Thank You to Our Clients and Partners

Last week, Compass sponsored the Job Seekers Services booth at the Green Professionals Conference.

The event was a big success with over 300 participants registered for the full-day educational event. We had several hundred join us for the exhibit hall in the afternoon.

Compass engaged some volunteer assistance from Janet Brumbaugh, Vicki Lind and Aimee Fahey to help job seekers gain value from the event. Our little team offered 5-minute one-on-one sessions, live presentations on job search topics, and many take-away materials on our resource table.

In the 6 hours that the exhibit hall was open, the Compass team was able to speak individually to well over 100 job seekers.

I would like to extend a very grateful thank you to all of our clients and partners. Without your business and relationships, Compass would not be in a position to sponsor an event that is so near and dear to our hearts.

Pamela J Moore, SPHR
Owner, Compass Human Resources

Teamwork At Its Finest

I read an article this morning about ESPN's new intranet. All I can say is, "wow".

Not only did they accomplish something amazing in a short amount of time, they did it using all of the tactics that I admire:

• They asked employees what they wanted
• They responded immediately and decisively
• Disparate departments worked together as cohesive teams
• They promoted from within
• They trusted their employees and allowed them to truly own the project
• They weren't afraid to look beyond the obvious for team members
• Last, but most important, the C-suite fully engaged in the project

Even ignoring that ESPN is huge, with lots of resources, the core of the message is that great things can happen when people truly work together and share information effectively.

Are You A Closet Introvert?

I've finally been moved to add a new post. I've vowed to be less lax in the future...

I was at the ASTD Cascadia regional conference last week and was socializing with some extroverts. (some of them were really extroverts) We got to talking about personality types, Myers Briggs, etc. When I told the group that I was an INFJ, most were surprised and only one said "of course you are!" He doesn't count because he takes the assessment annually and knows too much for his own good.

So, this got me to wondering why my colleagues are often surprised to hear I'm an introvert. I decided to attempt to view myself from their perspective and see what they might perceive. Here's what I came up with:

• I seem to genuinely enjoy interacting with other people
• I appear relaxed when I'm teaching/training, and am able to engage most audiences
• In networking/social situations I'm generally surrounded by a knot of people - often talking rapidly, gesturing wildly and laughing a little too loud.

All of those statements are true. I guess I can see where they might not get the introvert thing. So, I took a closer look from the perspective of my friends and family. Here's some additional qualification:

• I seem to genuinely enjoy interacting with other people. I do. I truly do. Until I don't. The blinds on the front of my house lower from the top so people can't see in. I don't answer the door without looking through the peephole, and I always screen my phone calls. If it weren't for my husband, I might not even know my neighbors. Thank goodness for him because they're really nice people!
• I appear relaxed when I'm teaching/training, and am able to engage most audiences. I love training. I know what I'm going to say ahead of time, I know who my audience is, and I have control of the entire session. If I get tired, I ask a question or get the audience to do an exercise. In the end, we all enjoy ourselves and learn something. It's so great that most good teaching techniques require the audience to do a lot of the hard work.
• In networking/social situations I'm generally surrounded by a knot of people - often talking rapidly, gesturing wildly and laughing a little too loud. Yes, but did you notice that I haven't moved from my spot the entire time? Extroverts love me because I can make contact and be receptive from afar - and they come talk to me. I'm really really good at that part. Once I'm surrounded by extroverts, I can use that INFJ empathy to adjust to the mood they're projecting.

Now you're probably wondering what the heck I'm doing in HR. Me too! Just kidding. I have actually found that although INFJs account for only 2% of the population, a lot of us wind up in "people" professions. I have two close HR colleagues who are also INFJs.

Does this post have a point? Not really, it's mostly just reflection. But, if you're a closet introvert, or an extrovert who has to live with one, drop a comment.

For all you extroverts dealing with us, here's a little something you might enjoy: "Caring For Your Introvert"

Attention: Small business owners, Startups hiring employees, Non-HR professionals in HR roles...

Is this your company?

