Ask Liz Ryan

Pointless Management Practices to Nuke

Liz Ryan — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:35:07 +0000

CEOs and leadership teams have chopped hard costs to the bone. Now they’re looking at soft costs—the human time spent on management practices that have gone unexamined for years. If your people weren’t wasting time on pointless management exercises, what could they do for your customers and shareholders?

Here are

Seven Reasons to Let Your Kid Study Music

Liz Ryan — Sun, 13 May 2012 20:37:33 +0000

“Here’s my issue,” says a mom on the phone. “My high-school senior son is good at many things, but he wants to major in music performance. Is it smart to let a kid major in music? Seems like a tough row to hoe.”

“Not in the slightest,” I said. “Your

Job-Seeker: Show, Don’t Tell, What You’re Capable Of

Liz Ryan — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:40:00 +0000

“I just revised my resume,” said my friend Gretchen. “Want to see it?” “Hand it over,” I said, and took a look. “Here where you say that you’re detail-oriented, motivated and hard-charging — what are you shooting for, branding-wise?”

“Duh,” said Gretchen. “I want the person who reads this resume

How to Hire for Mojo

Liz Ryan — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:38:56 +0000

“Lord a-mighty, Liz, you don’t want my job,” says my friend Anna. “Why not?” I asked, although it was true — I didn’t want her job. Anna is the HR Manager at a smart-energy company, and was going crazy filling job openings in her company.

“I interviewed six job candidates

How to Terrify an HR Person

Liz Ryan — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:34:32 +0000

I got a call from my friend Tara, an HR Director. “I’m taking some finance classes,” she said. “That’s cool,” I said. “What’s got you interested in finance these days?”

“Oh, I want to build my credibility with the businesspeople,” said Tara. “Geez Louise, girl,” I said, “you call your

From Warrior to Workplace: Helping Veterans Find Civilian Employment

Liz Ryan — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:31:00 +0000

It is hard to imagine that you could travel halfway around the world to a combat zone for your country, and then have trouble finding employment when you come back. But that is the reality for U.S. military service members who leave the armed forced and look for civilian work.

Why “Strategic Business Partner” is the Worst HR Title Ever

Liz Ryan — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:40:50 +0000

“I’m trying to find a terrific SBP for our Western region,” said an HR VP friend of mine. “You’re looking for what, now?” I asked.

“An SBP,” she replied. “An HR person – a Strategic Business Partner. You know, like an elevated generalist — someone to look after the business

What Does a Rut Look Like?

Liz Ryan — Sun, 06 May 2012 22:42:34 +0000

I was chatting with a lady at a tony business lunch.

“So you’re a career coach,” she said.

“We do a lot of that sort of thing in our business,” I said. “We work with employers, too. I write about the changing workplace, and teach college students about navigating in

What Does “Out of the Box Thinking” Really Mean?

Liz Ryan — Sun, 06 May 2012 22:35:43 +0000

It’s such a cliche — “I need someone who thinks out of the box.” You hear it all the time. What does it mean? What’s out of the box thinking anyway, and what’s so great about it?

Let’s think about the box, first, and then let’s figure out how and

Is This Your Last Full-Time Job?

Liz Ryan — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:53:02 +0000

Full-time work is going away, and what’s surprising is how little people are talking about it. First it was outsourcing, and then a big shift into contingent labor, which is another way of saying “temps and contractors.” The high-tech industry and others have been riding the contingent-workforce wave for years,