Talent 911

The 2015 Spring Michigan Recruiters Conference

I’m super excited to announce I am co-organizing the first ever Michigan Recruiters Conference to be held on March 13th in Lansing, MI starting at 9am!

Jim D’Amico, Director of Talent Acquisition at Spectrum Health, and I have been talking about doing this for over a year and late in 2014 we finally just said, “Screw it! Let’s pick a date and force ourselves to get his puppy off the ground!” And we did it! With a lot of help from Jim’s team at Spectrum, my team at HRU, our techy guy Matt Wagmann and our friends at the Accident Fund corporation!

Register at www.MichiganRecruits.com

Our Goal for the Michigan Recruiters Conference:

We want an event similar to an ERE, but local. Great recruiting and talent acquisition content, without having to pay thousands of dollars to attend. Our fee is $49! We want to raise the level of recruiting in the state of Michigan. We want to offer this in an environment where the corporate Talent Acquisition folks don’t feel like it’s a meat market (i.e., no staffing agencies).

We want to bring in national speakers, corporate talent acquisition best practices and next-gen practices that aren’t even being used by the masses. We want to network and share our successes, and find ways that corporate talent acquisition pros can better leverage each other and their knowledge. We plan on having two Michigan Recruiters Conferences per year, one in the Spring and one in the Fall.

We are not doing this for profit. The sponsors (CareerBuilder is our first, but we would love more!) and fees are only to cover costs of running a great conference like this. Sounds like we want to be a bunch of Hippies! I hope so, this is going to be great!

The format of the Conference:

Unlike normal HR conferences we aren’t looking to do 1 hour and 15 minute sessions. Who the hell even came up with that length of time!? It’s way too long, and just encourages rambling. We are Recruiters, we don’t have time to ramble! Our sessions will be 30 minutes, 45 minutes and 1 hour, depending on the content and presenter. A professional national speaker can easily hold the stage for an hour. Your local sourcing pro who has some great ideas to share, might only need thirty minutes!

We will strive to have you leave each conference with great ideas you can use immediately, ideas that will challenge what you do long term, and increase your network and tribe of other talent acquisition pros you can lean on.

It won’t be a full day. 6 hours or so. Get in, get out, go make placements.

We’ll attempt to always hold these at host corporations who are willing to have this progressive knowledge come into their walls. Thank you Accident Fund Corporate, and Darcy Kerr, for hosting this first conference in Lansing, MI!

Why no staffing agencies?

I’ve already gotten a ton of crap on this. “Tim, aren’t you a staffing agency?” “Tim don’t you rail against being treated as a second class citizen by LinkedIn?” “Tim this is hypocritical!”

Here’s the deal. I speak about a dozen times a year, nationally, to HR and Talent Acquisition pros, and never once have I been accused of trying to sell my services. I’m not worried about me, but I know my industry. I’ve already had agency folks try and sneak their way into the conference like a Catfish! To make the Michigan Recruiters Conference a success we need corporate talent acquisition pros and leaders to see the value of a conference like this. If their first experience is some cheese-ball from RecruitTech coming on to them in the first fifteen minutes, that experience is ruined. So, Jim and I decided, no agencies, yet.

We do see a time down the road, once the conference is established, where we will be able to invite in our agency brethren. Minnesota started in a similar way. Even at that point, we’ll have hard rules around selling at this conference. It’s designed to be developmental. That’s the conference we want.

Sometimes to make something great, you rub a few folks the wrong way. Agency folks are resilient, to say the least, I know they’ll bounce back. I look forward to the day I can invite them as well.

The Contingent Workforce in the U.S. is Growing!

From our friends at Fistful of Talent, you need to check out their recent post on The Rise of the Contingent Workforce by Laurie Ruettimann -- It's great. From the article:

I am just back from the InfluenceHR conference where 100 marketing executives came together to discuss new ways to market and sell technology to human resources departments.

I helped to create the agenda for this event. George LaRocque is my partner. We believe that you can’t sell HR technology if you don’t know the major trends in the workforce.