Rob hired his best friend to be the COO of his new company. At first, things were great – his friend worked long hours, was willing to share the risk, and was supportive of Rob’s vision. Rob couldn’t have launched the business without him. A year later, the business is doing great. The only problem is Rob’s friend. He doesn’t have the skills or business acumen to grow with the company. Rob’s biggest asset is now an anchor holding the company back.

Shirley’s company just had its first workers comp audit. She discovered that some of her salaried employees were actually eligible for overtime. Now she’s faced with thousands of dollars in unpaid wages, back taxes, and penalties.


“Small Biz HR: Do You Know What You Don’t Know?”

Find out about…

3 common “honest” mistakes businesses make
Compliance requirements for your business
2 critical tools to manage risk, save money, and reduce frustration

Meet Pamela Moore, SPHR

Pamela Moore, SPHR is the founder of Compass Human Resources, a consulting firm focused on providing personalized human resource services to small businesses. She has 20 years of human resource generalist experience in a wide range of industries. Her areas of expertise include everything from tools and systems to long-range strategic planning.

Pamela has applied her broad expertise to help businesses build human resource functions that reduce risk, support company culture, engage employees and provide a foundation for growth.


Date: June 25, 2009
Time: 10am Pacific Time
Cost: $67
Register

Webinar: Resume Essentials for Today's Job Market

June 11, 2009
10am Pacific Time

Getting noticed in today’s job market is tough. If you’re using the same resume techniques that you used even a year ago, you’re behind the curve.

Your resume is your marketing “brochure”. It should convey your worth to prospective employers. It should tell them at a glance what value you can bring to their organizations.

Join us for this 60-minute webinar and learn the best and latest resume development strategies.

You should attend if:

You’ve been out of the job market for a significant amount of time
You are currently unemployed
You are employed and looking for your next opportunity
You want to take a proactive approach to managing your career

About Your Presenter

Wendy Kent, Principal, On-Site Financial Inc

Wendy joined On-Site after a career as the District Sales Manager of DBM, a global human capital management and transitions firm. Her professional background includes 18 years experience in sales management, training and development, change management, career counseling, recruiting and selection.

Wendy has worked with a diverse group of organizations in a variety of industries including: high tech, finance, public sector, retail, telecommunications, transportation and healthcare.

She is an active member of the Portland Human Resource Management Association (PHRMA), and Co-Chair of the Recruitment and Selection Special Interest Group.

How to Attend:

At $37 this webinar is a tremendous value. Register today!

Webcast: Your Sustainable Job Search - Inside Info and Practical Strategies

Finding a job these days is tough enough. Finding a job in the sustainability arena has its own particular quirks.

It takes more than a nice resume and good experience to get noticed.
This webinar will give you:

- Insights into how the sustainability job market works
- Inside information from an industry recruiter
- Practical strategies for positioning yourself ahead of the hiring curve
- Valuable resources to help you customize your search

About Your Presenter:
Pamela Moore is the founder of Compass Human Resources, a consulting firm specializing in providing customized human resource services to small businesses. She has 20 years of human resource generalist experience in a wide range of industries. She also provides one-on-one job seeker assistance and job search strategy.

Pamela also provides her expertise to organizations in the sustainability arena. She is co-developer and co-host of the annual Green Professional’s Conference, and a speaker at the 2009 Achieve Green NW conference. She is dedicated to helping the industry grow by connecting great talent with sustainable organizations.

How to Join:
To join our webinar on May 28, 2009 at 10am PST, visit our Registration Page
This 60 minute session is just $37. Register today!

Contact Us:
www.CompassHumanResources.com
info@CompassHumanResources.com

Pandemic Preparedness - Is your workplace ready?

There have been a ton of articles, blogs, etc about the current swine flu pandemic. How can you wade through that mass and find what's really useful? Well, I might have saved you a lot of work.

I recently read a fantastic article from Ogletree Deakins that includes:

• Overview of the pandemic
• Definitions of the various phases of pandemic
• Tips for preparing your workplace
• Employment law considerations
• links to many valid online resources

I highly recommend reading it. It also offers a pdf copy that you can save on your own computer, which is great.

To see a US map with case and fatality information, visit http://www.pandemicflu.gov/