What it Means to be Disruptive and Innovative

So you want to be disruptive and innovative, eh? You fools. I’m barely disruptive, but when I write something different, people say things like: 1. Oh, Laurie! 2. Isn’t she something? 3. Gotta love her! It’s so condescending and meant to diminish my contributions. It’s beyond cynical — and sometimes rooted in the institutional sexism…

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Sour Grapes #SHRM15

Forgive me for the inside baseball, but I have something to say. Every year, several hundred human resources nerds across the world vie for an opportunity to speak at an event called SHRM’s Annual Conference and Exposition. Much like an RFP process — with no ROI for anyone involved and no transparency — SHRM selects…

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Is Work Really Changing?

Hello from Sydney. It’s awesome here. I am having a great time. Before you know it, I’ll be in Rome. What a busy month! So what’s happening in Australia? Well, lots of splashy consultants are walking around this conference talking about the future of the modern workforce. “Things are different, Laurie. Everyone should learn to…

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Marathon Monday: Okay, One More Post

I had no manners back when I was a novice runner. People would tell me about a great accomplishment — a 5k, half-marathon or marathon — and I would inevitably ask a coarse question. “What was your time?” I didn’t know that, just like weight or age, the time in which you finish your race…

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You Are More Than What You Look Like

It’s no lie that recruiters and hiring managers dismiss your resume — and your appearance — within 11 seconds of coming into contact with you. (Google it.) People make snap judgments based on hair, weight, color, gender, age and font. That’s science, which is rooted in the ugly side human nature. But just because it’s science…

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Veterans Day

What is your company doing for Veterans Day? Whatever it is, put those plans on hold. The best thing you can do is hire a veteran. The second best thing you can do is stop assuming that all veterans suffer from PTSD. The third thing you can do is stop trying to gain favor with…

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Why the Candidate Experience Matters

You guys, I just finished a month of writing about the candidate experience for CareerBuilder’s Talent Advisor Portal. What is this all about? What is the candidate experience? The candidate experience is about fairness and communication. It’s about people in power — leaders, hiring managers, human resources professionals — giving a damn about job seekers and…

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Gaining Exerpierence with Executive Compensation

A good friend of mine is the CEO of a small (but busy) corporation. She told me that the single biggest differentiator between good HR leadership and inadequate HR leadership is someone who can speak the language of executive compensation. You see, executive compensation is different than “average joe” compensation. You get paid money. If…

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Two Ways to Learn About HR Tech

As the entire world knows, I will be forty years old in January. I’m not afraid of turning 40. I’ve never had more fun or more opportunity in my life. It’s good to be LFR. But 40 is something. Not only does it mean that I have a few life experiences under my belt, it…

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