So George took the stage during lunch and highlighted three trends in the marketplace:

1. The consumerization of human resources technology
2. A growing contingent workforce
3. A shift towards “bring your own devices to work” policies

George said, “The way that work gets done, and how HR supports it, is going through major changes. We are moving towards a transient, contingent workforce bringing their devices and apps that help them get work done, plugging into I.T. environments that are mobile first, and being acquired as much as they are hired."

I love that quote so much. A transient workforce reminds me of a bunch of hobos and vagabonds who carry knapsacks on sticks. And that’s not far from the truth, actually, because a rise in the contingent workforce means you have an increase in people who come to your company from around the world — equipped with basic skills and abilities — but don’t camp out and stay for the long haul. These workers are unaffiliated with your brand for legal and compliance reasons. When the tasks are completed, they go home...

Wanted to check out the rest? Click on the link to The Rise of the Contingent Workforce

Recruitpedia

Each week I listen and speak with Recruiting Pros who have a language all their own - like most professions - but for me it's always fun to listen to what each person is really trying to say to you.  Here are some of my favorite:

Offer Pending:  What it means - "I'm going to make an offer to an individual"; What it really means - "I didn't pre-close the candidate, so I don't know if they'll accept" or "I made them the offer, but they haven't accepted, but I don't want you to know that, yet" 

Professional References: What it means - "References from those who have supervised you in a previous job"; What it really means - "Those references that you gave me, who are your father's best friend, your girlfriends dad and your 7th grade basketball coach - don't count.  We don't trust they will give us a true insight to how lazy you really are."  or "my boss feels better about your previous boss telling us how great you are versus your priest telling us how great you are"

Market Offer:  What it means - "We combed through salary survey data to determine what the going salary should be for your position, in this geographic area"; What it really means - "We did our budgets 16 months ago and didn't anticipate the market moving so fast for this position, so here's what we can afford to offer you."

Excellent Benefits Package:  What it means - "We offer a wide array of benefit options, which are paid in full by us and you'll not have to worry about anything."; What it really means - "We offer the same kind of benefit package as everyone else - virtually - but saying we offer a "Benefit Package The Same As Everyone Else" doesn't have the same ring to it as "Excellent Benefit Package".

An "A" Candidate - What it means - "This candidate is top level talent in the industry, with the reputation and references to back up their experience."; What it really means - "This is the best person (or only person) we could find to accept your marginal pay rate, crappy location and bad company culture."

Niche Recruiter - What it means - "The recruiter only networks and recruits for a specific skill set, and/or industry." What it really means - "You think you need someone who specifically networks and recruits only for what you are looking for - the reality is a great recruiter can find you anyone you need regardless of skill/industry - but it makes you feel better if we tell you we have that specific niche.  So we are "Niched".

I blame marketing for all of this!  No one can just say what is really on their mind anymore - it's not "P.C."  Instead we "dance" with each other and tell each other what we want to hear - and we leave with this wonderful false sense of security that everything is fine.  And you know what - it usually is - about 99% of the time.  That's the problem - it's that 1% of the time that you need a true partner who is going to tell you "what does this really mean", instead of "tell me what I really want to hear" - it's what gets Talent and HR Pros in trouble!   When in doubt - Speak the truth.

3 Ways To Make Contract Hiring Work For You

I was in a meeting with an HR executive recently talking about some pain points they are having.  You see, in my business of staffing, you don't get in the door unless someone in HR is unhappy with some kind of results in their hiring.  It's the game.  You're unhappy, I come in and tell you how I'll make you happy.  This HR Pro was having a hard time finding engineering talent.  They did what a the majority of corporate recruiting departments do - they used a number of sourcing options, posting options, looked at hiring incentives, made sure they paid competitively, etc.  Not bad, hit all the basics.  After this failed, they went the direct-hire agency route.  Made some hires.  Some worked out.  Some didn't.  Paid fees on all of them, since all made it past the guarantee.

