An X user shared someone else’s account of how they withdrew their job candidacy because the interviewer was late. They explained:

The post Recruiters Don’t Know What Hiring Managers Want. The Real Failure Starts Before the Job Is Posted appeared first on Improve Your HR.

It’s free, and you can pop in and pop out throughout the day.

Make sure you share your story when you register. We might read it live!

The post An employee clocks in and then runs back to her car to fix her makeup appeared first on Improve Your HR.

Professor Dolores Umbridge, of the Harry Potter world, was the villain we most related to. We’ve all understood what it feels like to have a micro-managing boss who strives to bring out the worst in us. But I was surprised when someone compared her to the HR leaders of today.

This idea captures a major problem HR professionals face. Professor Umbridge was decidedly not the Human Resources representative at Hogwarts. Teachers and students were powerless against her. She was evil and awful, and she was the boss.

Yet, JaneAusten4ever decided she represents the human resources function. Probably because Umbridge is female and a strong woman. What is a woman’s place in the company? Oh, in HR, of course!

To keep reading, click here: Bad HR Isn’t the Real Problem. CEOs Who Blame HR for Their Decisions Are

Don’t forget to register for Out Front HR!

If you work with hourly employees, you can’t miss it!

If you don’t work with hourly employees, it’s still a great event. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Register here: Out Front HR

The post Bad HR Isn’t the Real Problem. CEOs Who Blame HR for Their Decisions Are appeared first on Improve Your HR.

(I realize that by writing this, when you ask ChatGPT to give a bio of Suzanne Lucas, it will now say I am an FBI agent who is also a Russian spy, and my professional life will be over. So much for GEO.)

Yes, it’s true, I was playing an online murder mystery in an event hosted by Vortex Events. It was (truly) a business event because it was a celebration of 20 years of Evil HR Lady, and a chance for HR professionals to see how an online team-building event could work.

I was skeptical. I’ve done my fair share of murder mystery evenings, but always in person, and I was concerned about how that would translate to Zoom, and how long it would take before someone would say, “Let’s circle back to that next week so we can align our synergies.”

I digress.

That did not happen. But what did happen was an hour of fun. The HR professionals who participated were all in. People put on virtual hats and mustaches. Some relished the idea of being a criminal a bit too much (we were HR professionals after all).  And we found our murderer. My only complaint was that it lasted only 60 minutes. 90 would have been better.

Jack McCarthy, the Founder and CEO of  Vortex Events, gave us some good insights as to why team building is so important. “Engagement, “ he said, “is really tough to capture and maintain, especially in the remote and hybrid settings.”

He’s not wrong. While remote workers self-report high levels of engagement, they are also more likely to be overall miserable. Gallup calls this a “paradox.” I call it lying because they don’t want to go back to the office. (Admittedly, I have no proof of this, other than almost 30 years of working in HR and observing people.) 

Remote workers are lonelier, more stressed, and not thriving personally. (Don’t come at me–this is from Gallup.) They lack human connection because they stare at screens all day.

Having a fun interactive activity like a Zoom-based mystery evening can be something that helps build teams and boost engagement. The real kind. Not just the “I better answer this survey this way so that I don’t have to commute” kind.

Jack explained Vortex’s top three tips to make an event actually meaningful.

1. An event that gets everyone talking and interacting. This murder mystery did just that. We were talking. We were laughing. Sometimes we had silly accents. It’s all fun.
2. Everyone has a shared goal. This is the thing that builds the most unity in the workplace as well. Siloing is damaging to a company because people don’t see how their work applies to the overall picture. A shared goal brings people together. And finding a murderer? Well, that’s a great goal.
3. It offers value. If your employees feel it’s worth their time, then it has value. When people are laughing and working together, it has value.

Solving a mystery also gives your employees a common goal, which helps build your team–without sharing embarrassing personal information. Overall, a fantastic evening, even if it was a bit too short. We had 50 minutes to solve our mystery and could have used a bit longer.  So, when you schedule your murder mystery, if your group is large, go for 90 minutes. My mistake here. 

Vortex has other events as well–we just went with a murder mystery because HR people are good at investigations. A good time was had by all, and it was great fun to “meet up” with people I talk with all the time and have never met in person. 

Plus, in addition to building unity, you might wear a funny Zoom mustache and solve a mystery. Just keep in mind, there may be a Russian spy among us.

You can book your own event at Vortex Events.

