Okay, so not totally naked

I recently featured a video on our HR blog that told folks to "Teach Naked." Though, I still believe this to be true, after my stint at Washington Business Week last week and listening to "my kids'" reactions to the various guest speakers, it seems that having a little bit of something something (a la Quentin Tarantino when he guest starred on Alias) behind you isn't a bad idea. It all comes down to learning styles. I know myself to be a audio/visual learner so if someone wants me to truly get it, it's critical that I get to both see and hear the speaker and maybe even view some images or supporting visuals to really understand the message.

In general my group, who ranged in age from 15 to 19 years, seemed to appreciate the speakers who as a general rule did the following things.

• Involved them in the discussion.
• Asked / answered questions.
• Had good supporting visuals.
• Used video.
• Told good stories.

They didn't seem to appreciate the speakers who did the following.

• Talked AT them for one hour.
• Didn't use visuals.
• Promoted their company and / or service non-stop.
• Talked above their experience level.
• Used a chalkboard.

And, it wasn't just the kids who were paying attention to the speakers. We as CAs had our own opinions about which presentations were and were not interesting. Fascinatingly enough, our reactions weren't that different from the students' interpretations. We all want to learn something and learn it from a charismatic and entertaining speaker. We don't want to have a message shoved down our throats, but we want to learn and listen to something that has value.

So with fall jobs, winter jobs and ski season right around the corner, are you as HR professionals looking at your orientation training materials and presentations, and making sure that they are interesting to all even if you must cover OHSA Right-to-Know one more time? What can you do to help your audience learn and retain the message you're sharing?

From what I saw last week, here are my tips for you.

• Be interesting.
• Be engaging.
• Interact with your audience.
• Don't preach, and
• Know your audience.

Good luck!

Evolution of (Social) Recruiting

Just this week a unique conference was held at Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California. The Social Recruiting Summit brought together voices from the recruiting industry who pay particular attention to the social aspect of it. The speakers included many of the thought leaders of the industry.

• Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn
• Susan Burns - Talent Synchronicity
• Sacha Chua - Living An Awesome Life
• Shannon Seery Gude - EXCELER8ion
• Chris Hoyt - The Recruiter Guy
• Joshua Kahn - Find-Attract
• Michael Marlatt - Hewitt Associates
• Laurie Ruettimann - Punk Rock HR
• Shally Steckerl - JobMachine
• William Uranga - TiVo

And just because you were not a speaker, doesn't mean that you didn't contribute. Community is what social media is all about. Learning from each other and collaborating for a better future. Isn't that great?

Here is the video that opened the conference and it illustrates where recruiting has come from, where it is now, but poses the big question of what the future holds.

Lastly, you can find video streams from the conference to see what you missed by visiting the main social recruiting summit website. It's worth your time to listen to the voices of today's recruiting industry. You never know what you might learn.

Blogging from SHRM in New Orleans

Just thought I would officially share that I'll be blogging from the annual SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) conference in New Orleans later this month. I am looking forward to being surrounded by talented HR folks out there getting the job done every day. Plus, I get to hang out with many of my good HR and Recruiting friends, and other personalities, who I follow via social media like Laurie from PunkRockHR, Joel from Cheezhead, Erin from ADEPT HRM Solutions, Austin from MyFirstPaycheck, Sharlyn from HR Bartender, and many more.

I'm especially looking forward to seeing the HR Bloggers present on Wednesday, July 1st at 11:30am hosted by China Gorman and Sheryl Crow on Tuesday night. Woo Hoo!

Someone recently asked me what "former HR person" meant to me in my Twitter bio and jokingly asked if that meant I was a "recovering HR person." After a mini-conversation, which is easy to accomplish in 140 characters, I explained that I pay attention to HR, but it's not my day job anymore. So, I've updated my bio to reflect that I'm an "HR Spectator," as suggested by another tweeter, and I suspect that I'll always be one of those. HR is an incredibly fun and challenging career, and although I don't do it day-to-day anymore, I still admire those who do, and I do my best to keep my skills sharp to honor their efforts.

Give me a shout if you'll be at the SHRM conference or follow this blog or follow me on twitter throughout the conference to hear the latest and the greatest from the HR world.

Hope to see you in New Orleans!