So, how are you going to help me?

Fair question.  Really the only question she needed an answer to.

I dig in and find out that while the direct-hire agency route worked.  It left them feeling 'unsatisfied' because although they didn't blame the staffing firm they were working with for the turnover, they couldn't get over paying all those fees, and now have nothing to show for it.  The reality was, they have a tough environment, a challenging workplace culture, and some managers who aren't the best managers.  This caused the turnover.  Still, they are left in the same place they started -- 'we still need engineers'.

Okay, now it's my turn.

Me: "How about you try contract?'

Her: "We don't use contract, we want to hire direct." 

Me: "Why?"

Her: somewhat stunned I asked this question and expected an answer -- "Well, we need these people long term, not temporarily, and we want top talent and I don't think hiring contractors would give us top talent."

Here is HR executive's dilemma: first, they need engineering talent; second, they turn over talent because of their environment; and third, they don't want to pay fees.  Whether she wanted to hear it or not, Contracting was the answer to her problem.

Here was my conversation with her:

"You need to bring in Contract Engineers to fill these jobs.  We will find talented people, you will be amazed.  After 12 months, I'll let you have them for no buy-out.  Thus, you'll have no fees.  You have a bad environment with high turnover, you need us to find you engineers who can survive this environment and help you move forward all at once.  Contracting is great for this.  For many reasons people decide to contract.  Folks like you judge them for that, and consider them low talent.  I can give you a list of clients we are working with right now that will share stories with you about how wrong this is.  You will find great loyal talent when using contractors."

"But it costs so much!"

"That is another misnomer! Let's say your total hourly cost for an engineer is $60/hr, which includes pay, benefits, PTO, bonus, 401K match, taxes, etc.  I can get you that same level talent for $60/hr.  I can do that because I don't pay all the fringes you pay, I pay the same taxes, and lower amounts of PTO.   Your cost on a 12 month contract hire is virtually the same as if you would have hired the person direct, plus if you fall in love with them, you pay nothing after 12 months."

It's not a sales pitch.  It's just the facts when you work out the numbers.  She signed up.  I'll let you know how it works out, but to be honest I already do.  We've been doing this for 33 years.  It will work out great, and she'll solve her problem.

There are 3 concrete ways which Contract Hiring is a no-brainier:

1. High Turnover positions.

2. Short Term Projects - 3 months to 3 years - but basically we don't nee the person on after that

3. Beginning or Ending of a location.  Need to grow quickly, or shutting down a location

There really isn't any reason to be paying 20-35% fees (yes, I spoke to a company paying 35% the other day!) for direct hires.  The industry found a better way, HR Pros just struggle to change.  One other major factor that makes contract hiring work, is it seems to make companies more comfortable in taking some risks in hiring people they normally wouldn't.  'What the heck, they're on contract, if we don't like them, we can replace them." Every time I hear this, it makes me smile, because I know they'll like the person!  But if contracting gives them that 'freedom' then I'm all for it!  I hate telling them they have the same freedom hiring direct!

Want to hear some more?  Call me - I've got more miracles. [email protected]; 517-908-3156 or @TimSackett  - my company delivers staffing miracles every freaking day! 

5 Things That Make Great HR Partners Great!

I use to think the title 'HR Partner' was played out - and it probably was for a time.  There was a point a few years ago when every HR Pro had to change their title from HR Manager, HR Director, etc., to HR Partner.  It always made me feel like we were all apart of a bad cowboy movie - 'Giddy up, Partner!'  I've actually grown to really like the "Partner" in the title of an HR Professional.  While many HR Pros just changed their title, I've met some great 'Partners' in HR who have changed their game, to match their title change.

What makes a Great HR Partner Great?  Here are 5 things I think makes them game changers:

1. Great HR Partners know your business.  Now wait.  I didn't say they 'knew their own business' - they know the business of who they support. But wait, there's more!  They know the business of who they support, they way the person or team they support knows it. Say what?!  It's not good enough to know the business of your organization.  You have to know how those you support know and support the business. That could be different, based on the leader.  One leader might be ultra conservative in their business practices, another risky. A great HR Partner knows how to support them in the way those they support, want to be supported - while still being able to do the HR part of their job.

