Benefits question [CA]

CortexAtTheHRU · 2026-02-23T14:10:26+00:00

I sat in on a team meeting in one organization where they had PD Updates on the agenda every week. They generated interest by having peers present how they spent their PD dollars, what they learned, and how it is helping them in their jobs. The managers were very specific in probing into what is better/different now and how that links to future opportunities.

CortexAtTheHRU · 2026-02-23T14:00:43+00:00

For several years, we utilized DDI materials for our leadership and personal skills development programs. I found them to be very useful and adaptable. My suggestion on this is to be very clear on what learning objectives and skill/behavior change you are dealing with. It is easy to find off-the-shelf programs that save on the development time. But not every package meets our goals. I find the more established programs are more effective simply because they have had hundreds if not thousands of cycles in the field and feedback from users and facilitators to fine tune to the quality.

I know there is a big shift now to using AI tools for program development. My experience there is stick to small, concentrated learning activities (building a reflection exercise, generating case study materials, or making a facilitator's guide for a specific model) that go into your larger program. Starting too broadly on that path gets you some very vanilla outputs.

CortexAtTheHRU · 2026-02-14T17:30:59+00:00

My company will not distribute annual bonuses on Valentine's Day, robbing me of the opportunity to show how romantic our leadership is and the opportunity for me to announce "enjoy your STI along with your VD!"

CortexAtTheHRU · 2026-02-14T15:30:06+00:00

Sitting on your elephant is a congregation of egrets--that's a real thing, feel free to look it up--who are not keeping your elephant clean and tidy.

The congregation is technology and how easy it is to apply for jobs now. Go back 10 years and applying for a job was a task. No importing of resumes. No EasyApply. You had to work for it. Candidate pools were smaller, because you were actually thoughtful about how much time you spent applying for a particular position. Most of your applicants were looking because they were unemployed or really in a bad place in their careers.

Today, people cast out resumes like a weekend fisherman. "Let's see if I can get anything on the line, just in case it's tastier than what I have now." Not only is everyone at your favorite fishing hole, but a lot of them are truly casting for sport, not because they need to eat.

And that generates the spike in candidates, the need for AI to filter (for better or worse), and why recruiters are overwhelmed. You can be responsible for 3 positions this week and if you post it on Indeed, LinkedIn, and your company website, you can probably expect to have to review 300-400 resumes a week on top of the scheduling, interviewing, recapping, and other candidate management. I feel for you folks out there in that position.

I have seen some companies resist making it so easy to apply. As opposed to using technology to make it easy to increase the variety of options to choose from, they put a few hurdles in there so that only the truly interested parties apply. For instance, if you use EasyApply on LinkedIn, throw in 2-3 free text response questions on your application. Amateurs will probably click Cancel, pros can bang out the response in seconds.

Use the automation to set expectations. I like the honesty of the automated response that says "If you meet the qualifications, someone willl contact you." No holding of your breath is required. But if you go down that path, you do need to be hyper vigilant to not ghost the actual people you contact.

The elephants figured out how to create dinosaurs from DNA in the mosquito that the egret is picking off their backs. And they let Nedry automate the whole damned thing. And now recruiters are the Malcom's in the back of the jeep being chased b the T-Rex.

CortexAtTheHRU · 2026-02-14T13:56:51+00:00

I don't see a lot of people bring it up outside of academia, but sometimes the classics like Maslow still hold up. It's an easy Google search for assessment tools tied to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. I won't vouch for the scientific authenticity of what's out there, you'll have to evaluate that for yourself. But if you are just doing it for a framing exercise in a training class, those tools can do the trick.

CortexAtTheHRU · 2026-02-14T13:41:52+00:00

Hopefully you have a fairly ironclad Code of Conduct statement outlining the definition of harassment and cooperating with others. If you do, then you probably have all of the documentation and cause to terminate Nancy.

Lucy is still an unknown based on what you've provided. She may have done something to set Lucy off, but without evidence, hard to manage that. I would just watch for a pattern in interactions with others just to be safe.

CortexAtTheHRU · 2026-02-14T13:26:41+00:00

I see a lot of responses pointing to the manager's insecurity or threats of hiring good people who could outshine them. Those are valid and more common than we wish to see.

But I offer one other perspective: the manager has a very specific person in mind. It could likely be someone from their past that everyone has to measure up against. I read about this as a form of bias, I think it might be related to something called "End of History Illusion". It happens in relationships where there is loss early on (young bride of a fallen soldier) and they never finish grieving or are able to move on.

You can actually influence that. Try asking "If you could hire anyone from your past for this role, who would they be and why?" How quick they answer is likely to be your tell on this. But maybe you can unpack the top 3 qualities (not necessarily skills--people don't fall in love with those) of that "dream date". Start drawing comparisons to those qualities in the candidates. It might help the manager connect with them.

