My job? To blog and tweet about the event and showcase information from the program. My formal post highlighting a predominant lesson in several of the sessions I attended, You Don’t Have to Grow the Trees to Build Your Deck, is on the SHRM Atlanta blog…Be sure to take a look to learn what I learned from several presentations.

I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to share some informal insights about the conference. Maybe some of my takeaways will inspire you the next time you attend an event or consider whether or not to take the time to do so.

1. There’s nothing like in-person contact to solidify a partnership or friendship. You can interact with people online and via social media all day long, but sometimes it takes sitting down for lunch or an in-person conversation and handshake to confirm your mutual interests and plan to move ahead. Never underestimate the value of attending conferences and events — if only for this purpose.

2. Make an effort to introduce people to each other — and to introduce yourself. It’s great if you are lucky enough to have someone nearby who can vouch for you and make a generous introduction on your behalf. (Think about how you can do this for other people…Being a connector and putting people together who may have mutual interests is a great way to build your value in your community.)

Even if there is no one around to introduce you, stick out your hand with a smile and introduce yourself. Ask some questions and be interested in the person who is sitting down next to you in a session or who is waiting in line with you to get your picture taken! We’re all focused on what we’re doing next or where we need to be at the stroke of the hour; use that to your advantage. Ask other people where they are going next, or about the key note address. Strike up a conversation; everyone around shares something in common with you if you’re attending your professional conference. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet someone new.  Once you do — take the time to introduce that person to someone else.

3. Ask how you can help. What a powerful question, and a great way to indicate your willingness to connect with someone else. Just saying the words, “How can I help you?” — imagine how powerfully they will land. Try it. I know I plan to.

4. Keep an open mind and stretch for connections. I’m in an interesting position at SHRM, since I’m not an HR professional. I’m not a good customer for any of the vendors in the exhibit hall — I don’t plan ways to reward employees, I don’t oversee a benefits plan, I don’t engage workers in wellness initiatives and I don’t check references and perform background checks.

However, I do make it a point to think about how I can be of service to the vendors in the exhibit by asking if they may have information or resources to share with the job seekers I normally engage via my online sites. So, maybe a vendor who offers ways to help employers reward employees can share some statistics about trends about employee rewards that can help job seekers. Or, a company that creates benefits packages can offer details about what job seekers should expect in the way of benefits for their next job; this could make it easier to negotiate. A company that does drug testing can share useful details about what they look for and how employers are using the testing.

Thinking outside of the proverbial “box,” I collected information that I hope will benefit my traditional readers and the exhibitors.

What’s the lesson? Stretch your thinking…Where ever you are, think about different ways to make the situation work for you. Think positively and be creative. You never know what opportunity is just around the corner.

photo by mag3737

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Jenny advised hiring managers to share the best part of their employer brand online, including videos of employees and other information that demonstrates why potential employees would want to join the organization. She mentioned that it is important to share “discreet job activity,” which includes letting the public know what events (such as volunteer work) the organization supports, details about successful employees and other good news about the organization. Jenny also reminded employers not to conduct informal background checks on candidates via social media channels — this is good news for job seekers, although it is still important to be cautious about posting information online.

Jenny also reminded us that it’s important for employers and job seekers to know that employer forums such as Indeed.com’s are unofficial sources of information (although they appear to be condoned by the organization).

It was fascinating to me to hear employers ask the exact same questions about social media that job seekers ask: How to maintain privacy, who to connect with on LinkedIn, how to share the best story with the public, what to do when there is something negative reported online.

Job seekers grappling with these issues should recognize that everyone is still working out how to make the most of social media. We’re in a transition mode — employers are looking ahead and focusing on social media, but there is no one answer for how to do it. It’s the same story for job seekers.

All of this advice is fine, but you need help actually find a job? Check out THE CAREER SUMMIT for lots of great career advice.

The topics include everything from how to think about finding a job you love, to what has changed in search, demystifying the recruiting process, online career management, interviewing and (last but not least) — strategies and tips for your resume, social media profile and job search. Read more HERE or visit the site HERE to learn more.

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Boomers

The session addressed the issue of how companies can plan for and harness the power of their more experienced workers who may plan to retire in search of flexibility, but may still be willing to and interested in contributing to the organization’s brain trust. Job seekers may not realize that some companies are actually concerned about the fact that their more seasoned, knowledgeable workers may leave the organization high and dry when it is time to leave. With the projected number of people aged 65+ expected to grow exponentially, it’s an important topic to consider.

The presentation shared the following statistics:

– By 2010, 40% of the U.S. workforce will be over 40.

– Regarding the federal workforce (1.6 million civilians):

• 50% can retire in the next 5 years
• 70% are supervisors
• NASA: scientists and engineers over 60 outnumber those under 30, 3 to 1.

In 1991, 11% planned to continue working past age 65.