2.  Great HR Partners have short-term memory. Great baseball pitchers don't remember one pitch to the next.  Each pitch is new. Each pitch has potential for success.  If they remembered each pitch, the last one, that was hit for a home run, would cloud their judgement about the next pitch.  Great HR Partners are willing to change their mind and try new things.  They don't carry around their experiences like a suitcase, pulling them out and throwing them on the table each time those they support want to try something new.  Don't forget about your failures, but also don't let your failures stop you from trying again.

3. Great HR Partners allow risk.  A great HR Partner is able and willing to accept that organizations have risk.  It is not the job of HR to eliminate risk, it is the job of HR to advise of risk, then find ways to help those they support, their partners, to achieve the optimal results in spite of those risks.  Far too many HR Partners attempt to eliminate risk and become the 'No' police.  Great HR Partners know when to say "No" and when to say "Yes".

4. Great HR Partners don't pass blame.  If you are a great HR partner and you work with great partners, you will all support each other in the decision making process.  A great HR Partner will never pass blame, but will accept their share as being one of those who supported the decision to move forward.  This doesn't mean you become a doormat.  Behind closed doors, with your partners, you hash out there is to hash out.  When the doors open - all partners support the final decision that is made.  A Great HR Partner will have the influence to ensure they can, and will, support that decision when those doors open up.

5. Great HR Partners don't wait to be asked.  A great partner in any capacity is going to support those they support with every skill they have available to them.  In HR we have people skills - so when those who we support have issues, we offer up our ideas on what we can do to help the team.  Great HR Partners don't stop at HR advice!  In a time of brainstorming and problem solving the idea that goes unshared, is the worst kind of idea.  I might not know operations, and I will say that up front, but I'm going to put myself out there and tell my partners that eliminating the rubber grommets on bottom of the widget is a bad idea, because while it saves us $.13 per unit, it also makes our product slide around and that ultimately will piss off the customer.

Being an 'HR Partner' has very little to do with HR.  Those you support expect you have the HR expertise - what they don't expect is how great of a 'partner' you can be.  Great HR Partners focus on the partnership, not on the HR. 

3 Ways to Recoup that Headhunting Fee You Paid

I'm in the business of staffing.  We work with clients who have needs they can't fill - we fill them - the client pays me money.  When this goes right - it's a win-win.  Client gets a great employee.  I get paid for the service I performed.  When it goes bad - it goes bad. 

I worked 10 years on the HR/Recruitment side of the business.  I took calls every single day from headhunters wanting to 'help' me with my openings.  I get why so many get beat up in the staffing world - it's sales people calling on HR people who feel like they are being 'sold' to, not 'helped'.  So, when that HR person finally agrees to take your 'help' and it doesn't end perfectly - there's going to be a problem!  When that HR person signs off on check to be cut for $10K, $15K, $20K or more - and they feel like the services weren't rendered - there's going to be problems!

So, I'm going to give you some inside advice on 3 ways to recoup your fee you feel was unjustly paid:

1. Stretch Your Gurantee - I've signed staffing agreements (contracts) in the last 12 months with gurantees ranging from Zero days to 180 days.  At a minimum, if I was sitting at your corporate HR/Recruiting desk, I would require a 90 days gurantee on any direct hire agreement.  If I can't tell if the hire is good in 90 days - I should hire myself!  If they aren't any good - I don't pay - thanks for playing - please try again - I've got nothing to lose.

2. Barter - I'm a business person.  I don't want the fee for this one placement we just found for you, that you now don't like and don't want to pay for.  I want fees on every single one of your hires!  If I ahve a client who is unhappy, I want to make them happy - and I want to be happy.  Tell you what - I won't charge you for this one - but I want the next 2 hires, exclusive.  Deal? Deal. If you have a good relationship with your staffing partner, they'll do this in a heartbeat.

