In late April, Robert Galbraith published his first novel - a mystery called "The Cuckoo's Calling" -  to rave reviews but relatively few purchases.  Yesterday, Robert Galbraith's book was languishing at 4,709 on Amazon's bestseller list with 1500 sales. Now, the book's sitting at number 1; a 156,866% sales increase in 1 day.

What was responsible for such a dramatic change in fortune?

Robert Galbraith was revealed to be the psuedonym of a little known author named J.K. Rowling.  

How often did people pass by the book at their local Barnes & Noble (they still exist, right?) and not give it a second glance simply because of the name of the author?

And, how often do we in HR look over a resume or judge performance simply by looking at the name of the applicant or employee?

It's an all to familiar lesson -  you can't judge a book by its cover - literally.
 

Short post, and inside baseball.  

I was taken to task by a reader regarding my use of LinkedIn to examine the educational background of the HuffPost Top 100 Most Social HR Experts on Twitter.  Her argument is that LinkedIn is a glitchy marketing tool, that shouldn't be confused with a resume.  

So, it got me wondering...if not LinkedIn, where can I find the evidence of the expertise and background of the HR leaders of today?

Combing the list and perusing the many HR blogs and personal websites out there, one of the things I have noticed is how few have the author's resume (or a link to one) detailing employment history, skills, educational background, etc. There might be a bio, some background info, and a link to LinkedIn to connect, but rarely is there information demonstrating their bonafides.

Why might that be?

• Despite the reader's contention above, has LinkedIn replaced the traditional resume for most, and individuals should be directed there to see the details?
• Personal preference?
• The author hasn't updated the resume in quite awhile? 

With that in mind, should an author's resume be part of the blog (mine's at the top)?  Would knowing such information enhance the credibility of the author's blog? Does it matter?

Leave your thoughts below.

In 2001, five days after being hired at Notre Dame, George O'Leary resigned from the head coach position.  Why?  O'Leary stated he had played three years of college football and had a Master's Degree on his resume, but background checks showed it wasn't true.

Flash forward 11 years, and we have the case of former CEO of Yahoo Scott Thompson, who stepped down when it was learned he had made a false claim on his resume. Thompson claimed he received degrees in accounting and computer science from Stonehill College near Boston, but Yahoo's largest outside investor revealed earlier this month that the accounting degree was the only one he earned.

Now, we have an applicant running for one of the most important jobs in the world - President of the United States - who lied about his employment record.  In today's Boston Globe...

Romney has said he left Bain in 1999 to lead the winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, ending his role in the company. But public Securities and Exchange Commission documents filed later by Bain Capital state he remained the firm’s “sole stockholder, chairman of the board, chief executive officer, and president.”

Also, a Massachusetts financial disclosure form Romney filed in 2003 states that he still owned 100 percent of Bain Capital in 2002. And Romney’s state financial disclosure forms indicate he earned at least $100,000 as a Bain “executive” in 2001 and 2002, separate from investment earnings.

Given that O'Leary and Thompson could not retain their positions based on their resume transgressions, should Romney's fib eliminate him from consideration from the position? If a candidate lied on his resume as Romney appears to have done, would you hire him or her for your organization?  What separates Romney from O'Leary and/or Thompson?

What say you HR peeps?

• Boon
• Moist
• Torrential 
• Cavalcade

It may miss the most-qualified applicant if that person doesn't game the system by larding his or her résumé with keywords from the job description, according to Mark Mehler, co-founder of consulting firm Career Xroads, which advises companies on staffing. 

One small error, such as listing the name of a former employer after the years worked there, instead of before, can ruin a great candidate's chances.

Forget about being creative. Instead, mimic the keywords in the job description as closely as possible. If you're applying to be a sales manager, make sure your résumé includes the words "sales" and "manage" (assuming you've done both!).