Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization Show

A job candidate should walk away from the recruitment experience feeling good, even if rejected. But despite billions of dollars invested in HR technology and countless human hours spent working on improvement, many candidates walk away disappointed, resentful, and even angry. According to The Talent Boards 2019 Research report, candidate resentment has increased 40 percent since 2016. That should be horrifying news since resentment means 71% of rejected candidates will tell their inner circle and one-third will publicly shame you on social media.  That’s not just bad for HR but bad for the brand, bad for the business, and bad for the bottom line. To better understand the state of candidate experience 2020 and how some companies are responding, converting resentful detractors into a positive relationship and referral partners, listen to two of the leading experts on talent acquisition and candidate experience: The Talent Board’s Kevin Grossman and CareerXRoad’s Gerry Crispin.

Do you get your best ideas standing in the shower or when you wake up a few minutes early? Or how about a “hunch” that something good or bad is going to happen but have no facts to back it up? They don’t happen by accident! It’s time to say “Yes” to intuition, the ability to see the unknown clearly, see things you missed that are literally standing right in front of you. For some of you, intuition might seem like hocus pocus. But neuroscience research says otherwise. Listen to our guest Arupa Tesolin, author of Ting: The Surprising Power of Intuition to Transform Work & Innovate, and learn how you can transform, grow, and innovate your life by harnessing the transformative power of intuition.

Companies spend billions of dollars trying to get the best of their people. They coach, mentor, and train and yet talent shortages grow and employee engagement sinks. To find out what’s missing we went straight to Heartstyles experts Mara and Stephen Klemich. For nearly two decades they’ve been researching why people do what they do and too often don't live up to their potential. Along the way they discovered four universal principles that drive our effective and ineffective behaviors and have been on a personal mission to help companies help employees to become better versions of themselves. And in an oddball strategy that is working, they put the L-word back in the C-Suite: Love!  Whether you’re interested in growing talent or just becoming a “better me,” this episode is a must-listen. As a special bonus, learn how you can complete a FREE Heartsyles Indicator survey. Make sure you check out their new book too: Above the Line: Living and Leading with Heart.

It just doesn’t get any wilder than this triple play of odd HR topics: phishing, Civil War, and job descriptions. But as it turns out, lessons learned from the Civil War can be applied to modern day workforce challenges such as cybersecurity, recruitment, and retention. To help make this connection between the battlefield of Gettysburg and HR, cyber-security specialist and Civil War enthusiast Clinton Eppleman, from Morefield Communications, joins us. You don’t want to miss the part when he shares how job descriptions may expose your business to dangerous phishing attacks. It’s just mind-blowing. That tip alone is well worth the listen.

Kobe, Shaq, Bono, Sting, Madonna, Cher are celebrities recognized by one name. A less famous but no less extraordinary individual was also recognized in the entrepreneurial and business community by one name - Clay. The father of disruptive innovation Clayton Christensen died last week so we decided to dedicate this week’s show to him.  In 1997, Clay published what The Economist calls one of the six most important business books ever written. “The Innovator’s Dilemma." We interview 2 business leaders, Carlos Castelan from The Navio Group and Chris Howard from Callahan & Associates, whose personal and professional lives have been deeply impacted by Clay’s wisdom, teachings, guidance, and the way he chose to live his life.

“People may be a company’s most valuable asset” but they don’t appear on a company’s balance sheet as an asset. They are, however, captured on the income statement as an expense. That is in sharp contrast to how HR values people. This contrast between quantifying the worth of people vs expressing appreciation couldn’t be more remarkable. Bridging this gap and finding a correlation between employee worth and appreciation has become the mission and passion of our guest, valuation expert Dave Bookbinder.  Dave believes “The value of a business is a function of how well the financial capital and the intellectual capital are managed by the human capital. You'd better get the human capital part right.” Dave is the author of The New ROI and host of Behind the Numbers.

Three in 5 HR leaders believe if the HR function doesn’t modernize, it may become irrelevant, according to a recent KPMG survey. The word “modernize” seems like a safe word. It resonates with HR and management because it infers you can talk about innovation, make incremental changes, and not rock the boat. But what if modernization requires disruption, transformation on the grandest scale, not just innovation? Can HR step up this time, take a big gulp, and help burn the boats? For answers and guidance to these questions, we turned to Charlene Li, one of the finest, creative minds in business today, and author of the new book, The Disruption Mindset.

With so many organizations challenged to grow and become more productive and innovative, maximizing each employee’s “bandwidth” is imperative. That oftentimes seems is easier said than done. So on this episode, we sat down with someone who has figured it out, Milos Kovac, a Honeywell Aeronautical Engineer turned Innovation Mind Coach.  Fortunately for the rest of us, Milos learned that you don't need to be a rocket scientist to help others unleash their human potential.  But as Milos shared, “You can’t remodel your kitchen by painting the outside of your house.”  It starts on the inside, with our belief systems. Has Milos unlocked the breakthrough businesses and individuals have been looking for?  You better believe it. Listen now.  

With the unemployment rate at historic lows, quit rates near all-times, and a stock market on fire, business leaders are anxious about the hiring outlook 2020. Will job creation continue? Will 2020 become déjà vu all over again when it comes to hiring top talent? Or will unemployment rates swell under the weight of an impeachment and 2020 presidential election?  For answers to these questions, we turned to ITR Economics President Alan Beaulieu. (Hint: he’s bullish on growth.) While that’s good news for most of us, it could continue to put pressure on business growth plans. To hear more about how the economy and employment will fare against the background of politics, tariffs, and a presidential election, listen now. And don’t miss our forecast about 2020 workforce trends including empathy, HR technology, and candidate experience.

Imagine a workplace where projects replace jobs, skills replace job titles, workers pitch their skills, and employers bid on them to create the best possible match. Despite significant investments in workforce planning, results have fallen short of expectations. Many organizations are living in #TalentPoverty. Skill gaps grow. Gig workers are replacing full-time and part-time workers. How will the "total talent" mindset disrupt and change the way organizations hire and people work? What is the role of the recruiter in 2025? How will a business model like Upwork disrupt traditional staffing and recruiting?  Listen to Allegis Global Solutions’ Head of Recruiting Innovation Craig Fisher shares his vision for the future of work, staffing, and recruitment.