3. Just Don't Pay - Don't get me wrong - I hate you if you do this - but probably 75% of the time - you'll get away with it.  That $10K fee you're refusing to pay, will cost me about $10K if I have to take you to court to get you to pay, and I can gurantee you'll never work with me again.  If you did this I would never work with you again either - but let's face it - you have thousands of me waiting to business with you.

The truth is, most staffing companies are in business for the long haul.  If you're really upset over paying a fee - something went wrong along the way and most reputable firms will be willing to work with you.  I'll say most times I run into a HR/Talent Pro who is upset over a fee - it all goes back to the hiring manager not making the call when they needed to on a bad hire.  One thing we do to help this is a simple 30/60/89 days check-in with both the employee and hiring manager.  A simple, how's it going, and a simple day 89 - Last Chance! - call before you have to pay.  3 minutes of work, stems off a bunch of striff over paying a fee for a bad hire!

The 1 Thing That Can Make Your Corporate Recruiters Better Overnight

I've had 3 opportunities in my career to step into traditional corporate recruiting departments and make changes that would 'turn' these departments around so that the organization would see them as a positive producing department, where previously that had not been viewed as this.  As you can imagine there are numerous changes that can be made to do this.  You could go out and hire more talented recruiters.  You could redesign and launch a new employment brand.  You can redesign your processes.  You can launch a new career website.  Add in recruiter specific training.  Get hiring managers and leadership involved in 'owning' their talent in their individual departments.  All great stuff.  All things that I eventually did - all which take considerable time and resources!

When you are stepping into a new organization and taking over, those who hired you expect instant miracles.  Why?  Because that's what you told them you could do when you interviewed.  One problem.  You told them this without truly knowing what you were going to find when you started opening up closet doors in the department and skeletons began falling out all over the place.  You didn't realize your staff of recruiters were really just HR admins in disguise.  That your ATS was an advance spreadsheet, and nothing more.  Your hiring managers believed the only way to get talent was to wait for you to deliver it to them on a silver platter, just so they could say "I don't like that kind - bring me another platter!"  You didn't know your major vendor was the CEO's cousin who had no clue and no sense of urgency - but was entitled all the same.

Doesn't matter now - deliver the miracle!

There is really only one thing I know that works in recruiting.  Doesn't matter if you're an agency or corporate.  Doesn't matter the industry.  Doesn't matter the recruiting experience level you have on your staff.  It's been the one miracle that in good times and bad has always sets recruiters apart - at all levels.  Activity.  Outgoing phone calls, number of candidates interviewed, number of resumes sent to hiring managers, etc.  Higher activity level = higher recruiting department satisfaction and results, 100% of the time.  It's a simple miracle.

So - how do you do this tomorrow?

Step 1:  Instantly track the number of 'outgoing' phone calls made per recruiter.  If you don't have technology to track this - develop a simple call sheet that tracks candidate name, phone number, position called for and result.  Track calls for 2 weeks. (outgoing calls only - keep it simple, establish a habit - great recruiters call candidates)

Step 2: On week 3 - set daily outgoing call goal 25% higher than the two week daily average.  (don't let on you will do this on week 3 or you'll have low numbers your first two weeks)

Step 3:  Hold those recruiters accountable who aren't reaching their call goal.

You'll hear every single excuse in the world - you have to stay strong.  "I have too many meetings" - tell them you are giving them permission to no longer attend those meetings.  "I have to much paperwork" - stop doing paperwork - that's for after 5pm and on weekends (recruiting isn't a 40 hr per week job). Only concentrate on calls.  Calls. Calls. Calls.

Miracle, delivered, almost instantly.

Want to hear some more?  Call me - I've got more miracles. [email protected]; 517-908-3156 or @TimSackett  - my company delivers staffing miracles every freaking day!

