Two years ago today, under the guidance of Laurie Ruettimann, Tim Sackett day was launched.  

#timsackettday is all about driving awareness for the HR/recruiting underdog. It's about the practitioner who works hard and doesn't have time for fancy lists and Forbes articles. We are celebrating a practitioner who is getting stuff done.

My story of how I met the initial recipient and holiday namesake, Tim Sackett, can be found here

Last year, the Tim Sackett Day honoree was none other than Paul Hebert 

This year's recipient is Kelly Dingee.  She goes by @sourcerkelly on Twitter...but she is so much more than that name.

I guess that would make her a sourcer-er.  Using her knowledge, skills, and abilities to help companies find the right person, she makes a magician break their wand and Magnum P.I. shave his mustache.

But, she is more than just a sourcer-er.  As she notes herself, she is "testing the limits of who I can find online."

Sourcer-est?  More like Sourcer-BEST!

If you want to learn more about Kelly, check out the links below:

top HR bloggers?  Heck, No!

Instead, it is the number of articles that I have assigned to my HR Spring seminar beginning on Monday.  In fact, it may be more, since there are several e-books listed that contain a number of articles within them. Overkill?  Perhaps.

Most HR textbooks are not up-to-date on what HR professionals have been discussing over the past couple of years, and it is hoped that my students will be minimally conversant on the current hot topics, even if they have already been beaten to death (engagement, big data, gamification, etc.)

The students have already had at least one HR class, and the list is far from comprehensive, but I hope it gives them an idea of where HR has been, and where HR is going in 2014.

Check out the list here

Any critical articles that are must reads?  

One of the more recent complaints about the Affordable Care Act is that the narrow networks created may mean that some may no longer be able to "keep one's doctor."

For some, the one-on-one relationship with their doctor is inviolate.  They get to know your health history.  You expose every inch of yourself to his or her eyes.  We lean on doctor-patient confidentiality to share our most intimate feelings and concerns.

However, we are a nation on the move.  The average 50 year old will move at least 10 times in their lifetime.  Younger individuals, often not tied down by a mortgage or a family, are most likely to change locations with 65.5 percent having moved over the past five years. 

I have lived in 6 different cities for a period of more than 18 months, which has meant 6 different sets of general practitioners, eye doctors, dentists, etc., not to mention whatever unique maladies that might have needed to be addressed.   

But, doctors are also on the move.  I have now lived in Green Bay for just under 12 years.  Yet, in that time, my primary physician, my dentist, and my asthma specialist have either retired or moved away.  Insurance providers with my employer have also changed to try to keep costs down (prior to the Affordable Care Act) which prompted me to look around at potential health providers as well.

So, how important is keeping one's doctor anyway?  

Just don't talk to me about who cuts my hair....that is a greater challenge.

Originally posted December 25, 2012
From "Miracle On 34th Street"

Merry Christmas everyone

(Spoiler alert - if you haven't watched the season finale of Sons of Anarchy, you may not want to read on).

The worst HR job in America might be the HR Director at Teller Motors.  Here's why:

*The job is located in Charming, CA, a town with a death rate that rivals Cabot Cove, ME

*It's family-owned, with a highly unstable family.  The current owner, Jax Teller,  shot and killed the former owner, his stepdad, Clay Morrow.   And the owner's mom, Gemma, just killed the owner's wife, Tara, with a carving fork.

*The owner is involved with many illegal activities, including guns, drug-running, and prostitution.

*Recruiting employees is tougher than a union closed shop in 1939.

*Employees are more likely to get killed by a member of the IRA than receive a company-sponsored IRA.

*Health care premiums are likely to skyrocket in the next year.  Given than Tara was a physician and provided care to the company employees gratis as well as stole supplies from the hospital in which she worked, the employees are likely in the market for a new doctor.

*Teller Motors has a very stringent orientation procedure.

*Most common reason for turnover?  Death.

*Most useless taxes paid?  FUTA and FICA. Most employees are unlikely to be fired and few are around long enough to collect Social Security.

*Forget about the AFT...the latest concern may be OSHA, who may put Teller Motors on their watch list for imminent danger after the company clubhouse was firebombed.

At least the company parties are off the hook.

I was saddened to hear the news today of the departure of Curtis Midkiff, Director of Social Engagement, from SHRM for greener pastures at the American Red Cross. 

I, of course, am happy that Curtis found an opportunity that he was excited to pursue, but it will definitely be a loss for SHRM.

I first met Curtis when I was chosen as one of five inaugural SHRM Blog Squad members for the SHRM Annual Conference in San Diego.  No one was exactly sure what the SHRM Blog Squad would do, but it was enough of a success, that SHRM brought it back the next year, and again, and again.  And what was just a small endeavor 4 years ago blossomed into an enterprise comprising 50+ members sharing their insight, tweets, blogs, etc. at the Annual Conference each year.  In addition, he was instrumental in bringing a little extra flair to the Monday night SHRM Tweetup, including a party with DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Without Curtis' vision and efforts, I am not sure SHRM would have embraced social media as readily as they have done, and I hope they continue to do.


So, best wishes in the next step in your career, Curtis.  The American Red Cross is lucky to have you.

Four years ago today, some 50-odd people (or is it 50 ODD people) descended upon the Hilton Seelbach in Louisville, KY to attend the first HRevolution unconference.  Put together by Trish McFarlane, Ben Eubanks, Steve Boese, and Crystal Peterson as an alternative to the mega SHRM Annual Conference, HRevolution attempted (and continues to emphasize) to bring a new voice to the future of HR.   Topics for that first day included:

• Blogging Basics - tools, platforms, getting started
• Advanced Blogging Topics - hosting, building an audience, promotion, aggregation
• Social Media in HR - building the case, learning the tools, planning the strategy, executing the plan, measuring the results
• New Technology you can use - Demo and discussion of some exciting new technologies for information sharing and collaboration, low-cost (some even free), low maintenance, and really cool

Since its inception, it has had five iterations, with the latest in Las Vegas.  

For me, it has been a truly transformative event, both personally and professionally, as I have gone from a simple attendee, to presenter, to planner.

Significant friendships have formed.  People who never met prior to the event have taken trips together.

Its spawned the ever popular 8 Man Rotation series.

Its even led to marriage, as 6-time attendees Frank Zupan and Tammy Colson met in Louisville, fell in love one year later in Chicago at the 2nd HRevolution, and married four years later on the eve of the 6th event.

So happy anniversary HRevolution....here's to many more.   Anyone interested in St. Louis in May 2014?