My Three Hot Human Resources Areas for 2017!

With the tremendous focus on transgender employees in the workplace, I have added transgender woman and outstanding consultant and trainer Elaine Martin to my team.

With the tremendous focus on transgender employees in the workplace, I have added transgender woman and outstanding consultant and trainer Elaine Martin to my team.

Of course I do need to write a self-serving blog now and then, touting how my areas of expertise are going to be super hot in 2017. Actually, I do believe in what I am writing. Here are some of the areas where I do have a deep expertise which I believe are going to be major areas within HR in 2017, and I hope my clients old and new will not hesitate to contact me to discuss how I can assist them in these areas.

AREA 1: Transgender employees in the workplace. With many more well known transgender people visible in the world (Laverne Cox, Chas Bono, Caitlyn Jenner, Janet Mock…), with government contract regulations needing to include transgender protections, and with more companies covering gender transition medical costs, more people are now fine about transitioning in the workplace. Does your company have the right policies in place to support transgender employees? And do you have a plan to educate coworkers and company leaders when one of your employees goes through transition? Do take my 12-question Transgender Diversity Organizational Self-assessment.

Blog author Stan Kimer on the phone presenting a power point presentation on his innovative career mapping offering over the phone to a prospective client.

Blog author Stan Kimer on the phone presenting a power point presentation on his innovative career mapping offering over the phone to a prospective client.

AREA 2: Talent / Career Development. I keep hearing in workshop after workshop that one of the top challenges for HR is recruiting and retaining top talent. Replacing and onboarding a departing employee is very expensive, with costs between 75% and 150% of annual salary. One major reason people leave is because they feel their company is not doing enough to help them develop their skills and talent. I offer an innovative yet proven career mapping methodology that has received rave reviews from my clients that use it. It can easily be clipped on to whatever learning activities you currently have and costs only a few dollars per employee. Link to read an outside article about my process from Ziprecruiter and Take my 11-question Skills and Career Development Organizational Self-assessment.

AREA 3: General Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Execution. Even though my deep expertise is in LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) diversity (see AREA 1 above,) I am conversant in all areas of diversity and keep on top of the ever changing diversity landscape. Key diversity topics now include Global Multicultural Competence, Generational Diversity, Diversity of Thought and more. And to begin 2017, I have a new alliance partner, Kannetic, with an application platform developed with an expert panel of nearly 100 diversity experts (including myself), which provides insight into the impactfulness and effort required to implement various concrete diversity and inclusion actions. No charge one hour demonstration and mini planning sessions will be available to my clients over the next month – contact me to schedule yours! First listing under business affiliations / partnerships.

Knowledgeable consultants with deep expertise in an area and /or with innovative processes and tools can truly help catapult you to HR success in 2017. As a consultant, my goal is to make you as an HR leader shine! So please contact me soon for a no-charge initial consultation to discuss your needs and my offerings in any of these areas: [email protected] or call 919-787-7315.

Generational Diversity – Are Your Recruiting Methodologies “Up to Date?”

IMPORTANT NOTE: (This session is being postponed until later in the year.) The newly formed Triangle Chapter of the National Diversity Council – Carolinas is holding its first half day conference, the Generational Diversity Summit on February 19th! It’s going to be a great event – link here for info and to enroll. Email [email protected] for corporate sponsorship opportunities.

Many millenials prefer informal working spaces where they can multitask and team

Many millenials prefer informal working spaces where they can multitask and team


Generational Diversity continues to be one of the hottest most discussed areas in the continually evolving field of workplace diversity and inclusion. In a blog I published in June, 2012 on the “Growing Various Types of Diversity,” I led with a discussion on the four generations now in the workplace. This is an historic happening as mature workers (link to a blog on this) are staying in the workplace longer due to financial needs, better health, and the desire to stay active and intellectually stimulated. Here also is a link to a 2.5 minute video excerpt I did on Generational Diversity.

The group now being recruited on our college campuses are referred to as “Millennials”, those born after 1982. This emerging generation has very different views on communications in the workplace, important attributes of a vocation, collaboration, corporate hierarchies and more. Here is a link to a recent article from Forbes called “10 Ways Millennials are Creating the Future of Work.”

One area that needs focus at many of our companies is recruiting. How do we find, attract and hire the brightest new talent? Of course we should not forget to recruit the experienced professional who may be looking for a job change, but as always, college campuses will continue to provide the largest talent pool of new workers.

On the whole, recruiting methodology has not changed very much over the past 30-40 years. Yes, resumes are sent electronically and placed in on-line repositories instead of mailed, and job postings are online in addition to print ads, but overall the process involves recruiters reading through thousands of pages of boring text resumes. How can this be innovated?

At a recent generational diversity workshop sponsored by the Raleigh-Wake Human Resources Mgt Association (RWHRMA) Link, Margaret Gordy, Talent Acquisition Manager for Citrix, shared innovative ways that her company is identifying and recruiting top talent. Citrix (link), an industry leader for collaborative workplace solutions such as the popular “Go To Meeting,” teams with university classes, clubs and professors to engage students in collaborative problem solving. Teams work together to propose solutions to actual Citrix business challenges developed by Citrix business areas. This gives Citrix managers a way to evaluate technical, problem solving, and team skills of potential candidates. Those demonstrating the strongest skills are often offered an internship, a full time job, or at minimum a fast-path into the job interview process.

Advantages of this approach over hours of pouring through resume paperwork include:
• Candidates with the best skills and team work abilities who will fit best into Citrix’s workplace are identified.
• Candidates can experience the Citrix culture and both the candidate and company can assure a good “corporate culture fit.”

Overall, companies that successfully recruit top talent across all generations and keep them engaged working cross-generationally will win in the competitive, global marketplace.