HR - It's You or It's Me

I love 'end of days' type posts and articles.  The end of Job Boards!  The end of HR!  Here's another one great one over at ERE by Dr. John Sullivan called: The End of Sourcing Is Near..., which talks about how eventually (in John's opinion) most sourcing information will be readily available to almost everyone.  This makes really the only thing left to do in recruiting is to sell the candidate on your job and your organization.  Sullivan explains the importance of this very critical step in recruiting - the sell:

"Recruiting leaders should begin focusing on these selling aspects because, as previously stated, “finding” is becoming so easy, and there is little push for change in candidate assessment because most recruiters and hiring managers are comfortable with the existing process of assessing candidates through interviews.

Once you realize that the selling aspect of recruiting is almost universally under researched, underfunded, and it is almost always executed in an unscripted manner, you’ll see that it’s ripe for significant improvement and change. If you review the recruiting literature you will find very little written about the science of selling and the importance of using data-driven selling approaches within the recruiting function. The pressure is increasing on recruiting leaders to make a decision to shift resources away from sourcing by recruiters and toward the remaining big challenge: selling."

Like most 'end of days' type posts, Sullivan's end of sourcing post is probably a little over the top, but he makes a great point.  HR Pros don't recruit well for one simple fact - HR Pros didn't get into HR to sell - they got into HR to do HRy things like: build processes, improve processes, administer people practices within an organization, training, problem solving, etc.   They didn't go - "Oh boy! I can't wait to get into the Fortune 500 HR shop so I can sell our company like a a life insurance salesman trying to make quota!"

That's where I come in.  I don't hire HR pros to work in recruiting.  I don't sell the recruiting position as an HR position.  I don't go over to Michigan State's HR program and speak to students about 'getting their start' in HR by coming to work for me.  99% of those folks, while great people, would fail in my environment.  They want to be in HR - Recruiting is not HR.  There in lies the problem for most HR shops.   Most HR folks - probably 70-80% - have to do some 'recruiting' in their organizations.  They don't have a recruiting department or a sourcing group to do all the heavy lifting.  Most HR Managers, if they're lucky, have a full time recruiter, but this still means, when it's busy, they still have to recruit.

That's why so many HR pros engage recruiting agencies.  We offer a skill set they don't, necessarily, have on their staff.  We sell.  We sell the crap out of a position and your company.  We can make an average company look like the Best Place to Work and a really bad company look like the next big opportunity.  No power steering - No problem - manual steering builds up great arm muscles!  Want tinted windows?  Yeah, we can get those installed.  Recruiting is selling.  In fact, Recruiting is double selling.  You sell the candidate on the position, then you sell the hiring manager on the candidate.  Good recruiters can work in any industry - because selling skills are transferable to any product or service.

So - do you want your HR Pros to sell, or do you want me to sell?  By the way - I don't hire HR Pros, I hire closers.

Let my company do some selling for you - let's connect: [email protected]; 517-908-3156 or @TimSackett.

The A+ Player Employee

I know a ton of HR/Talent Pros are sick of hearing employees broken down into A, B and C players.  It seems played out and dated.  But I like it.  I'm simple and the ABC player scenario is easy for me to describe, in very quick manner, how someone is performing.  I'll give you, though, there are problems.  Once you have your "A" players, how do you tell which is the best one?  Can't a "C" player be close to moving up to "B", but another "C" be close to getting terminated?  The problem is, ABC doesn't accurately enough describe individuals, it just describes groups of employees - a range of performance at any given snapshot in time.

I was having a conversation about this the other day with a peer and was describing a person's performance who worked for me - an "A" player.  As I was describing this person, I said, "but you know what, they are better than an "A" player - they're an "A+" player"!   Oh, boy, here we go.  What the heck is an A+ player?!

Traits of your A+ Players:

- All the talent and performance of your traditional "A" player, but with:

A.  Work like they're a "B" player hungry to get to "A" status

B.  Lack the ego some "A" players tend to catch upon gaining "A" status

C.   Don't believe they've reached "A" status, even when they have.

A+ players are special.  As soon as you read the traits you had an individual come immediately to mind.  That person who is a great performer, but also someone you wish all of your employees would emulate.  A person who is a joy to work with, and gets things done.  Maybe not the best at any single task - but the person you want to do every task.  A+ players aren't culture changers, they are the culture.  Not everyone has an A+ player, and I don't believe you can create one.  You usually have to hire them - and they ascend to A+ level very quickly.

