But what intangible traits make successful employees?  What is the DNA code that successful people possess?  Whatever the code, these are the skills most employers are looking for, they separate the “Your Hired” from the “Thanks, best of luck in your search.”

1. Determination
   Here is the short of it, you got to make things happen!  No excuses….how many times do I listen to a candidate discuss reason they “did not achieve” goals i.e “blame others”.  I recently landed my dream job and on day 1 was provided a clear instruction; “hire the best”.  No careers page, no huge budget, no desk with everything laid out….just make it happen!  At age 17, I learned this lesson when I was literally dropped off at college and told “good luck”.  No car, no scholarship, no trust fund…..  My options were …succeed or fail – I chose to succeed!
2. Ambition
   What are your goals in life?  Where do you want to be in 3 years?  All common questions, so why are people so scared to answer them truthfully and directly?  Most are afraid if they answer and it does not match the employers “desired answer” they will not get the job.  When I was 15 years old I worked in a peach orchard, during the hot Alabama summers.  I loved the people and the job, but was determined to find a job “indoors with cool/refreshing air conditioning.  The next summer I landed a job in a local grocery story after  a long search and very few options (my hometown has 1200 people, kinda limits the options).  Over the years my goals and ambitions have grown past A/C, but those lessons have stuck with me for a lifetime.
3. Passion
   I often say, ” I can teach a person to recruit/sale/whatever” but I can not teach you passion!  If you dread Mondays then you are not pursuing your passion!  I have not dreaded a single Monday since November 2011…guess what, I love what I am doing….if I dread Mondays then that is a huge problem!  Passions will grow and new ones will reveal themselves, but only if you are seeking to understand them,  Know what you are passionate about and pursue with your full heart or be satisfied with staying awake on Sundays dreading the inevitable “case of the Mondays”
4. Delivery
   If you can not provide clear examples of delivering on objectives and goals and how they tie back to the company’s vision and goals, you most likely will not work for many desired employers.  Do you execute on goals and deliver work product?  My career goals have always been simple, ”hire the best”, these were the goals in my first professional job in 1996 and ring true today.  Of course I have done more than just hire people, as my roles grew and career advanced….but every new venture required delivering my best!
5. Smart
   Employers want smart people, that make things happen and can figure out problems.  As a child I remember speaking to a relative that did not hold a college education.  He sold honey and needed a way to quickly extract honey from beehives….he built a machine out of a few bicycles and other parts that could extract the honey quickly and easily…this was prior to Pinterest of Google!  He was smart and determined, tried many times, finally got it right and had success!  Ask yourself, what is the most innovative thing you have done in your career?

I could list 10+ traits but these sum it up.  Don’t just think about these from the perspective of “my next interview”  Are these life traits that you possess and embrace?  Can you honestly convey these 5 things about yourself to others?  I will end with two of my favorite quotes that should sum it up:

“Do or Do Not, there is NO try”!  Yoda

“Never quit. It is the easiest cop-out in the world. Set a goal and don’t quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don’t quit until you reach it. Never quit”…Paul “Bear” Bryant

Another great series of tracks, but today I had the opportunity to network with some of the best HR practitioners in Atlanta.  Many times what you learn and the information you gain does not come from the sessions but rather from sitting around a table, breaking bread (in my case BACON) and brainstorming!  During the 7:00 a.m. (yes, you read that correctly) breakfast network we had  an eclectic group discussing Facebook.  The more junior member was not on Facebook and the senior members were some of the more active users!

During our bacon indulgence we discussed how Facebook (and social media in general) can be utilized by an aging workforce and serve as a tool to build relational gaps between the baby boomers and the newly entering workforce.  Not sure if it was the bacon talking, but we walked away with an idea for a mentoring program, potentially based on Facebook as the communication tool.

Upon solving this dilemma some of the social media team made their rounds to several vendors with camera in hand, to capture on video how the conference was working for them!  Highlights includes:

The ladies at Hard Rock were awesome and totally rocking it:  video
AppVault has a cool mobile application “Got Mobile?”:  video
Indeed.com has a great product that everyone can use:  video

I had the opportunity to present “The Future of Talent Acquisition” to a large group!  Several times during the conversation, people were suggesting mobile apps and even passing around an iPad to view the suggested apps!  Lots of interaction, learning and FUN!!  It’s not about leading a track, it was about learning together!!

It’s hard to summarize day 2, but if I have too I would say; “it was learning new things, from people you may not expect in a causal setting without any ulterior motives”!

Great job SHRM-Atlanta!!

