Recite this mantra when undertaking all employee engagement work.

I was doing some work on the positive deviant perspective applied employee engagement when I came across a delightful and insightful line. I think we too often violate this mantra and end up unintentionally sowing the seeds of disengagement.

Don’t do anything about me, without me.

Ensure [...]

A little over a year ago, I decided I wanted to do some public speaking. I had just done my first big appearance on a panel at SHRM National. I had built up a strong presence online, I had a good network of people and I had a message I wanted to share with people.

I [...]

In the comments of a number of different blog posts, I’ve been discussing the pros and cons of social media and HR in terms of googling candidates or employees, the ethics of using any of this info for decision making, and whether a policy is necessary.  As I’ve said, the subject of social media and [...]

As I read article after article about social media and what it means to Human Resources, the more I see that this is a huge topic that is only going to get messier and probably create far more questions than anyone will have answers for.

Here are some examples of the different topics and the opinions [...]

Although I hate taxes as much as the next guy, I have to appreciate some of what I get for my money. Case in point, how often do you check the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics? Okay, there was a time would I would have said “never” as well. However, I feel myself being pulled [...]

One of the top priorities of Human Resource Departments everywhere is creating and maintaining an engaged workforce. This means employees are excited (or dare I say inspired) to be there, they are happy and they are productive.

There are numerous articles, resources, and studies out there explaining different ways to achieve this utopian state. I’ve written [...]

Let me start by saying that I love working in HR. It’s a fun and interesting profession. Why do I need to put that out there right from the start? Well, this post may get a little ranty and I don’t want anyone to be confused as to why I would work in a field [...]

’m a friendly guy.

When you come to Portland, I’m there. We can grab a McMenamins beer and chat about talent whenever it suits you.

When you e-mail me, I usually respond within a few days if your request isn’t out of the ordinary.

If you call, I pick up unless I’m on another call or I’m in [...]