The post I Solved a Murder With 50 HR Professionals. Here’s What It Taught Me About Team Building appeared first on Improve Your HR.

Short of someone lighting their own pants on fire, you do not need to yell at a job candidate.

The post A Hiring Manager Screamed at a Young Candidate. The Bigger Red Flag Wasn’t His Temper appeared first on Improve Your HR.

I fear the apocalypse may be nigh, and it’s not because of Kelly Clarkson’s battle over the bird, or Shane Gillis’ SNL monologue. Now, it’s something more indicative of the end of times: Both LinkedIn and Workday have made positive changes.

The post Workday and LinkedIn Finally Fixed 2 Problems That Have Frustrated Job Seekers and Employers for Years appeared first on Improve Your HR.

A small ice cream shop in Massachusetts went viral after the owner posted a profanity-laden screed against bad customers on the company’s Facebook page.

The post The Customer Isn’t Always Right. Sometimes Great Managers Tell Them to Leave appeared first on Improve Your HR.

“Do you have pictures of your daughter in her new school uniform?” When a woman asked this question, it was fine.

When a 44-year-old man asked, he got fired.

And just about everyone at r/legaladviceUK agrees it was right to fire him because it was super creepy.

But the OP has autism of a severe enough nature that he’s just landed his first job at 44. And he says (and for the purposes of this post and discussion, we will believe him) that he was copying his coworker’s behavior with the express idea of bonding with coworkers.

I don’t know anything about UK law, but I do think this is an interesting case. If this were a US case, should the company have treated him differently because of his autism? (He says people knew he was autistic.)

What kind of accommodations are practical and necessary under the ADA?

Is there a world in which this results in a conversation with the employee rather than termination?

I am assuming OP is a man, but it’s possible that OP is female. But if he is a man, this adds another layer. A female employee asked a question, and a male employee asked the same question, and only one was terminated.

This may have been the 14th time he said something inappropriate. It may have been the first. If it was the first time, then I think a discussion would be in order. If it’s the 14th, then yes, termination.

What do you all think?

The post When ADA and Harassment Clash appeared first on Improve Your HR.

So I’m inviting you to a murder.

On Tuesday, October 6, at 12:00 pm Eastern, join me and the team at Vortex Events for a live-hosted comedy murder mystery on Zoom. The case is called Deadly Dining. Chef Connor E. Sewer built the finest five-star vegan restaurant in the world, and now he’s been found in the dumpster behind it. Everyone in the room is a suspect, including you.

We’ll kick off with a quick 10-minute look at how to boost engagement, culture, and retention on your team. Then we spend 50 minutes solving a crime together. You’ll see firsthand what a well-run team event feels like from the inside, which is a lot more useful than reading about it.

It’s free, and seats are limited.

Reserve your seat

What you’ll get out of it:

• Practical ideas for improving engagement, culture, and retention on your team
• An overview of the options available for building stronger team connections, virtually or in person
• A firsthand look at what makes an interactive team event work, and why some get people talking while others feel like one more meeting
• An hour of laughing, accusing strangers of murder, and celebrating 20 years with this community

Who should come:

• HR managers and HR business partners: see what a team event looks like before you recommend one to leadership
• People and culture leads: get ideas for engagement and retention that don’t involve another survey
• Managers of remote or hybrid teams: experience what it takes to get people participating rather than just showing up
• Small business owners: find out whether this kind of event would work for your team without committing your whole staff to try it
• Anyone planning a holiday or year-end team event: this is a no-risk preview

No team required. This one is just for you.

About Vortex Events
Vortex Events hosts live team experiences for remote and hybrid teams all year, including murder mysteries, escape rooms, holiday parties and gifting, tastings, and professional development sessions. Every event is run start to finish by a live host, so everyone participates, and no one is left out. Events are available virtually or in person at your location.

You’ll need to join from a computer, not a phone. Your Zoom link arrives by email after you register.

Hope to see you there. Bring your suspicions.

Suzanne
Evil HR Lady

Reserve your seat

The post Celebrate 20 years with me (bring your detective skills) appeared first on Improve Your HR.

Your business depends on getting quality employees into the right roles, and sometimes your biggest barrier to that is your managers. A Reddit post on r/recruitinghell shared a story of a job interview where the hiring manager damaged the company’s reputation.

The post A Hiring Manager Called a Candidate ‘Too Stupid to Work Here.’ The Real Failure Wasn’t the Candidate appeared first on Improve Your HR.