When people tell me they only hire "A" players I tend to judge them as not having any idea about HR/Recruiting/Life.  You don't hire "A" players.  You hire talent you believe is capable of becoming an "A" player within your organization.   Because they were an "A" player at another organization, has very little impact on their performance level within your organization - unless you somehow magically cloned their previous environment, leadership and resources and put them back into that same place.  It's true that past performance is predictive of future performance - but only when you put that talent into a very similar circumstance.

That's why it's really hard to find A+ players, because you don't even know when you hire someone if they will reach that level.  You might have a feeling - like - "oh boy, we've got someone special coming in", but you don't know, until you know.  All I really know is when you have one, do what you have to keep them around, because you'll never know if you'll get another one.

By Tim Sackett, SPHR

Connect with Tim at [email protected], 517-908-3156 or on Twitter @TimSackett

Lawyer-Up

Years from now when I retire and look back on my career in HR I think I'm only going to be surprised about one thing.  It won't be how crazy some employees can be, or dumb things supervisors have said to employees or even the shocking employee relations issues I've dealt with.  The one thing will be how totally comfortable I've become in dealing with lawsuits and potential lawsuits!   If you really thing about it, most people in the world are not comfortable with lawyers.  Just as HR Pros are looked at like the Grim Reaper in many organizations - no one wants to see the lawyer's number pop up on their caller ID!  Combine the Lawyer and HR Pro together and you have most employees worst nightmare.

I've gotten to the point now in my career where I actually try and beat employees to the punch.  Here's how it normally goes: Employee is either being terminated, or had a boss be a little too touchy or somehow slipped in the parking lot on a dry sunny day and HR gets a call/visit that sounds something like this:

Employee: "Yeah, well, 'we've' got a problem!"

HR Pro: "Really!? What problem do 'we' have?"

Employee: "Jill took my stapler and told me my 'Boo' is sleeping with Mary."

HR Pro: "And..."

Employee: "And!  And that's stealing and I'm working in a 'hospitable' work environment!"

HR Pro: "Hostile."

Employee: "I'm not being "Hostile"! Oh, you're against me to - I see how this is. I know my rights! I don't want to have to get 'others' involved but I will."

HR Pro: "Others. Oh, you mean a lawyer?" (I like to act like I'm surprised and that thought had never come to me that they might go this direction.) "Tell you what - I think you're right on.  Have your lawyer contact me immediately so we can start working through some of these details, like how another employee stole your work issued stapler and how your "boo" is sleeping with Mary."

That usually ends the conversation right there.

The fastest way to get an employee off 'Lawyering-Up' is to push them to 'Lawyer-Up'.  The reality is for HR Pros - either way - you will either need to Lawyer-Up or you don't, depending on the details.As an HR Pro I've become very comfortable with this issue.  I think about 100% of the time when  I hear from an employee that they are "going to call their attorney", I try and tell them that is a really good idea.  I encourage them constantly to seek legal advice. Why? Because here's another thing I've learned from being an HR Pro - the majority of attorneys will tell people to take a hike when they have nothing.  Honestly. We tend to think lawyers will sue for anything, but in most employment cases they won't. 99 out of 100 times you have an employee seek legal advice - you'll never hear from them again because some attorney will tell them - "You have no case."  The one case you do hear from - is probably the one you already knew you had problems with already.

Yep - being told "I'm going to sue you", who knew someone could ever hear those words and not feel nervous!? Only HR Pros and Lawyers.

By Tim Sackett, SPHR

Contact Tim directly at 517-908-3156, [email protected] or @TimSackett on Twitter to discuss how your company can partner with HRU to find the best Tech talent on the market.