Annual SHRA Conference Held in Big Sur, California

Back in October, which really seems so far away, myself and 34 other HR professionals attended the 19th annual fall Seasonal Human Resources Association (aka SHRA, à la SHRM) conference in Big Sur, California. Thanks to Patty Ceglio Bishoff from Cool Works (aka SHRA Queen) for getting us all there and organizing the event, and Richard Grena of Mt. Rainier Guest Services for suggesting the Big Sur Lodge and playing tour guide on one of the play days. The annual conference is a chance for HR folks from seasonal properties across the U.S. to get out of the office, play with their peers and share tidbits of wisdom from their seasonal worlds. The bottom line is that when you leave this conference, you feel like you are not alone.

Attendees this year were representatives from lots of wonderful spots around the country including:

• Cool Works

• Princess Tours

• Aramark (Denali, Lake Powell, Lake Tahoe)

• A Christian Ministry in the National Parks

• Xanterra (Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone)

• Delaware North Companies (Sequoia, Yellowstone, Yosemite)

• FUNdamental Training Solutions

• Custer Resorts

• Glacier Park Inc. (Glacier National Park)

• Guest Services (Mt. Rainier)

• Signal Mountain Lodge (Grand Tetons National Park)

• YMCA of the Rockies (Estes Park Center and Snow Mountain Ranch)

We also had International Agency Sponsors in our midst including:

• CCUSA

• CIEE

• Intrax

• GeoVisions

• Spirit Exchange

As always the topics for learning were varied and catered to the seasonal world.

• Benefically Speaking

• Recruiting the Generations

• Employees 24/7 – Housing, Recreation

• Employment Law Update from Mark Berry of Davis Wright Tremaine

• Employees who ROCK!

• International hiring update

• ACMNP Update

And of course, we had a bit of free time to socialize and network with the other attendees.

A few of my personal highlights.

1. Google Your Employees! The collective jaw for all of us dropped at hearing the employment attorney say that HR folks might as well check social network profiles on MySpace, Facebook, and others, as well as Googling your potential employees. He stated that it is out there for public consumption so you might as well use it. The caveat, and if you have been in HR for any amount of time you knew this was coming, is that some of the information you see cannot be used in determining the fit for a new hire like religion, race, sexual orientation, etc. So use it, but tread carefully and have a consistent practice.
   
2. Hiring International Students should be about Cultural Exchange. A few years ago, I was dumbfounded that one of the International representatives would dare to say, "What is so great about working in Alaska?" His point was why on earth an International student should pay more to fly all the way to Alaska when they can get a cheaper flight to New York. What selling points did we have to offer that the east coast employers did not already have? This financial challenge is still around today and will continue with the Euro doing amazingly well against the US dollar. Remember that these students have big choices to make, they are spending a lot of money to come, and the reason that the visa program exists is for cultural exchange. Of course, they come to make money, but they also come to America to learn about our culture. Give them lots of great experiences and send them back with new knowledge and personal growth, not just the ability to make up 80 rooms in a day.
   
3. The Ocean Is Powerful. Okay, this may seem silly, but stay with me. We went to the beach at Pfeiffer State Park two days in a row. The first day was beautiful, sunny, clear, only a slight breeze and small waves. The next day we went back to find it still sunny, but so windy that one could not stand there without getting pummeled by sand and walking into the surf, was well, a damp experience for those that dared. How does this apply to our workplaces? Just like Mother Nature, sometimes the days in HR are really good and sometimes they are really bad. But the experience is still powerful, dynamic and well worth the time. That second day at the beach made us all very grateful for the day before. So, may you have a good mix of hopefully a lot less bad days than good days so you can feel a sense of accomplishment for the tough ones and joy on the good ones.

To see pictures of our days at Big Sur, click here. To learn more about the Seasonal HR Association, or SHRA, click here.

Hope to see you all at the 20th annual conference in 2008!

Happy Graduation

Next week will begin the next post-graduation phase in my life. Ever heard the quote, as soon as you graduate from the school of life, someone comes up with another course? Well, I am just now finishing my Certificate in Photography through the University of Washington Extension program. (And for the record, just because I took this class, I do not claim to be an expert in photography. The learning continues...). My photographic journey began when I was about nine years old with my Kodak 110 camera and I took these courses over the last nine months to see if yet another career path lurked inside of me. I believe the answer to be yes. So here I have yet another opportunity to graduate and to utilize this learning in my life.

With graduation on the brain, I cannot help but apply this concept to seasonal work. Every summer or winter, individuals from all over the country, some recent high school or college graduates, or the ultimate graduation, retirement, have the opportunity to give their own college try at a career for around six months. Sometimes the job is the best thing they have ever done, sometimes it is not, but the best part is knowing at the get go that it is for a specified period of time and one gets to take yet another course from the school of life. Graduation in these instances might represent a line on the resume or a foot in the door to a cool career path. It may just be getting to try that thing that has always been intriguing. And sometimes, it just helps to know that it is not necessary to do that again.

All of us at Cool Works (tm) hope that we had something to do with finding those jobs in great places (tm) and freely admit that sometimes the jobs are not glamorous but, and to quote Garrison Keillor, 'you will know more about it when you are done.'

Quick takeaways from this:

1) Market job opportunities with your establishment as opportunities for growth, learning and future success.

2) Give your employees the tools they need to succeed - the syllabus (the employee handbook), provide progress reports (performance reviews), and encourage them along the way.

3) When the going gets tough, and I know that you HR folks are already aware that 'July' is coming, remind your employees why they came, reward their loyalty and if possible give them a day off to enjoy your great place and hang out with their friends. Remember that some of the best days you had in school were the ones where you played hooky.

4) As graduation nears, i.e. the end of the season, remind them of what they've learned this year, thank them for their hard work, and let them complete evaluation forms to help you make your place better.

5) And the big reminder, if they passed the summer with flying colors, invite them to return next year and make sure that they tell all of their friends about your cool place to work.

Wishing all graduates a nice closure to whatever chapter they are finishing and also hoping that everyone is looking for that next chapter to read.

P.S. - And lastly, if you live in the Seattle area, you are more than welcome to see my photographic work and those of my fellow graduates at the University of Washington Medical Center during the months of June and July. Visit www.uwphotocert.com to learn more about us. Thanks.