Category Archives: Continued Education

Review and Demo of @SlideKlowd – a Game-changer app for Events, Conferences and Training

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slideklowd

I’m on vacation in sunny California so I thought I would pull a few of my favorites from the archives. Check these folks out. 

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You never know who you’re going to connect with on the Twitters.

Back a few months I had tweeted a post in regard to me preparing for my SHRM Work/Flex presentation and happened to mention my Powerpoint. I received a follow from @SlideKlowd and checked into who they were – as I often do before simply clicking the ole “follow” button.

Upon my investigation I found out more about their amazing mobile and desktop app that allows greater engagement between presenters and their audiences whether it’s at conferences or events, online hangouts or training. I was so excited about the possibility of doing away with “the way we’ve always done it” and having to fill out those paper surveys after a conference session or keynote, for one. Secondly, I see how this can tremendously affect the way we communicate and present future events and / or training for HR and beyond.

Just think about the possibilities of having real-time engagement with your audience and being able to walk away with REAL data. I guess it could be terrifying to presenters who are boring and those who can’t engage an audience and the like.

My next step was to follow them back online and hear more about their product and services so I did just that. I was hoping to use SlideKlowd at my presentation in October but it was cutting it short.

I sat in with my new-found connection > Justin Foster, one of the founders of SlideKlowd, in a private one-on-one Webinar to share more about what they offered and I fell head over hills with this product. I like it so much, in fact, that I told several of my HR buds about it and scheduled a Google+ hangout for Justin to present the demo to them.

hangout with SlideKlowd

Here is the hangout >

Thanks Justin, for a superb job and for the fantastic job you guys are doing at creating a greater way to drive engagement.

Oh, you’ll want to check them out at SlideKlowd.com and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter. I can’t recommend them enough.

Here is their latest video introduction.

The value of using Google+ Hangouts within your Organization

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google hangoutIt’s been a year and some odd months that Google+ brought us the Hangout which we slowly eased into for fear of folks seeing us in our pajamas. Now, we hear about hangouts happening almost every day. And yes, even in Human Resources.

Sometimes we feel disconnected from employees that are perhaps overseas and we talk with them mainly via email or sometimes Skype and are really looking for a much better approach to talking with those with whom we converse on a regular basis.

I love Google+ Hangouts and here’s why:

  • They close the disconnect. Let’s face it, you can only do so much with email. And it’s a known fact, we spend tons of hours a day (up to 2 hours) not to mention the costs associated with it, trying to track folks down, see if they’ve read your emails, find out why they haven’t responded. Hangouts cuts out all that and allows for real-time face-time with up to nine folks.
  • Hangouts can be recorded.  This function can be a great asset to holding virtual sales meetings (or any kind of meeting) that can be recorded, automatically saved to Youtube (marked as private) and shared within your organization at any time. This is especially great for those who don’t show up or are late to meetings. Or, perhaps you have sales teams across geographical points, hangouts would be a great tool for management teams to gather together to share knowledge, brainstorm and then share with their teams.
  • You can share documents, videos and / or presentations within the hangout. Talk about opening new ways to train your team. I’ve used this in several of my hangouts especially with some very cool HR Tech developers to host a demo to those within the hangout. We were scattered all over the globe, yet we were participating LIVE with one another, while watching a presentation, while participating on the demo of the technology within our smartphones and/ or tablets. It’s really a shift in the way we do things…..
  • I’ve also used hangouts to showcase HR conference speakers and bloggers for an upcoming conference. What this does is allow the rest of the world to spy in on your conversations (if you make them available to the public) and really get to know your speakers and bloggers on a personal level. We’ve also used hangouts for LIVE STREAMING our events to those who weren’t able to make the event. It’s a win-win, really.

The only thing that is limited is your brain’s capacity to be creative in how you can utilize these fantastic technologies. These fantastic tools can assist you in creating better engagement, greater communication with your team members across the globe, and aid you in your everyday first-world problems within your organizations.

And did I mention it was free?

Here is an example of one hangout I did. Take a look and get a feel of what it can do for you!

For those of you not yet on the Google bandwagon, here’s a great guide “The Complete Google Guide.”

When HR is kicked to the Curb

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I can’t tell you how many emails, DM’s, Facebook Messages and LinkedIn messages I get from folks that are looking for work. And I don’t mind at all.

