Top-Tip: Awesome Debate about the "Future of Labor"

Translation of Jannis Tsalikis's Blog Entry: Top-Tipp: Klasse Debatte zur "Zukunft der Arbeit"

With regret I wasn't able to attend the event "Future of Labor" by BPM. BPM is one of the biggest Groups of People working in Human Resources Management. Today I used the chance to watch the great debate on YouTube. If you understand (a little) German, I just recommend warmly to you to watch it as there are quite a few topics discussed which are relevant to all HR's. The participants of the discussion are mainly discussing the Flexibilization of the Labor Market and of course the Demographic Change.

On April 25, 2013, Dr. Carsten Linnemann, CDU (Politician of the Christian Democratic Party Germany and member of the Commission for Labor and Social), Elke Hannack (Board Member of the Labor Union) and Prof. Klaus Zimmermann (Director at the Institute for the Study of Labor - IZA) debated together with Joachim Sauer (President at BPM) about the "Future of Labor". Philipp Neumann, Editor at the FOCUS-Capital City Studio, hosted the panel.

Enjoy watching the video (and thanks to the BPM - sure did a good job :)  

JT

Us Dissidents - A Generation Thinking Different

Translated from Ralf Junge's blog entry: Wir Andersdenker

Do-Gooder. Dream Dancer. Waverer. Work-Refuser. These are merely a few names current career beginners are titled with often - describing the legendary "Generation Y", those belonging to the population group born between the years of 1980 to 1995.
I was born in 1984, which makes me a member of this particular generation. Since you, as dedicated readers and Human Resourcer, care so much about this generation, I would like to share my thoughts and opinion with you, trying to give you some insights on this matter. With this, a new category of our Blog is born: Us Dissidents. (Not the church group but the new Work Generation)

Talk WITH us!

What do us "Generation Y"-members do to those Human Resourcer deciding about new company entries? Well, we pretty much drive them insane. We make all theories and old practices go overboard and turn them into nonesense from yesterday. We change the labor market and throw our own rules into the game. This is what you might read, hear and see almost daily. But is the (core) problem really us?!

What do we do different? We question and give us a try. We don't want strict, boring office days. We want to take and have an active part in decision-makings in regard to working and still being able to have a (private) life. And that is the fly in the ointment. It is (too) different from the expectations of the "elder", such as my parents for instance. They worked decisively to earn money. As to me, however, passion and self-realization play a big role. And there we have two differing views. This actually means, having such "elder"-view in Human Resources all concepts in Recruiting and Personnel-Marketing are a mess now - previous common Incentives aren't working as they did back in the days. 

Instead of occupying oneself with the new target group, or even talking to us, and adapting and adjusting old concepts, Human Resourcer (of the older generation) are expound the problems of by them titles "Generation Y". We all tend to pigeonhole a lot and find problems in things once it has been granted a "title" somehow - classic pegging, if you ask me. 

But does it really need a title?! Do NOT consider this problem as problem, rather as challenge - why won't you? Allowing yourself to focus and finding a proper path, a right communication and adapting other processes with and to the so-called Generation Y can to be found! One thing is for sure: Talk with us and deal with us! Try and especially start to understand us! The longer you wait, the worse the situation of missunderstanding gets (- you can ask your parents ;) )

RJ

Employer Dialogues online: Welcome to the Conversation - or Babble - Society

Translated from Jannis Tsalikis' blog entry: Arbeitgeberdialoge im Web: Willkommen in der Konversations- oder Laber-Gesellschaft?

Communication today means Conversation. Those in HR avoiding such will encounter problems in Personnel Recruiting. Especially, because these and the coming new generations demand an instant feedback on their questions and applications. These rather new demands on employers ask for a radical rethinking. Human Resourcer and and Recruiter will have to be approachable and, also, answer! They are the face and voice of the company in terms of Staffing and Staffing-to-be. The (now) classic way via E-Mail or via XING, LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter - Answers are expected. Companies will have to adjust to these wishes and necessarily provide the addressable representatives for its career page. This is not easy, since there are many colleagues in the personnel department who are not coming into question for this very matter. BUT, it could look as nice as Otto Group has displayed and actually does it, as you find below.

It says "We are glad to be there for you!". These tendencies is clear, and, reversible. Some companies are one step ahead. Those offer the option of a Chat right on their career site. With the example, Telekom (gloabally better known as T-mobile), we can see how this works. Homepage of the career site, bottom right corner, it says: "Chat with Telekom Career!"

With one "click!" a Chat-Window opens. Yet, the dialogue followed is rather disappointing. You will not get any insider-information from the HR Department, but a navigation help to the career site at best. A dialogue kind of looks like this: 

Jannis: Hello, Mr Welter,
Stefan: Godd Day Jannis
Stefan: What can I do for you?
Jannis: I wanted to know, if I can apply simply with a PDF or if it is always via Data-Mask only... and 
Jannis: if you have any vacant positions in the HR field  for a Professional as me. 
Jannis: (I work and live in Berlin)
Stefan: under the following Link you can find all vacant position at Deutsche Telekom. 

