaching, human resources management, recruiting and business consulting.  Through StarHR, Dan has developed the STAR Career Network (Linkedin Group) and the STAR Career Workbook, relying on his many years in HR, Recruiting and Career Counseling to develop the Best Practices he has seen in job search.

With the holidays already here, many people see an increase in their stress levels, and some people even have the holiday blues.  Who doesn’t get stressed out with all of the shopping, cooking and travel plans that happen during the holidays?  How many of us are time crunched and sleep deprived already?  Add to that the fear of the flu bug and the H1N1 flu that we hear about on the news, and that worry just adds to our holiday stress levels. 

What is stress anyway?  Stress is an internal reaction to external events.  It is an evolutionary response – the fight or flight response.  Continuous stress can manifest itself as GI problems, losing sleep, increased fatigue, heightened blood pressure, headaches, concentration problems, adrenal fatigue and other symptoms.  As we all know, many events can trigger the appearance of stress in our lives – job, marriage, money, new baby, holidays etc.  The body does not distinguish between “good” stress (marriage, new baby, starting a new biz) and “bad” stress. It only knows that there is stress, and it reacts. 

What can be done to alleviate holiday stress levels?  Here is a list of 6 easy things that you can do:

1.  Get enough rest.  By making sure that you get enough sleep, you will decrease your cortisol levels (this is the hormone involved in the fight-or-flight response).

2.  Continue your exercise program.  Many of us, especially when we travel, get out of our normal exercise patterns.  Regular exercise is well document as having stress reduction effects, especially by increasing brain hormone levels that are involved in mood regulation.  Just a few minutes warming up on the elliptical trainer can have a very calming effect.  Be sure to continue both cardiovascular and weight training.

3.  Don’t overindulge on the sweet foods.  I enjoy Mom’s Christmas cookies every year, so I am not telling you to avoid eating them.  Just watch your sugar amounts so that you don’t get the crashes and feelings of lethargy that accompany them.

4.  Watch your alcohol consumption.  Alcohol is a depressant, and too much alcohol can affect your mood levels.  If you indulge, moderation is the key.

5.  Continue to eat well (as best you can).  Rich leafy greens and fruits and vegetables that have deep rich colors not only provide the proper nutrients, but they can also provide the antioxidants that we need to fight free radicals. 

6.  Nutritional supplements can help you to reduce holiday stress levels as well:

A.  A good multivitamin will ensure that you are getting the proper nutrients to maintain normal metabolic functioning, and to supplement nutrient deficiencies in diet. 

B.  Omega III Fish Oils perform so many helpful functions in the body.  With respect to mood levels, they will provide essential fatty acids needed for normal neural functioning.

C.  A good antioxidant will scavenge free radicals, cutting down their levels.

D.  B Complex vitamins helps decrease stress and improve mood, help maintain healthy levels of serotonin, increase energy, and help to maintain proper neural function.

E.  A good Greens supplement with probiotics will boost the immune system, and aid in providing the body with enzymes, nutrients, probiotics and phytonutrients that a vegetable-rich diet offers.

F.  There are herbal formulas available that contain adaptogenic herbs.  Adaptogens are natural herbal products that help to increase the body’s resistance to stress, fatigue, trauma, and anxiety.  They help to increase the body’s resistance to stressors and return it to normal physiological functioning.

If you have any questions about this information, or would like to learn more about nutrition, nutritional counseling, or nutritional supplementation, contact Dr. Harvey Kitzman at hkitzman@austin.rr.com or 512-657-3432.  His profile is available at http://www.linkedin.com/pub/harvey-kitzman/0/8b5/388.

Have a happy and healthy holiday season!