The Employer Branding Show

Tonight on the HR Happy Hour show at 8PM EST, we are talking 'Employer Branding'.

So like a good host, I figured I'd better do some research on Employer Branding, since to me, while it is a term that most of us have heard of, it is really widely misunderstood. 

Sort of like fuel injection or megapixels.  We know we want them, they are important, but we're not really sure why.

So what is 'Employer Branding' anyway? The simplest definition I came across is on the Whatever You Think blog:

(Employer Branding) is the real and the perceived experience of what that organisation is like to work for.

What is a company really like to work for?  What do the people that work there say?

How about folks Flickr - jacicitathat have left, do they generally feel good about their experiences?

Why as an employee of the company am I compelled to stay?

And why as a candidate am I interested in joining?

Pretty basic right?

But the hard part I think is how that perception is shaped, how the 'experience' is articulated, and perhaps most importantly how it is communicated to those brand consumers (employees, applicants, prospects) that you are trying to influence.

Is this marketing? PR?  Recruiting? 

Some combination of all three?

Or is the whole notion of the 'Employer Brand' really not at all important in a recession.  Most employees are simply happy to still have their jobs, and most candidates just want a job, any job. They don't give a hoot about your 'brand', or do they?

So we will kick these topics around tonight on the HR Happy Hour, 8PM EST, join the fun by calling in on 646-378-1086.

Failure and Fun

Tomorrow night, Wednesday November 4th, I will be attending the Fail Spectacularly event at Joe's Bar in Chicago, Illinois.

The 'Fail' event is hosted by Jason Seiden of Seiden Leadership and Laurie Ruettimann of PunkRock HR and is meant to give folks impacted by the crappy economy a chance to get up on stage, in front of over 200 assorted strangers and friends, and share their stories.

And if hosting a rocking, free party for the good people of Chicago is not enough, Jason has offered to give away boxes of his fantastic first book, 'How to Self-Destruct: Making the Least of What's Left of Your Career.'  For details on this great and generous offer, see Jason's blog.

And to add to the fun, and give the crowd a chance to see more failure in real-time, Shauna Moerke, the HR Minion, and I will broadcast a special episode of the HR Happy Hour show, live from Joe's Bar.

This remote show was made possible through the generous support of HR Happy Hour show sponsor Aquire Software. Aquire makes the leading solutions for corporate organizational charting and planning, and has some of the coolest, nicest people in the HR Technology industry.

The show, like the event, will start at 8PM EST, 7PM CST and we will stay on the air for the entire Fail party.

There is still time for you to get to the Fail event, and to participate in the fun, just go to the Fail registration site and let Jason and Laurie know you are coming.

See you in Chicago!

Is HR Dead? - The Reading List

Thursday night October 29 at 8pm EDT the HR Happy Hour show will take on the topic, 'Is HR Dead?'.

There is nothing like a little in-depth analysis and self-examination of the HR function to rile up the community and this topic certainly has been poked and prodded for the last several weeks.

Since the instructor in me wants to be sure everyone is well-prepared and ready to jump in to the conversation I thought I would assign some pre-reading, to get us all on the same page prior to the show. Flickr - KiltBear

In the blogosphere as far as I can tell, the most recent 'Is HR Dead?' conversation started with this post:

'Is Human Resources Fatally Flawed' - Lance Haun at Rehaul

It was followed by numerous responses (or rebuttals if you prefer), a few of which are listed here:

'HR is Dying: Yes? No?' - Laurie Ruettimann at Punk Rock HR.

'HR - Not Dead Yet' - Mike VanDervort at Human Race Horses

'to HR, on news of your death' - Fran Melmed at free-range communication

'HR is Dead: Some Mourn, Some Celebrate, and Others Say "What?"' - Mike Haberman at HR Observations

'HR is Obsolete! Isn't It?' - Joel White at Joel's Views

'Human Resources Departments: I've never understood the point of them' - Sathnam Sanghera at the UK Times Online

And in the last week or so:

The Future of HR - Mark Stelzner at Inflexion Point

'Slow Dancing in a Burning Room' - Maren Hogan on 'Marenated'

Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series Again, Nietzsche, and Other HR Thoughts - Frank Roche at Know HR

The HR Profession, Business Leaders and the Future of Work - Sharlyn Lauby at HR Bartender

But if you think this is somehow a 'new' discussion, it really isn't, the top Google result (at least at the time of this writing) for the phrase 'Is HR Dead' was this piece from 2003 on Workforce.com.

And of course we should not forget this gem from March 2009 - Memo to CFOs: Don't Trust HR - David McCann writing on remarks from Professor Beatty for CFO Magazine.

So you have your assignments, catch up on your reading and join the discussion on the HR Happy Hour Show, Thursday October 29, 2009 8PM EDT, call in 646-378-1086. Frank Roche and Mike VanDervort are set to appear, and perhaps another special guest or two as well.

What do you think, is HR Dead? In need of revival?  Need to be scrapped and re-built from the ground up?

It should be a great show!

HR Happy Hour - Episode 14 - Clueless at Love

The latest HR Happy Hour Show, the Clueless at Love show, is in the can.

It was alternatively silly, insightful, informative, and crazy.

The Clueless at Love project is a new venture from Laurie Ruettimann from Punk Rock HR and Sarah White from I'm So Corporate.

The show was meant to be a pilot or beta for the Clueless at Love concept, and certainly from the cluelessness of the host and some of the guests, I think that the project definitely has potential.

So give a listen as Laurie and Sarah set some folks straight and let me know if you think that HR and Talent Management professionals are qualified to give relationship advice.

 What do you think?  Ask your HR pro for advice?  Or save it for your local bartender?

Fail Spectacularly

Just like Michael Corleone in the Godfather, I'm trying to get out, but I just keep getting pulled back in.

Back to Chicago that is. 

The HR Happy Hour Show is returning to Chicago to broadcast live from the Fail Spectacularly event being held on November 4th and hosted by Laurie Ruettimann from Punk Rock HR and Jason Seiden from Seiden Leadership.

What is Fail Spectacularly?

It is an event, or really a party, for anyone that has seen their world turned upside-down by this crappy economy. It is a chance to vent, to share your story, and to have fun as only you can by listening to other people's failures.

So what will the HR Happy Hour show do at the event?

I am not sure exactly.  We may just open the mics up and live stream the on-stage antics, we might grab speakers as they come off stage 'Oscars style', or I may just roam around the event to see what interesting stories I can turn up.

Or quite likely the show will Fail. Spectacularly.

Thanks so much Laurie and Jason for inviting the HR Happy Hour to the event, and thanks again to Lois Melbourne and Aquire Software for your support.

See you in Chicago on November 4th!

Many, many thanks to official HR Happy Hour show sponsor Aquire Software for making the remote show possible.