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!

Now Arriving - Your New Summer Staff

It's that time of the year where the big kids head out to their summer jobs. I clearly remember being the Mom Cat as it were when my first round of seasonal employees / driver guides headed to Alaska in the spring of 1999. We all loaded up their stuff into the Gray Line of Seattle motorcoach and shuttled them to SeaTac. As they were saying their goodbyes in their Gray Line of Alaska red coats, I felt like a mom sending her kids off to camp. I hoped that each one would find what they were looking for in Alaska and that nothing bad would happen to them.

The enthusiasm right now on our social network is bubbling over. The countdown timers are mentioned daily. "Two more days left!" "15 days left!" "No fair, I still have month to go." They cannot wait to get to their new jobs and their homes in the parks and other great places.

So, my encouragement to you today is simple. Help them have the best summer job ever! The rewards to them will be great, but the rewards to you for being an employer of choice are greater. So here's a quick checklist of ways to start off on the right foot.

Make a great first impression!

• Smile, smile, smile!
• Know their names and be expecting them just like guests at your resort/ranch, etc.
• Be sure that employee housing is clean and ready for use.
• Hang welcome signs.
• Provide maps so they know where they're going.

Build Your Team

• Have a BBQ so that your new employees get to know their co-workers.
• Provide mentors to those employees who are new to your operation.
• Team them up during orientation.
• Find out what the one thing they want to do is this summer and help them do it.

Help your employees succeed.

• Keep your HR office door open for questions and concerns.
• Help them learn their jobs quickly.
• Buddy check with your employees to see how things are going early on.
• Let them know when they're doing a great job!
• Feedback is important. Encourage it.
• It's normal for people to be nervous when they reach a new place. Help them to feel comfortable by answering their questions and taking care of their needs.

That's enough for now since I know that you have plenty of items on your to-do lists. Treat your new employees well and they'll be champions for your organization in no time. I hear the train whistle now....

Your Employees Are Talking About You

It's true. For good or ill, they talk about you all of the time. And you know what? As much as you might like to believe that all of it is good, you would be wrong a good portion of the time. You may also believe that your marketing message will keep you in their good graces, but it won't. Actions speak louder than words.

If you haven't noticed, people seem to share their opinions with whomever will listen and the Internet along with the 24-hour news cycle keeps all of us informed about everything. Strong voices may sway a fine person from working for you or being a guest at your property. Quiet voices do also get their share of attention. In our experience, savvy job seekers will weigh all of the words before they decide for themselves. But what about the ones that just see one bad review and decide to never check you out? What about those that have a negative experience that stays with them for years that they just can't shake? Is it worth losing a potential employee or guest because you did not think about how you treat / treated your employees or applicants? I hope that the answer to that last question is no.

We at Cool Works pay attention to what these job seekers and employees have to say and we do so for several reasons.

1. We cannot be everywhere so we listen to what is being said about previous, current or future clients. We want to make sure that the employers we highlight pass muster. As best as we can, we do a gut check to make sure that the employers we feature not only fit our niche of jobs in great places (tm), but also pass the "niece test." Would we send a loved one to work at this place?
2. We've been at this a while - 13 years - and we have (almost) heard it all. We generally can tell the difference between one person's bad experience and everyone's bad experience. Four out of five of us at Cool Works started our careers in seasonal jobs and our lives are the richer for those experiences. We believe that seasonal and summer jobs change lives and we want everyone to have a good experience.
3. Lastly, and perhaps the most important, is that our reputation is directly tied to those employers who advertise on our website. If you treat an employee well, we feel great about working with you. If you treat an employee or job seeker poorly, it reflects negatively on us. We're very sensitive about that and very protective of our tribe. The bottom line is that if an employer no longer passes the "niece" test, we'll pull them from our site. We don't like to do it and it's generally messy, but for us, it's not worth sending someone to a place that will only dash their dreams. Please pass our test.

Just so you don't think that it isn't all negative, we so often hear glowing reviews of our employers and awesome stories about how their summer job changed their lives, or that they've made friends that they'll have forever, or that the folks that they worked for were amazing. We LOVE to hear those stories. They truly make our days and keep us motivated to serve our job seekers and help you as our employers find great people. Keep 'em coming.

So how can you get the glowing review by your employees and job seekers?

• For starters, treat them well.
• Respond quickly.
• Respect their time and effort.
• Remember the Golden Rule.
• Pay them fairly for work done.
• Give them a safe place to work and make sure to return them safely to their loved ones at the end of the day.
• Listen to them.
• Heed their suggestions.
• Provide secure and safe housing.
• Give them an opportunity to speak to you before they share their experience with all of their "friends" on the Internet.
• Be a GREAT employer!

By treating your people well, you'll have fans galore. You may even have future guests to your resort or ranch or camp or whatever. You never know who someone is or who they know until you spend a little time getting to know them. Be worthy of their good words, because like I said, your employees are talking about you.

We Want Housing Pics!

Over the last two weeks, we've been trying something new over on our social network, My CoolWorks. We have actually hosted two on-line chats, one on Yellowstone National Park and one last night on the great state of Alaska. We've been averaging 10 or so folks on the chats who really care about these places, want to learn more about them and invariably we hear suggestions for the employers who hire seasonal staff. So today, my purpose is passing along a request from the tribe.

They want photos of housing!

Think about it this way. When you research hotel rooms on Expedia or pick your favorite travel website, you want to know what the place looks like, what ammenities it has, and how much it will cost. Don't your employees deserve the same information for their sometimes sight unseen plunge to get a job with you across the country? My plea to you.

• Get a digital camera.
• Find a photographer.
• Take a photo of your housing.
• Post it on your employment website or profile with Cool Works.

It's a simple thing to do, and trust me, your future employees will thank you!