In 2010, 33% expect to continue working past 65.

When I was tweeting this session, I heard from several Twitter friends questioning if people really wanted to stay in the workforce, or if financial considerations were primary decision factors. In fact, the presentation suggested that 71% of these workers are happy with their job and do not want to leave. (Per CNNMoney.com). (Of course, this is just a statistic, and will vary from person to person, but there was a strong feeling in the room that people WANT to work because they enjoy it and want to continue to contribute.)

The presentation noted these companies as having best practices regarding keeping their experienced professionals engaged in programs such as mentoring, consulting, advising, etc: Pfizer, Georgia Power, IBM, WellStar. These are companies that value age and experience. This is important to note.

(An aside: for those interested in exploring “encore careers” – work that combines passion, purpose and income, check out http://www.encore.org/.)

Gen Y

At the end of the talk, Rosalia Thomas from IBM shared some interested points regarding her impressions of Gen Y employees. In her view, Ys want everything quickly, want to move up and quickly take on leadership roles. They don’t offer any loyalty. She believes they focus mainly on how they will benefit from the job and how they can move to the next job. In fact, she related a story of a young hire who explained that she was only in the job for as long as she was benefiting, and planned to move on as soon as it was feasible. While Ms. Thomas’ explained that Gen Y job seekers have seen their parents burned by loyalty, the explanation didn’t seem to temper her opinion of employees so blunt about their goals and plans.

Ms. Thomas seemed very concerned with the trends she is seeing with Gen Y employees. It is important to point out that, while being loyal to a company may not be realistic or even expected, it may not behoove entry-level workers to be quite so direct about their plans. There is a lot of focus on authenticity in the blogosphere, but, for Gen Yers who wish to gain traction in certain companies, this talk was a reminder that those sentiments may not be received well.

All of this advice is fine, but you need help actually find a job? Check out THE CAREER SUMMIT for lots of great career advice.

The topics include everything from how to think about finding a job you love, to what has changed in search, demystifying the recruiting process, online career management, interviewing and (last but not least) — strategies and tips for your resume, social media profile and job search. Read more HERE or visit the site HERE to learn more.

http://t.co/iYaUIhG

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Today, I want to share some insights from Tom Herringon, a senior partner with The PAR Group. Tom spoke at SHRM Atlanta about the art of leadership and influence. It’s an important topic, both for managers and those in leadership positions and for job seekers who hope to influence people to hire them.

A few key points from Tom:

• Everyone is a decision maker. Telling people to do something is not effective; influencing them to take action is best.
• No decision is made without emotion. Gut instincts and feelings influence every decision we make.
• If you want to know how people feel, don’t pay attention to what they say, pay attention to their actions. Consider how they are speaking and what they actually do. Actions are easy to see, emotions are not. (I will have more insights about how to listen with all of your senses in my post about Beverly Inman-Ebel’s talk regarding listening. Hint: it’s not something you should be doing only with your ears!)
• Salesmanship done right looks like leadership.
• Leaders evaluate situations to allow themselves to be more easily followed.
• Leaders are inflexible about their goals, outcomes, objectives and targeted results. They are flexible about HOW to get there.
• Recognize that the decision about what to do rests with the individual. You can’t “make” someone take a specific action, but you can empathize, acknowledge their needs and respect their opinions in an effort to impact behavior.

Tom suggested acknowledging and respecting people, in part by suspending your point of view, empathizing with the other person’s viewpoint and depersonalizing the interaction. For example, instead of starting sentences with “you,” think about using “It” or “That” statements.

While Tom’s talk was for human resource professionals, there were many takeaways for job seekers:

• Your search is not only about being qualified for the job — people also hire based on what feels “right” to them — emotion is a key factor in hiring decisions. If you are not getting the job, it does not mean you are not qualified, it may relate to a larger issue of how you come across,  how you present yourself or how you make people feel. Self awareness about these topics may be difficult. Ask a trusted friend or coach if you think these factors may be preventing you from getting hired.
• In an interview, what people say is not always how they feel. An interviewer may tell you one thing, but if they look disinterested, check their watch, or don’t make eye contact, the important information is probably the non-verbal communication.
• You (the job seeker) are a decision maker, too. Remember — you are evaluating the employer in an interviewer, even as he or she assesses your qualifications for the job. Maybe the organization is not a good fit for you.
• Think about what you can do to make yourself a leader. Tom said, “Leaders evaluate situations to allow themselves to be more easily followed.” What are you doing to help people decide to follow you? Think about how to use social media tools to share your expertise. Wouldn’t it be great to have people coming to you with job opportunities instead of you applying for every job you want? (It is possible — I coach job seekers and entrepreneurs to leverage these tools for results.)

What other ideas to you have about the topic of influence and leadership, especially as they relate to the workplace and job search? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

photo from thegoldguys.blogspot.com/

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