Uh, really?! I sure didn't know this. Does that kind of dialogue even make any sense? 

Maybe, it is because these kind of chats are handled by bigger Dialogue-Centres. But I am sure this will change and develope to a better and especially helpful level.
JT

The Five Most Important Things

Translated from Ralf Junge'es blog entry "Die fünf wichtigsten Dinge"

What if your company´s employées come to work each day with a bright smile and are embracing their job because it gives them the feeling of accomplishment and fulfills them? - Unrealistic! Yer, I thought so, too.

Lately I have looked more intensively into the subject of Corporate Culture and Leadership and I came upon this interesting book named  "The Big Five for Life" by John Strelecky. If you did read his book, you wouldn't find the intial question of mine less unrealistic as it appears. More likely it is a question of the Coporate Culture after all. 

Strelecky describes a leadership principle which aims to accomplish a balance between personal aims of Life and Job - these aims are the "Big Five". The idea goes back to having Safaris in Africa which are only titled successful when the five infamous animals of the wild were really seen - Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant and Buffalo. As there are also the five most important things man has on his personal bucket list. The accomplishment of those are ones own benchmark for success and realization. The Big Five serve the compliance of the "Purpose for Existing (PE)" which every person and company should define in the first place. The better the employée's PE fits to the company's the higher the likelihood of a long and fulfilling employer-employée-relationship for both parties. 

For that matter a Corporate Culture has to develop in which well qualified people are hired who will have receive the freedom to figure out how to work successfully - again for both sides.

As written in the book, talented "people don't need somebody monitoring their behavior."  They don't work that well because they are monitored, but because they can identify themselves with their work and like their job.

When recruting new employées already, Human Resources Decider have keep an eye on the matter if the preferred candidate fits to the Corporate Culture, not if the candidate fits the profile of the vacant position in each detail. If employées find fulfillment and accomplishment in their Job, the risk of psychological diseases such as Burn-Out Syndrome is reduced and more energy and creativity is put in as effordt by the employée.

Nothing hinders a project more than a person who has the wrong job or is notoriously unhappy.   

„The Big Five for Life“  is a very interesting book which certainly contents some impulses and much food for thought in regard to the own Corporate Culture and ones own Leadership. It nudges to question a few things - the own way to work, leadership and certainly the own path to self-realization.

RJ

Human Resources loves Public Relations!

Translated from Jannis Tsalikis' blog entry: Human Resources liebt Public Relations! Review der Veranstaltung des lprs Forum

The Leipziger Public Relations Studenten (Public Relations Students of Lepizig) invited for a panel today: "HR vs. PR - Wer hat die Lizenz zur Personalkommunikation?" The students approached precarious questions very conscientiously and seriously as the M16, and assemled TOP-Teams of experts. For those who are having a fair command of German may find this very interesting. We find it to be a great Intro-Film, which the students made and cut for this event specifically:



As you may have noticed in the preview already, I was featured also.  I was allowed to contribute a prolog to this discussion and feed students with info to the topic Personnel Communication since it was pretty unknown to most. And I made it clear:  HR loves PR!

Versus why versus?! Of course, it were meant the specialty departments and the alleged fight about the "honey pots" ( translated quote: Twitter, Jeannette Gusko @JeanneRaffut). While this panel, however, it becomes clear, PR and HR (can) go together only. Yet it is an open end to wether which party, HR or PR, is    ruling the roost. Here the audience was at variance till the very end.

For a lot of students who attended it was quite an illumiative evening. If you wanna practice some more German you can follow up with the thread of the debate on Storify:

From Human Resources to Human Relations

Translated from Ralf Junge's blog entry: Von Human Resources zu Human Relations

From Human Resources to Human Relations – How will the work look like in the future? This subject was discussed in a debating at this last weeks annual re:publica in Berlin. Participants of this debate were Joachim Hasebrook, Teresa Bücker, Anke Domscheit-Berg, Stefan Sell and Sue Reindtke. At the evening the conclusion was:

Employers do not put any effort in it anymore, neglecting the relation to their employées. Those have defend themeselves and network in order to bind powers and force.

This statement preceded a discussion about the labor cultur in their companies and the changed working environment. Last named I would like to let float as thesis (opinions are welcomed):

• Employées have hardly any fun working.
• Assurances and securities such as permanent contracted jobs i.e. are gone.
• Workload being concentrated is increasing; more and more employées have to work more.
• Precarizing is increasing, meanwhile deap into the middle-class.

(Graffiti in Berlin. Translated: From the inside a rat race looks like a job ladder.)