“Creating a Sustainable Inclusion & Diversity Strategy” – Stace Millender (Cisco)
“Behavioral Interviewing” – Tom Darrow (TalentConnections)

On the surface I was thinking, ok, I have heard these before, but let’s go in and “freshen up”!  Each speaker brought the topics to life and delivered a message that was informative, outside the box and entertaining.  For example, I did not realize that technology could play such a major role in diversity and inclusion.  Did you know that Cisco offers a free mobile app (Cultural Advisor) that provides customized information to bridge communication and work style differences to global counterparts.

Also, former 2x SHRM-Atlanta President Tom Darrow, delivered his message in a style that very few can pull off!  He took a topic that has been driven home at every HR conference on the planet and made the 60 minutes seem like 60 seconds!  “Interviewing is not an art or a science, it’s insanity” was one statement that rings true with so many of us.  He provided several interactive opportunities and reinforced the significance and importance of behavioral based interviewing!

A few other notable (and unexpected suprises) for the day included:

• Keynote regarding Employment Law that ended with the Employment Law Song (serioously must check out)
• Radio appearance by yours truley (audio coming soon) on Atlanta Business Radio X

I am excited for tomorrow and seeing what the SHRM-Atlanta HR conference has in store!  If you are unable to attend, follow the events Twitter stream at #shrmatl12 hashtag and look for post on our Facebook page (NOT to be confused with THE FACEBOOK)!  Special thanks to some of the top tweets of the day from:

@keppie_careers          @havrilla
@SarahHathornm        @teelajackson
@jackwbruce                  @alfieadona
@mikehaberman           @tpagirl

Did you know that there are over 1 billion (with a “B”) smart phone users globally?  By 2015 smart phone usage will overtake desktops.  Do you think this mobile explosion will have an impact on talent acquisition?  Consider this scenario…

The year is 2015, the war for top talent continues (yes, it is still happening).  You are at a dinner party and strike up conversation with someone, realizing they are the perfect VP of HR for that long, exhausting search you have been conducting for 5 months!  Here is how it would play out, past, present and future;

In 2004 you hand them a business card, request a resume and wait a few days to receive via email, hoping it does not get caught up in your spam filter.

2012:  You may hand them a business card and then look them up on LinkedIn, sending a connect request (hoping they remember and liked you).

2015:  Snap a picture of them with your mobile device and instantly go to their web profile.  Your device recognizes their image and returns web results instantly via something called augmented reality!

Now granted, snapping a picture of someone to search their image may sound creepy, but so did “following” someone just a few short years ago.  How realistic is the above scenario?  Want to learn more about what the future of talent acquisition holds in terms of mobile and social recruiting?  Then join me at the 22^nd Annual SHRM-Atlanta Conference where I will discuss the future strategies, tools and practices of talent acquisition.

I will be live tweeting & blogging from the SHRM-Atlanta conference on March 13 & 14 and discussing the topic of Future of Talent Acquisition during a March 14 session (see below):

Session Date and Time:                Wednesday, March 14, 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
Session Title:                                   The Future of Talent Acquisition
Content Area:                                  HR and Technology

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• Obstacles Suck – Knock Them Down! (socialtrex.com)

1. Engagement (being part of a conversation & dialogue via comments)
2. Tool to develop discussion around key topics/products
3. Marketing tool for your thoughts in real-time
4. Content Management System  (store all your thoughts/photos/videos in one place)
5. Stay ahead of competition (those non-bloggers)
6. Easy to share information in a one stop shop
7. Develop and build long-term social relationships
8. Generate Media & PR
9. Connect with experts in specific fields

If you would like to check out my presentation, check out the highlights broken down into 4 minutes.  If you are thinking of blogging, hopefully the reason above will be enough for you to take the plunge!

Tide Rolling 1st Night             Case-Mate Booth!!                    OLED TV’s                              Only hybrid I would drive

Robert Horry @booth      Smart Motion…..                     Hanging w/ 50 Cent                View from The Mix!

Let’s set the record straight…if I hear one more time “what happens in Vegas…” then I will jam a laser pointer into my ear.  Other than that, great trip.  I lost $30 playing War (which my 5 year old daughter beats me at constantly), I danced more in 4 days than in 4 years and I finally found a hybrid I would drive!  Oh, since 50 and I are now boys, I refer to him as “Curtis”….

Very cool week indeed!  The coolest part was hanging with lots of new people and rekindling old friendships from my Panasonic days.  Looking forward to CES 2013 and seeing how much thinner those TV’s get (maybe they can make a machine to thin me down, P90X is not my bag)!

