Here’s Kimberly:

I live at [...]]]>

This profiles a great Senior level HR Generalist, Kimberly Roden – currently living in the Northeast. She’s seeking a full time gig with a progressive company. I’ll let her tell her story. And you should go read her new blog here, where she’s rocking HR, empty nesting, and the topic du jour.

Here’s Kimberly:

I live at the beach in New Jersey – Barnegat Light to be specific. I’m a Human Resources Director with 23 years of Generalist experience. I’ve been planning to relocate to NJ from Philadelphia, PA so I have had 2 recent interim positions. I’m now in NJ and looking for a senior level HR gig. Simply put, I would like is to settle in with a progressive and forward-thinking organization for the long haul.

I’m a recent “empty nester” with twins in college so I’m flexible and will gladly relocate for the right gig. I don’t know how I survived raising them and getting them as far as I did and I wouldn’t do it again for a million bucks (no, I really would not!) but this is an exciting and new journey for me. When I’m in a job interview and am asked, “What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?” I want to say, “My kids! Do you have any idea of what it’s like having twins?”

Back to HR… I can do “everything generalist” but my passion lies in working with the complex minds and behaviors of human beings in the workplace. I enjoy unconventional thinking when approaching problem solving along with employee relations and performance management issues. Bring on the “grey” areas of HR – everything that most folks want to run away from. There are no two days alike – every situation and every single person is different and it’s exciting! We can’t predict how each individual will react to the same exact statement so there are no blanket solutions to issues when human beings are involved. I pride myself in the ability to coach managers and employees on how to speak to one another and solve their own interpersonal and performance issues. There are ways this can be done respectfully and without breaking anyone’s morale or spirit.

Yes, HR steps in when necessary to be the tough guy, but I enjoy teaching and have had enormous job satisfaction when I hear, “Thank you, that was really helpful.”

In summary, I love HR — I have a sense of humor and a strong business acumen. One of the most important traits that I posses is the ability to be tough but empathetic. Empathy is critical in HR — the ability to understand someone while remaining objective is necessary. My dream gig would be with an organization who values HR — I can add value to a small to mid-sized organization and my experience with diverse industries attests to my versatility.

Best regards,
Kimberly A. Roden

Where you can reach her:
http://www.visualcv.com/karoden
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karoden
k (dot) roden (at) comcast (dot) net

Michael VanDervort over at The Human Racehorses is hosting another HR Carnival . This one calls on us to identify and research a charity that is supporting Haitian relief.

Three Rotary organizations and the First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC – where I currently live, fund the Pwoje Espwa orphanage in les Cayes, [...]]]>

Michael VanDervort over at The Human Racehorses is hosting another HR Carnival . This one calls on us to identify and research a charity that is supporting Haitian relief.

Three Rotary organizations and the First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, NC – where I currently live, fund the Pwoje Espwa orphanage in les Cayes, Haiti. The business manager of Theo’s Work, Inc, Jack Reynolds, lives here in Greensboro and I’ve heard him on local talk radio recently discussing the problems the orphanage is facing. His brother in law, Father Marc is the director of the orphanage in Haiti.

They house on average 680 kids and employ 180 workers, and they are in dire straights for funds to purchase supplies. I can also imagine that their numbers will increase as so many orphans are discovered throughout the earthquake ravaged areas. With the number of people relying on them, their continuation is vital to recovery of this area. One of their main reasons for their existence is to provide refuge for the children whose families cannot afford them, and who farm the kids out to extended families where they more often than not become slaves.

Photo courtesy of freethekids.org

You can discover more about this orphanage at their organizations page.

There are links on the website for donations and notes on some of the most critical long term needs as well.

I have to give kudos to Jordon Green (@jordongreenyes) for bringing more information to my attention through his article in Yes Weekly, a local Greensboro paper.

Have you ever wondered what value you bring to your organization? Do you feel as if your contributions make a difference? The responses to [...]]]>

In the Spirit of Giving for The HR Carnival of Global Giving,  Ruth Estwick, our wonderful @HRstalker puts up a guest post. I thank her for her generosity, and time.

Have you ever wondered what value you bring to your organization? Do you feel as if your contributions make a difference? The responses to these are questions, I believe, are good indicators of both what motivates you and how you are recognized at work.

It baffles me that managers don’t realize how far a simple thank you can go. If our focus as managers was weighted more towards the people we manage rather than the tasks, perhaps we would enjoy increased productivity. Of course, creating a culture that recognizes employees is ultimately the responsibility of senior management; but I can’t help but think that the managers that work directly with the employees have the most leverage and opportunity to recognize staff directly. Simply put; employees want recognition from their managers.

I once implemented an amazing concept, a ground-breaking idea, and an enormous leap for our organization: ready for it….it was a recognition ceremony. It was something we had never done in that particular organization. We were already gathering the staff to present yet another cash award to a sales rep and I thought it would be a great opportunity to have one individual from each department be recognized in front of their peers. The cost was minimal: the forum was already set; the awards themselves were created internally and personalized with three specific achievements for each employee. For an added touch, they were autographed by the manager and the CEO and then framed.

I know, I know; it’s hard to believe I’m in HR and not rocket science.