As you can see, the radicalizing working conditions were the center of attention at this discussion. As main points of criteria the "Over time - Rat race"  and blindness of one owns situation were named. "You don't know anymore how it feels to relax".  Employer cannot expect his employées to discipline  themselves constantly in regard to working hours, workload, according to Anke Domscheit-Berg. Domscheit-Berg herself decided to be self-employed after having worked at Microsoft and McKinsey. 
Another point of criteria which I have talked about in my blog entry from May 1st, also, is the balance-thinking of companies. Too often numbers are being set as a higher priority rather over human capital.
Right on, Joachim Hasebrook, Professor für Human Capital Management from the Steinbeis Academy Berlin, asks when employer will change. The answer: "When the tail is burning", meaning when this attitute has a negative effect on the balance sheet. Sad, but true.

Panel member were sounding as if  a revolution of employées is going to stirr up, fighting against working conditions named - having the debate title as demand: From Human Resources to Human Relations.

Overall the debate did not give me much new insights or aspects since the precarious working conditions are well known. Unfortunately, no model for a better work in future was introduced, nor developed, although the title suggested such. Nevertheless I found it to be interesting that the criticism became louder and even reached the panels of re:publica. In my opinion this is the first sign indicating that employers WILL have to confront and solve these problems OF (and WITH) their employées in order to have both parties benefiting from a employer-employée relationship in the long run.  The redistribution of workload, the support and relief of overwrought co-workers, will become subject of importance - not only internally but also in regard to the reputation of the own Employer Brand obverse the external target groups.

In the 1930's already, scientific studies and statistics of firms indicated how changed working conditions imply on labor productivity and effectivity. Social group relations and a friendly leadership especially increase such. Taking care of interpersonal relations, the human relations, moved into focus. The Human Relation Movement accrued considering the working human as social being. Maybe we are awaiting a second ripple of this very movement.


RJ

AIDA in Personnel Marketing - Simple rules simply applied?!

Translated from Jannis Tsalikis' blog entry AIDA im Personalmarketing - Einfache Werber-Regeln, einfach mal anwenden?!

Every advertisor (should) have it running in his blood, the rules above all rules for advertising communication: the AIDA principle. Applying the bases of this principle should help developing a (at least halway) good communication mean. It is so simple and nice to apply to to almost anything - of course the in Personnel Marketing, also! Let's apply the rules to the Personnel Marketing. The four bases of AIDA would look like this:
 
Attention
The applicants awareness is attracted. The mean must somehwat surprise, stick out and be visible - it gotta catch an eye or two.

Interest
The applicant starts to be interested in the advertising employer at some point and in some way. The target group should be and feel addressed to.

Desire
Going one step further, the interest in working with the employer is awakened. The wish to get the job advertised is generated and strengthened, convincing the employer.

Action
The applicant applies for the very job finally. At the „Point of Application“ applicants are endorsed applying for the job.
 
Easy, isn't it?
 
We can test this systematic with this simple example following. 
Please look at this poster below and judge by applying the prior explained rules to this very job-ad.
 

Attention? Well, yes. I would say such a big poster is hardly not to be seen. The layout, too, with its uberdimensional exclamation mark and the great combination with the questionmarks. Erm, yeah. Very fine! *cough*

Interest? Does the target group feel addressed? Now, considering in Berlin-Wedding, a district of Berlin with quite a few Teenager, one of them will be attracted to a job-ad as such while walking through the mall out of great boredom. With a lot "good will" we can put a check in the box on Interest.

Desire? Is this statement convincing? Start an apprenticeship as Hair Dresser/ Barber so you won't be bored as the job-ad promises? And appreciation? Appreciation and approval (stated in the ad) with a job that under the TOP-10 of the most unpopular jobs? The convincing reasons to apply for are definitely missing. At least now, Personnel Marketing is failing much. Quite a pity! 

AIDA in Personnel Marketing? It isn't that hard to follow those advertising rules, is it?

Work-Life-Balance was yesterday - today we embrace Work-Life-Choice

Translated from Ralf Junge's blog entry: Work-Life-Balance war gestern – wir leben heute die Work-Life-Choice

Last week the Online Start-Up Twago announced the resignation of its founder and Managing Director, Gunnar Berning. (Twago is an online project tool bringing Companies and Freelancer together by offering posted projects and profiles of Freelancer.)  At this juncture the differing views of the Managing Board as well as the Investors regarding expansions have been the crucial reason for this decision. More interesting, and shocking also, I found the news about the lay-off of another twenty to thirty employées along Bernings leaving. Considering of Twago only having sixty employées in total this is a very drastic decision.

However, this is what a job at a Start-Up often entails. At least, here in Berlin, the founder city Germany´s, it is not something of rarity. Primarily a young firm represents itself as IN, dynamic and innovative. Self-realization, flat hierarchies, responsibilty and promotion prospects are embraced vocabularies in terms of Start-Up's. It is true, naturally. The authority given is inviting much. Certainly, one can take a lot of responsibility within a short time already. That is surely a great feature on the résumé, also.