Check out my 2 minute Vlog on the subject of “choices” and look for more post on this topic.  Would love to hear comments on choices you have made (life, career, etc…) good/bad and how they impacted your life short/long term.

April 1999 – August 2005:  I was working for a great company and as the Talent Manager had spent 6.5 years building a 450+ person team!  Like any company we had ups and downs, but there were a lot more ups!

September 2005:  With great remorse, I resigned.

October 2005:  The great company, were I grew, learned, laughed and played (a lot!) announced their closure…many saw it coming, many did not.

This was the same month I decided to organize and manage my massive network and never reach a point in my life where I was dependant on an unknown hiring manager with only a piece of paper and one hour to decide if I may be ”a fit” for their job.

Networking is an absolute MUST for any aspect of your life!  Networks are like your butts, everyone has one; some are larger and some are smaller, but we all have one!

October 2005:  Searching for a tool besides Outlook to manage my network, I stumble upon something that I think will be useful in staying connected; LinkedIn.

March 2011 – October 2011:  Time for a new challenge!  Begin a confidential job search…

Since March, I spent several months searching for a job through traditional methods….apply with a piece of paper and let someone I don’t know decide my fate.

October 18, 2011:  Campaign specific people in my network for leads on new jobs
October 20, 2011:  Interview with potential new employer
October 21, 2011:  Receive offer for new gig!

It’s never to late to begin growing your network.  It takes time, effort and lots of work.  Connect and network with great people and always be willing to help others.  Remember, networks are like butts, and in the immortal words of Sir Mix A Lot, “I Like Big Butts and I Can Not Lie”!!

1. What is your overall social media strategy and how does a blog platform fit into it.
2. What is your blog strategy?  It should consist of; messaging, information and positioning
3. Goals and objectives

The first thing anyone should do when designing something new is develop your strategy.  Your blog strategy should consist of the following six components;

Appealing message
Does your message have a large enough appeal?  Is the topic of your blog one of interest.  Don’t worry about numbers/visits at this point.  A small, engaged following can be better than thousands of views.  Point is make sure your message appeals to your targets.

Target audience
Who are you trying to reach?  Why are you trying to reach this group?  What is the benefit to your social strategy for engaging this group of people.

Provide a value
Why would someone read/subscribe to your blog?  What are the benefits of readership?  Anytime I visit a site it is with a purpose….learn something!

Communicate important information
Informative and “how to” blogs are the most read, be sure your audience can learn something for your blog.  If you are blogging about “why someone should use Facebook”, good luck!  Now if you were blogging about using Facebook as a sourcing tool for new business….better!

Engaging conversation
Blog are designed to be conversational and in a conversation, two people speak.  Ensure that people can comment and engage in dialogue.  If you receive “negative” feedback, address it vs. delete.  We all don’t agree in life and it will not happen on your blog!

Cross pollination
Is your goal to drive traffic to other social platforms?  This is normal and a blog is a great way to engage people across platforms, visually via video or pictures or written words!  Make it work for your strategy!

Remember your blog will become your brand, whether you are a consumer good or a person building an on-line reputation.  Ensure your strategy drives to quality!!

I have read, listened and studied many times over the topic of “what makes a person successful”.   Today at the SHRM-Atlanta 2011 HR Conference I was 50 feet away from the embodiment of the answer to this business mystery.

If my eyes were closed I would have heard the poise of an Ivy League education, the maturity and experience of a baby booming, Fortune 50 executive and the heart of someone that overcame every obstacle in life to achieve success.  Only the last statement describes what you see in Kat Cole when you open your eyes.

Here is a highly energetic, 33 year old, corporate President (that is not a typo, she is 33 and the President of Cinnabon – the bomb in tasty treats) who did not have “a life of privilege”, who never listened to the words of all the naysayers and had every reason to fail by the “norms and standards” that our society set.  If we have been taught anything over the past several years, it is how wrong the “norms and standards” can be!

Kat Cole not only shared a motivating story, but had the ability to help the audience feel the emotion in her discussion regarding “Transformational Leadership”.  As I circled the event all day, interviewing HR  professionals regarding their experience on Day 1, there was one common theme:  Kat Cole!

As a father of 3 daughters I am thrilled to know that there are role models for success in life and business, no matter the obstacles, no matter the naysayers and no matter the situation! My only critique of this well delivered keynote, “WHERE IS YOUR BOOK, I WANT TO BUY ONE”!

If you missed today’s keynote you missed the best!  TEASER: Look for it on the SHRM-Atlanta YouTube channel and SHRM-Atlanta website sometime in the future!

I can only imagine what is in store for Day 2!