by HRNasty, HR gone rogue

Because no one should entrust their career to “the man” who sits in the ivory tower

nasty: an unreal maneuver of incredible technique, something that is ridiculously good, tricky and manipulative but with a result that can’t help but be admired. (not always the case here), but a phrase used to describe some one that is good at something. “He has a nasty forkball”.

Who is HRNasty:  I am the HR Insider that will give it to you straight.  I am the one that has the guts to tell you what your manager / HR department won’t.  I will explain why HR and managers think the way they do.  You may feel that what you read here is unfair and or wrong but I am here to tell you what is REALLY happening behind the scenes.  I am believe that this information needs to be put out there and most managers don’t have the guts to tell you what you don’t want to hear.  

The number one complaint I hear about HR folks is that the answer is usually  “NO” or “that can’t be done”.  I want to provide the business reasoning BEHIND these decisions and then more importantly, offer an alternative.

My goal is to provide the BUSINESS reason for the thinking behind most managers and HR.  You may not like the reasoning from a personal standpoint, but hopefully you will respect the logic as it relates to the business or the company.  I will continually point out that the business is not there for any one individual, it is there to make a profit and needs to answer to a Board of Directors.

I am the guy that will open the kimono, exposing how the hiring process really works, what drives the review process, or the thinking behind a promotion or layoff .  Hopefully this information can be leveraged to help you find a job, further your career and avoid Career Limiting Moves.  For the most part only the largest companies’ have the resources to dedicate to manager training.  Individual contributors will rarely have the option to learn how the managers who deliver reviews and give opportunities think.  If you don’t know the rules of the game or how the referee’s are thinking, how can you win?

The why: I saw a number of friends lose their homes because they could not find work.  I saw a number of friends get a divorce in part due to the stress of the economy.  They didn’t ask me about finding a job and it never crossed their mind to ask anyone in HR.  I absolutely knew I could coach them into succeeding in an interview and in the workplace because I knew the unspoken rules.  I don’t want to see anyone lose out because no one took the time to explain how corporate life is really judged.  

Lets admit it, the system of the job interview is broken and the system of corporate life is broken.  Like any system in any industry, it doesn’t work 100% of the time.  I am NOT here to fix the system.  I hope that in reading this blog I can inspire those that can change and influence their HR systems to do something about it.  My goal is to reinforce to candidates and employees 3 assumptions that most of us suspect but don’t want to admit to or do not understand:

1. The system called HR can be broken and unpredictable
2. Explain the cause of the breakdown
3. Provide an insiders view on how to be successful within this broken system called “corporate life”.

You can be the smartest and most qualified candidate, but if you do not know how to interview, you are probably not going to get the job.

You can be the least qualified but if you know how to interview, you have a good shot at landing the job. 

The candidate that is the most qualified for the interview will probably land the job offer. 

Background:  I have a degree in Industrial / Organizational Psychology, and the SPHR.  I started my career with a Fortune 300 company in the Finance industry working in HR and then Training and Development.  Working in Training and Development, I had the training and opportunity to deliver and facilitate classes on topics ranging from public speaking / facilitative leadership, to diversity, to 3-month long programs for manager, high performers, and exec training.  Looking for a meritocracy where an individual could make a difference I moved to a small technology start up leading the HR and Facilities group.  This company eventually scaled to 300 plus employees with 6 offices in 4 countries.  Most people would think it was the HIRING of these employees over a 8-year span that gave me the insight into the hiring process.  It was the recruiters, HR department and the hiring managers DECLINING many more candidates that gives me the insight into the hiring process.  We declined a LOT of folks to hire all those employees and saw a lot of mistakes made by candidates every day of the week.  I want to share what I learned with 10 years in corporate America’s HR and Training and Development and my 10 years in technology start ups.  

I currently work in a small start up with some incredibly smart and dedicated technologists in the Pacific Northwest.  I hope you find the information helpful.  If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to email me at Nasty@HRNasty.com.

See you at the after party,

HRNasty