Ask Liz Ryan

Battling Supervisors

Liz Ryan — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:43:40 +0000

Dear Liz,

I’m the HR manager in a company with 650 employees and not one dull moment. Two of our supervisors don’t play well together. They work in different departments. One of them (Amy) went to her boss, Phil, to complain that her counterpart (Jan) was being unresponsive.

Phil brought

Fear and Trust in Human Resources

Liz Ryan — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:36:26 +0000

A few years ago I gave a presentation on power. I was part of a conference where the topic was power, all day long. I decided to talk about the difference between small-p power and big-P Power, and why the distinction matters.

“You’ve got power that you’re accumulating in yourself,

Managing the Intangibles

Liz Ryan — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:17:52 +0000

Dear Liz,

I’m a human resources manager in a mid-sized firm. I often feel pulled between policy writing and regulatory stuff, and other projects (just listening, or creating programs) to make the environment more uplifting and engaging.

My boss is an advocate for our employees, but several of the senior

25 Ways to Make LinkedIn Work for You

Liz Ryan — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:21:37 +0000

LinkedIn offers several features free of charge, but many job seekers barely scratch the surface when using the site to build their profile

LinkedIn is a networker’s dream: an easy way to learn about, and reach out to, millions of businesspeople and thousands of employers. Yet many LinkedIn users don’t take

How to Help a Hiring Manager Remember You After the Interview

Liz Ryan — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:22:32 +0000

“My gosh, Liz,” said my friend Kortney, “I’m six feet off the ground.” “What’s the story, Kort?” I asked, and she said “I just came from the greatest job interview ever. The manager and I really connected. He loved my thinking and vice versa. It was like interview nirvana.”

“This

In Business, Context Is Key

Liz Ryan — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:29:58 +0000

Dear Liz,

For 15 months, when colleagues have asked, “How’s your new administrator doing?” I’ve said “Brilliantly!” because “Jane” is efficient and pleasant. My clients love interacting with her. But I have to acknowledge that there is a big problem, too.

“Jane” has huge challenges with context. She has learned

Goodbye to Resumes, Cover Letters, and Job Ads?

Liz Ryan — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:27:44 +0000

My friend Jason was invited to a recruiting event last week. Jason isn’t job-hunting. A local firm held a recruiting event and invited a few people to attend, after hours. The company’s employees were encouraged to bring their coolest, smartest friends to have a beer or wine and learn about

So You Think Your Manager is Slimy

Liz Ryan — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:24:34 +0000

Check out five tales of managerial dirtbags, from the guy who grabbed his protégé’s job offer to the one who stockpiled ‘hires’ for free consulting

I collect workplace stories. I love to read about clever ideas, employee-motivation schemes, and wise leaders working their magic in the workplace. Still, there’s something

The Five Levels of Resume Evolution

Liz Ryan — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:22:21 +0000

Twice a week or so I get a resume in the mail with a note saying “Can you please look at my resume and make word changes to improve it?” I can’t do that, but if I could I’d still have a problem. What sort of word changes could I

How to Answer the Worst Job-Interview Questions (Without Groveling)

Liz Ryan — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:33:35 +0000

Lately I’ve been writing and talking a lot about frames. You know what frames are — they’re the mental models we build to make sense of new situations and circumstances. Frames practically rule human existence; we’re so framed-up most of the time, we can’t see straight (and I mean that