Start-Ups, nevertheless, are forefeiting their good image. More often you can hear about harsh working conditions. But why is that? In contrast to bigger companies and combines working hours in Start-Ups are significantly higher which leads back to the shortage of resources, such as work force, as well as missing structures. It feels like working without a break when being employed at a Start-Up company. Yes, it brings great responsibility to be taken, yet, a private life is often something not to even think of having. There is no Work-Life-Balance. It is more likely a Work-Life-Choice. Salaries come substantially smaller than in big and established companies. 

You might ask, why would one work at a Start-Up then anyways?! Well, everybody applying and being hired at a Start-Up usually know exactly what they are engaging in, which is why it is called Work-Life-Choice in the first place. Thus a conscious decision pro such working conditions.

It is everything BUT a boring office job with structured daily schedules and detailed processes and structures to encounter. The real charme lays in being constantly confronted with challenges anew and having the chance to create and frame the firm actively. And this most often within a young team and a great corporate culture which is based on team spirit and a great potion of motivation.

RJ

Yummy flavor: XING kununus through as it wishes...

"A Translation from Jannis Tsalikis' Blog Entry: "Lecker Geschmäckle: XING kununut sich durch, wie es will"

There are things happening on XING (almost to be considered as a German LinkedIn) which I find suspicious somehow. Is that alright with you? Since the take-over of kununu by XING, the employer review platform kununu is integrated without saying and as it wishes. For instance, even I - as Premium Account Member - am spammed over with ads which ask me to participate in a sweepstake competition (!) where I should review my employer. Why are they allowed to do that? AND: Does that actually match? Employer review and sweepstake? Hmmm, ... (look at the ad I just got in a mail)

("It is your turn: Review your employer now! Win a week in San Fransisco for 2")

Company profiles on XING, financed by the companies themselves, have the "Review-your -employer"-button included. I cannot remember when I was asked to allow such ... probably included in the small print ?!

Well, one is not forced to fill out the review. However, it does have a flavor when earning money with two portals and pushing one of them through a sweepstake (on the other). On top of that, kununu used to be held just because of its relatively neutral way once. Can this spirit last with all this business? Questions over questions. I am looking forward to your opinions.

JT

All for this matter(s)! - The struggle of workers then and today

What significant value does an employée have these days, and what makes a "good" employer? In regard to the actual event, the international labor day, I would like to address these questions.

What we actually celebrate, or why we are allowed to dedicate this day to our family, friends, house or garden instead of our regular job. Do you know? Well, I looked it up: May 1st 1886, Chicago, took a demonstration of the labor movement place. Workers stood up for better labor conditions, fighting for the implementation of the 9-5 day. While the protest many people were killed, hundrets hurt, due to a bomb attack. At founding congress of the Second International in 1889, May 1st has been announced as a memorial and public holiday.

Man companies have noticed quickly that happy employées deliver a better performance and stay calm. With the intention of keeping and binding employées in the long-run, at best their whole life long, Social Insurances such as Healthcare, 401K-fund/Retirement and others have been introduced and implemented. Bigger companies even built their own workers district close to the company facilities. Here employée could move with their entire family to live close by to work. The principle: Employées are supposed to run the system and in the system smoothly and they were then to be en- and insured. Benifits for both parties were provided. Employées felt devoted and commited to the company and its founder; the company commited itself to its workers/employées.

Does this kind of benefit-balance exist today still? No! The demand for securrity is omnipresent, still. But an active demand for self-fulfillment and for a counterbalanced work-life balance has been added. However, companies feel more obligated to their investors nowadays, the own employées are too often set within the last spots of priorities. The main goal for every company is a maximization of profit, not of employée satisfactory; resulting in the promise of security getting broken.

Meaning, applicants are systematically and regularly lied to. After all, in most job-ads it says "We offer a secure job". In order to keep their part of many promises, employées are working  hard. Well, we still have our hopes in finding a long-termed secure job place. However, pledges as such cannot be kept by the companies due to the changed conditions they are confronted with themselves. Since a life long working contract cant be promised anymore, companies should keep their target on a long-termed binding  and most important of all keep and protect their focus on the humane capital.

The employer pledges will have to be adjusted. Only with authentic and realistic promises, which can be kept, companies have the chance to become an "Employer of Choice", resulting in employers and applicants who want to bind themselves to also. Today as well, employées fight for good labor conditions - currently for meaningfull and sensible work, variety and freedom for private matters.

It is reasonable we celebrate this very labor day, having the chance to express our demand for security, self-determination and fun. And now enough work done for today, it is public holiday after all. Now comes the balancing. Have a sunny and relaxed May Day! RJ