I love connecting folks with other people who are looking for prime candidates online and looking for referrals and recommendations from people they trust. That’s the new way of doing it.

With every new job posting it seems there are hundreds applying for that same position which can be very frustrating and overwhelming to someone in our current job market.

Even if you’ve gone to college and received a PHR, SPHR, GPHR or GOPHER (okay, I made this last one up) and have worked in your field of expertise for hump-teen-million years – you are not exempt from being laid off. It’s a fact!

It’s interesting and alarming that so many HR and Recruiter friends are the ones contacting me lately with the awful news of them finding themselves being laid off, canned, booted out of their long-term positions and some of them are frantic. I would be the same.

I will say it again folks, nothing is EVER a sure thing.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’ve found yourself in this position and are in job-search mode:

  • Network: Try and stay connected online and off. You may just connect to the right person that can make that introduction to a key connection that will help you get that next gig.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach out to your connections and let them know (like folks are doing with me – and that’s cool). Sometimes you just have to open that mouth (or email) and let others know your business. We all need support. And again, your connections may be key in helping you get that next opportunity.
  • Keep your certifications up to date. Go to conferences and sit through all the boring sessions if you have to.
  • Continue to pour any and every kind of knowledge in the ole brain. And no, you don’t already don’t everything there is to know. If nothing else, it will help you maintain your sanity. (Note: Try to refrain from all the Alien shows. You don’t want to mention those in your next interview)

It hurts my heart when I receive an email from a friend (especially a smart and savvy HR friend) telling me they were just let go. I immediately go into a mode where I’m looking through all my connections to see who I can connect them with that can help, wracking my brain for a job posting I’ve seen across the Webs that have been shared by my recruiter friends and struggling to try and see how I can help them in their search.

As I stated yesterday on a status update “It takes a Village.” But if you haven’t invested time in building that Village before you need it I just don’t see how you are going to survive this new way of the social job search incorporated into your strategy.

Being able to connect and pull from those said Villagers is key in getting ahead in your job search in today’s social savvy marketplace.

For more info on how to develop social into your job search strategy check out Discovering Social’s “Defining your Personal Brand.”

Social media guidelines for Students and #JobSeekers (Infographic) #discsoc

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Here’s another great Infographic from my friends at Online Degrees. You guys know I love Infographics by now, obviously. If I could do nothing but make Infographics all day, I’d be in heaven. However, they take me forever cause I’m no graphic artist. Perhaps, that’s why I appreciate them so much.

Having a visual helps me put things into perspective and compartmentalize it in my brain. This one is basic but has some good stuff. I would never connect with my boss online. She can sometimes be a real ass. (BTW, I’m the boss :) )

Source: OnlineDegrees

Up Next: Complementary #JobSearch Strategy Webinar

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To sign up for this complementary Webinar go to www.DiscoveringSocial.com.

Discovering Social was founded by myself and Sabrina Baker of Acacia HR Solutions and is designed to give job seekers in-depth training on major social media platforms and how to use them as part of their overall job search. Through a series of eBooks, webinars, workshops, newletters, case studies and individual coaching, job seekers gain knowledge and expertise that they can utilize in their daily lives. Presented by human resource, recruiting and social media experts, Discovering Social events are taking it to the next level.

Follow us on the Twitters @DiscSoc and join the groups on Linked In Discovering Social for Job Seekers, Discovering Social for HR and Recruiters.

Forward thinking: What NOT to post online!

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Today’s guest post comes from the folks over at OnlineClasses.org where this post, originally titled “To Post or Not to Post” first aired! I love this Infographic. Remembering your brand when posting online is always a good thing. 

There are 900 million social media users plugged into Facebook alone, and nearly 500 million of them log into the social network every single day. In fact, in just one day on Facebook, 250 million photos are uploaded, and 532 million statuses are updated. And that doesn’t even count the millions of tweets sent, tumblrs updated, and instagrams snapped.

With so much personal content constantly being uploaded to the web, it’s no small wonder that so many recruiters and would-be employers are turning to various social networking platforms to determine the personalities of prospective hires.

If you’re working toward your online degree, chances are you hope to one day apply for, interview at, and ultimately secure a great job. The first step to preparing for that future job, however, is to stay forward-thinking in the types of things you post, tweet, and otherwise put up online. In the information age, when everything about a person is available for scrutiny, the fact of the matter is that one incriminating photo or post can make or break the way people perceive you in the future.