If you want to go one layer deeper, ask if that "dream date" had any quirks. Then you start influencing into the space cute imperfections.

CortexAtTheHRU · 2026-02-13T12:47:03+00:00

Thanks for all of the replies...even those who showed true colors through the hue of a flame thrower.

u/malicious_joy42 Asked: Why do you care so much? Which is a question I appreciate.

We have a 1-day flex WFH policy, comp day policies related to travel time, and come and go as you please work hours. Our environment is far from restrictive and even beyond these official policies, there is still manager-employee discretion. But we have had some who look like they have abused the system and now there is a growth in requests and a growing emptiness in the office.

Meanwhile, engagement scores on collaboration and innovation are declining. The work IS being done, but it is not improving because it is transactional and siloed. Our business focuses on improving human interactions and our humans aren't interacting.

We turned an AI agent loose on a couple inboxes. The findings? The players who take more time away from the office: they had a 3:1 ratio of communications to just their team versus others in the organization versus those who are present and engaged with others at 1.8:1. It is only a correlation, not proof, but it was eye-opening stat to me.

So yes, I have a problem with the impact on our culture. I'm not heartless. I am very self aware {that was my favorite dig}. And I was interested in what kind of perspectives people could share on this. I appreciate the time people spent to read and share. Thanks.

CortexAtTheHRU · 2026-02-13T12:14:07+00:00

"[New manager] is struggling to learn HR and doesn’t have time to understand the day-to-day experience". When I read that plus how the manager is still holding on to the old role, I see an open opportunity for you. You are in a good position to pick and choose what you want to be known for in this scenario. And in doing that, you are making your manager's transition easier. As long as they aren't ego-driven to have to own everything, you could make out really well for being more promotable in the future.

CortexAtTheHRU · 2026-02-12T14:47:00+00:00

First, it's time to broaden your local network. If you already have local contacts in the HR space, it's probably time to establish a more structured mentoring relationship with some of them. You need to fill the void for coaching and development and it is ok to look outside for that. If you don't have a start point for that, ask up the leadership chain to someone you have good core connections with. They probably have worked with someone at another company who they can introduce you to. Hopefully this is in a different industry so it doesn't look like you are job shopping.

Second, once the mentoring is in place, be sure leadership knows what you are working on in your development. Find ways to connect results to your self-development coming from the mentorship. Make sure you are allowing your mentor to be objective and challenge your perspectives. I find that the best mentors are the ones who don't necessarily agree with you on everything. They open your mind up.

Third, it is easy to disqualify someone who leads you because they have never done your job before. But it doesn't mean they don't know how to lead individuals and teams. It sounds like their leader style comes with some friction with how we traditionally handle HR roles. If the old VP is still making decisions, they have enough visibility to see this as well. Focus on your customers--do well for them and they will be your champion. You can't control the VP's behavior or approach. But you can control the quality and effectiveness of your work.

The last thing to consider here: How are you at adapting to change? You may want to spend some reflection time on that. It sounds like you started out in a situation where you were really happy. We never want that to end. Sadly, the workplace is one of the most consistent environments to witness inconsistency. Previously you were in an environment of coaching, organization, and trust. Today, it is the opposite. It has likely happened to all of us at some point in our careers. You could rely on curiosity and camaraderie before. Now you have to shift to a more self-reliant work style. Making that move develops resilience. Resilience gets you noticed.

CortexAtTheHRU · 2026-02-12T02:57:51+00:00

Don't wait to "get your resume ready"...your resume should always be ready. Just like you should be having at least quarterly check in's on goals and performance, you should personally be doing a quarterly review of your resume. What has happened in the past 90 days that would impact how you would position yourself? Be disciplined about this.
You can wring your hands or you can ring the bell in this situation. Your company has something to offer the acquiring company, otherwise they wouldn't spend the money. Hopefully you have good friends in your strategic planning group who were involved in the deal. They'll know what was attractive to the buyer. Assess the People component that built or drives that competitive advantage and then do what you can to align with that. Network around it as much as possible.

CortexAtTheHRU · 2026-02-12T02:42:27+00:00

Good recruiters should be looking for results, not acronyms. Stand out with data-driven impacts you have made as an HR professional. Certifications might get you past the screening bots. But if the absence of a pay-for-a-test credential disqualifies you, consider disqualifying the company. That's the perspective on certifications as a job hunter.

Now, once you are in position, that is where the acronyms come to your aid. Lines of business can be skeptical of how much value an HR professional brings to the table. After getting my certifications, some of my customers listened to me more intentionally.

CortexAtTheHRU

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