What was astonishing to me, was what happened in the planning stages. For the most part, it was an amazing revelation for most managers and they were completely onside with the concept but there were managers that didn’t think it was a good idea to recognize their staff. Yes, that’s what I said. Not a good idea to recognize their staff. The very people that make them look good.

These particular managers claimed two things:

1) that their staff did not want to be publicly recognized and it would be embarrassing for them to accept an award in front of their peers

2) and that recognizing only one employee in each department showed extreme favouritism

Then it came to me. We, as senior managers create and cultivate the environment in which we work. Recognition and appreciation is not something that comes from HR, it stems from the culture. In an environment where recognition is not part of the culture, it really is non existent; the employees don’t expect it and the managers don’t give it or generalize about it. “Thanks for all your hard work”. When you don’t feel valued, even as a manager, what generally happens? As HR professionals, we all know the answer to that question. We must walk the talk; recognize our own managers and create the desired environment.

The end result of my story? A simple recognition ceremony had a significant impact on the people of the organization. Almost instantly, even if only for the moment, morale increased. Employees were overjoyed that we recognized individual contributors; people who deserved it and made a difference. There was no jealousy or embarrassment. There were only feelings of appreciation.

I guess my point is simple; appreciation goes a long way. Consider a personal thank you over an email, build a recognition and reward strategy that works for your employees and your culture but most importantly, bring some real value to the organization by walking the talk. If you don’t demonstrate an atmosphere of encouragement and appreciation reinforcing desired behaviours, how do you expect your managers to?

Be the freakin’ change people!

Ruth Estwick is a Human Resources Manager currently holding a dual role in HR and Operations for Metro, the world’s largest global newspaper. Having transitioned from Operations and Administrative Management, Ruth has found her calling in HR. She hopes to focus her HR career on culture development and organizational change.

Ruth is a member of the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA) and is currently working towards her Canadian Human Resources Professional designation (CHRP). A senior manager, a part time student and a proud mother of 3, including a child with TGA (a congenital heart defect), Ruth is active in raising awareness of Congenital Heart Defects.

She tweets as @HRstalker

Doesn’t HR give back enough?

I have heard my HR peers on many occasions say “it seems all I do is give”. These days, I think those HR Pro’s need to retire, or go into a field that doesn’t encounter people. Ever.

In all my years, one of the most effective [...]]]>

Doesn’t HR give back enough?

I have heard my HR peers on many occasions say “it seems all I do is give”. These days, I think those HR Pro’s need to retire, or go into a field that doesn’t encounter people. Ever.

In all my years, one of the most effective things I have found to brings people together is a volunteer project that has measurable results, utilizes employee talents, and where the beneficiaries are participants and witnesses to the efforts.

One of the best employee volunteer programs I’ve seen in action was the program designed and administered by the Big Orange Home Improvement Box. Some of the efforts were driven by individual stores, while others were driven and organized by the corporate office. While I was amazed and invigorated by the corporate programs, (I got to build a playground for a Habitat for Humanity community with the Joe Gibbs Racing group) the ones that touched my heart and soul were the programs that were born from the ideas of the employees, raised by their sweat and skills, and set free to flourish because the company we worked for provided the budget we needed to make it happen.

Now, I’m not saying they just threw money at something, because for any given project I was a part of, the budget didn’t exceed $2000, and sometimes it was much less. So, this isn’t about the money. Its about the lesson I learned about how to encourage employees, who are barely surviving themselves on some occasions, to give back to their community, and thereby encourage employee involvement and improve morale.

Find something your employees are passionate about. We worked in home improvement, so we were passionate about fixing things.

Recruit the talent. Enlist employees because they are good at something. Massage the ego just a bit. Give them room to feel that they need to contribute because they can add value to the project. I recruited my Paint department to paint, the millwork guys to replace doors, and of course, the Garden department did landscaping. My cashiers took charge of organizing volunteers, because well, no one could keep a crowd under control and moving like my cashiers.

Execute. Give employees the option to donate time, or do this with pay. That’s between you and them individually. (some would love to volunteer, but need days off for other obligations, or simply to pay the bills) Keep the budget reasonable for the project. The company is getting a payoff – all that good press!!

When its over, celebrate! Thank your employees. As management, you need to be involved, and get sweaty with them. You shouldn’t just be signing the check. This is your opportunity to prove you care, in a tangible way.

I’ve never met an employee that wasn’t engaged, energized and motivated for weeks after, and then we’d have another project that started it all over again. We talk a lot about employee engagement. Its time to make it real. And hey, I swear you’ll get warm fuzzies when you are done. That’s what giving back does for people.

The Carnival of Giving

My charity of choice is the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. www.iava.org – As a former Marine and veteran of Desert Shield/Desert Storm, I had the easy war. Returning veterans of these wars need all the support we can provide them. With almost 36000 wounded vets returning, please reach out to those in your community. Keep these men and women connected.

Many thanks to Mike VanDervort at The Human Race Horses for corralling the HR cats for this carnival, for coming up with the brilliant idea to make it a charitable endeavor, and for guilting us in to adding to the pot. (KIDDING!) If you haven’t written a post. Do so now. If you don’t have a blog, I’ll let you guest post here. Just send me an email or a tweet @tlcolson. I want to reach this goal of 100 posts.

And happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you.