And even if your social media habits don’t have an immediate impact on your employment dreams, the laws of social media etiquette dictate that sometimes, people need to think before they overshare.

The following infographic provides a handy flowchart to determine the ever-increasingly important question: To post, or not to post?

Who’s responsible for your career? Look in the Mirror

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Today’s guest post comes from my good friend and fellow Facebooker Vito Scotello. Last week, when I had writer’s block after being at SHRM12 all week, I mentioned said “writer’s block” on Facebook, and Vito came up with this topic and I mentioned that he write a guest post and pass it on over. So he did. Thanks Vito. (Oh, did I mention he’s a fellow Chicagoan who lives in Miami and remains a loyal Bears fan?)

Photo Credit: CrochetingTheDayAway

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As a Training and Development professional for the last twenty years, I have heard many common themes emerge.  Some of these come up as I coach members of my team and others come up during the course of training.  One theme that comes up repeatedly is the expectation that once someone joins a company, it becomes that company’s expectation to provide a career path.  This expectation is trans-generational.  It is just a strong today as it was years ago when individuals expected to remain with a company for a number of years or for a lifetime.  So who is responsible for my career?  It’s not the company.

There are certain responsibilities that an organization has in regard to your career growth.  First and foremost, a company needs to provide you with the training to succeed in your current position.  This includes specific job skills as well as tips on how to navigate the particularities of the given organization.  In other words, once you know how to do your job, it is also the company’s responsibility to train and coach you on “how things work around here.”  A smart company includes information on how promotions are made, whether open positions are posted, and any paperwork or electronic hoops that must be jumped through (plane and flaming).  Many companies have certain career paths set out; many others paths are unique and building an individual guide is not the company’s job.

If it’s not the company’s job, it is logical to assume that it must be your job.  There are two questions you must ask yourself:  1) how can I help my career?  And, 2) how can I hurt my career?  Some cheap advice follows.

1)      How can you help your career?

Before you can help your career, you must know what you would like your career to be.  If you answer this question the rest becomes easy.  And yet, this is exactly where most people fail.  People who do not take responsibility for their own careers often try to push that responsibility on to the company.  (I was hired as a fry cook; my career path should lead me to district manager.)  Within any organization, there are multiple paths with multiple ending points.  Once you have a direction, you can start making the connections within your organization to get the journey underway.  I suggest you go back to “What Color Is Your Parachute?” for some guidance.  (Try an older version that didn’t spend so much time on social media.  Sorry Susan.)  The informational interview is a great tool that will help you learn what a Regional Marketing Manager actually does in a day, what education and experience are required, and if you can someday fill the requirements.  It’s also an exceptional way to make contacts within your company and with the people who will ultimately be making hiring decisions.  Now you can get to work getting the background and experience that will position you for the future and make those decisions easy.  But don’t stop there.  Be active with the organization and volunteer for projects and activities where you can shine.

2)      How can you hurt your career?

Although this may seem like a tangent, it is important to consider your actions and how they affect your career path.  Feelings of helplessness (this company is not promoting me) are often accompanied by behaviors that guarantee stagnation in position.

  • Don’t feel that you are being considered for that next job?  Why not?  How is your performance?
  • When your boss is challenged, are you the problem or the solution?
  • Don’t feel like part of the team?  Why not?  What are you doing to fit in?
  • People don’t respect you?  Have you earned their respect?

Remember, your current supervisor could be your biggest ally in advancing your career.  The obvious caveat is that she could also be your biggest obstacle.

I understand that there are real situations where your career is blocked or put off its course.  Sometimes, your best choice is to move on; but, often your best choice is to look in the mirror.  It’s not your company’s responsibility to prepare a career path for you, although it may be good business to do so.  A clear, achievable path helps retain and motivate employees.  But that path is also a “one-size-fits-all-solution.”  So, whose responsibility is your career?  The answer is in the mirror.

About the Author:

Vito Scotello, SPHR, is a human resource professional with over 20 years of experience. For the past eleven years he has worked for Norwegian Cruise Line and is currently the Director of Human Resources, Training and Development.  In addition to Norwegian Cruise Line, Scotello’s experience includes time with Champs Sports, Tropicana Products, Hills Department Stores and Target Stores where he wrote and conducted management and operations training. He has also taught a variety of courses at the college level, including Business Communication, Organizational Communication, and Public Speaking.