2016 goals

This time of year you'll hear people discussing their goals for the new year. I thought my coworker had some great ones on the shirt she wore today. And, yes, I asked her if I could take this picture.

Oops, they did it again

I wrote recently about a local university that was in the news for yet another financial scandal. Last week the same school made the news again. This time it's for posting an ad for an assistant professor of physics stating the school is looking for it to be filled by "an African American, Hispanic American, or a Native American Indian." Not surprisingly, the ad, which has been removed from the school's website, has created quite a backlash. What I want to know is what is going on at that school? The place seems to be running off the rails.

I know what happened

Last week it was disclosed that one of our local universities is in the midst of what seems to be an every 6 months occurrence- an investigation into alleged financial improprieties. This time it's risen to a level that has gotten the FBI involved. Good times.

One of the people under investigation is a former employee. Two things I read about him caught my HR eye. 1. The university will not disclose why he's no longer there. 2. They won't say whether he quit or got fired. Pick me, pick me, because I know what happened. He got fired. Easy peasy. If he had resigned, there would be no problem saying that. However, due to risk management issues, companies will rarely say someone got fired. A few jobs ago all people who got canned were said to have resigned. It became known internally as "got resigned".

And there is your HR insight for today.

What I'm thankful for today

Today I am so thankful for our completely unseasonable weather. It was in the 70s today, and it is supposed to the same tomorrow. To give you an idea of how atypical this is, we are supposed to set records both days. I looked, and we are only about 10 degrees below Tampa, FL. It's not often in December that you can wear sandals and have your windows open. What an excellent early Christmas present.

What not to do at your next job interview

Yesterday we were doing interviews for an entry level position at my organization. One of the candidates had done a decent interview until he told a story at the end about stealing a little kid's bike. Was there any redeeming value in the story at all? No.  Needless to say, he's not getting the job. The next time you are at a job interview, don't tell your potential employer about your acts of theft. It's generally not going to increase your odds of being hired.

What I'm Thankful For Today

When I put gas in my car today, I paid under $2/gallon. Oh my. I don't know how long it's been since I did that. I am very thankful.

It's a small world

I've been at my new job for 8 days, and I've already run across people I know in a few ways. Last week one of the hiring managers at an interview was someone I went to church with over 20 years ago. His name was on the schedule, but it's not an uncommon first or last name. I had wondered if it was him, but I thought the odds were against it. As soon as he walked in the interview room, he said "Do you know who I am?" I said I did indeed.

This week I've been reviewing resumes for some of our open positions. I've found one for an HR person I know and another person who recently got fired by one of my former employers. Most interesting to me is the resume for someone who is now the HR person at a company where I interviewed this summer. During the interview I knew that it was not the job for me. Apparently this person has decided it's not for her either. She's been there since July and is trying to get out.

It is indeed a small world after all.