Introverts are getting a lot of attention lately. Susan Cain’s book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in A World That Can't Stop Talking, is popping up on best-seller lists and articles touting the power of introverts are being published left and right.

Recently I teamed with  Beth Buelow, an Introvert expert and owner of  The Introvert Entrepreneur, to give a SHRM Chapter meeting presentation about introverts and HR. With as many articles as I was seeing about introverts, I figured there must be some information out there about how we in HR can find, hire and promote more introverts.

Well, I was wrong.

As I started my Goggle search I found a whole lot of articles about introverts. The problem was, they all told introverts how to act more extroverted. How to shine in job interviews by bragging about themselves, and how to get more comfortable walking into a crowded room of strangers and networking.

Even as a card-carrying extrovert myself, this made me uncomfortable. We certainly don’t tell other candidates to “be more physically-abled” or “act more like a man” so why do we tilt so far toward the extroversion side when it comes to hiring? Is the introversion/extroversion preference the last frontier in diversity?

I asked Beth to explain introversion and extroversion to me. She explained it as how people gain or drain energy. Extroverts gain energy around people and introverts gain energy when they are alone. Most people have qualities of both. Introverts are normal. Extroverts are normal. Neither type is better or worse than the other – they simply indicate your natural preferences. Knowing which is more dominant can help you understand why you a

re exhausted after a large party, or bored when you are alone.

Our culture in the United States, and in many of our companies, is biased toward extroversion. Many of our job descriptions either use the word extroverted or other phrases such as “friendly and outgoing” and “at ease with people at all levels of the organization.” Many jobs do require these traits, and I’m not suggesting that we change those. But it did lead me to wonder if a preference toward extroversion gives those people an edge in interviewing, when an introvert may in fact be better suited for the job.

It’s not hard to make small changes that can make a big difference.

Don’t put candidates through panel interviews that are convenient for scheduling at your company, but not representative of the type of work they’ll be doing. Adequately prepare the candidate prior to the interview with as much information as possible about the position and the people they’ll be interviewing with. Pause during the interview and get comfortable with silence; don’t rush to fill every moment with talking. And encourage candidates to contact you via email after the interview with additional questions or further insights they may have.

What can you do today to make introverts more comfortable in your interview process?

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About the author: For 15+ years, Andrea Ballard, SPHR, has brought a unique, common sense perspective to the business of HR. A former HR Director and Training Manager, she advises companies on how to design/implement flexible work life programs to attract/retain top talent. A certified coach, she helps women create a balance between motherhood & career. She is the owner of Expecting Change, LLC,  blogs at Working Mother and is on Twitter as @andreaballard.

I started working in Human Resources a bit by accident.

As a member of the IT department, I was teaching software training for employees at our firm. Over time, I took on more of the “soft skills” training classes, and my role in new employee orientation grew. I became close to the HR Director as I shared my impressions of the new hires and made predictions about who would be a superstar, and who wouldn't make it past the first week. When a new HR Manager position opened up, the HR Director recommended I apply for it. I got the job, moved into HR and never looked back.

One of my first tasks was to hire an entry-level HR Assistant for our department. I had a senior recruiter with over 20 years’ experience helping me, and she taught me how to write the job description, told me about the skills and abilities we were looking for, and generally guided me through the entire process. I posted the position and eagerly awaited responses.

Once I had a good stack of resumes and cover letters, I took them to the senior recruiter and asked for her assistance in selecting candidates to interview. She went through the stack in about 2 minutes, ruthlessly culling anyone from the pile who had a typo or misspelling in their resume or cover letter. I didn't understand why she removed some of the people who looked like great candidates to me. I asked her what criteria she was using to separate the Yeses from the Nos.

“Oh,” she said. “I get rid of anyone who says they like people or they’re a people person. Because after working in HR for twenty years, I can tell you, this job will make you hate people. And I don’t want to do that to anyone.”

I was shocked. And confused. After all, I’m one of those who had said I wanted to be in HR because “I’m a people person.” Obviously she hadn't been involved in recruiting for my position!

Mos

t of all, I was disappointed. She was someone I admired and thought would be an excellent mentor for me. But her jaded attitude put a bad taste in my mouth and I vowed not to end up like her.

Fast forward 15 years.

At times, layoffs, a long recession, and new technological challenges have taken their toll on me. Especially in my previous role as a hiring manager, and my current role as a career coach, I struggle when the number of bright, talented people outweigh the available positions. I become jaded when management says “Do we have to do that? After all, they’re lucky to have a job.” And when I hear about people struggling economically with unemployment and see the impact it has on everyone in the family, part of me wishes I was back in a classroom, teaching someone how to format a document and create a spreadsheet.

But I’m not. Because I am a people person. And despite my mentor’s advice, I have remained one because I think HR is the perfect place for people who like people.

People are a never-ending, ongoing puzzle. Figuring out why they do what they do will always fascinate me. And if people behaved rationally, calmly, and logically all of the time, well, I am guessing HR wouldn't be needed very much, and I’d be out of a job.

Why did you get into the HR profession? Why do you stay?

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About the author: For 15+ years, Andrea Ballard, SPHR, has brought a unique, common sense perspective to the business of HR. A former HR Director and Training Manager, she advises companies on how to design/implement flexible work life programs to attract/retain top talent. A certified coach, she helps women create a balance between motherhood & career. She is the owner of Expecting Change, LLC,  blogs at Working Mother and is on Twitter as @andreaballard.

This is the 3rd post in our Women of HR series focusing on career. Read along, consider the advice and we invite you to comment with insights of your own.

In January, the Wall Street Journal posed the question “Is the Paper Resume Dead?”

As it turns out, the answer is “No.” Using information from HR recruiters and managers, as well as tracking sales of high quality paper stock at Staples, the author concluded that a paper resume is still a necessity, especially at places like career fairs.

Anyone job searching these days has experienced the online application. Some companies no longer even want a resume – they just want your application. But I’ve spoken to candidates who have been called for interviews and been caught off guard when asked for their resumes. Sometimes the online application is available to certain employees in the company, but not necessarily the ones doing the interviews.

It’s a confusing time to be in HR and experience the transition from paper resumes to employees who have a social media presence – perhaps even a brand!

On the one hand, we are advised to thoroughly research our candidates, perform background checks, and look into their past experience as a strong predictor of future performance. On the other, we’re advised not to let many things a candidate has posted on social media influence our hiring decision, given the possibility that the information posted is inaccurate or discriminatory. Further complicating the matter is our current employees, who, if they are involved in the recruiting and hiring process, love to Google and research the candidates as well.

Employees and job candidates also suffer from the same confusion.

Last week, I noticed a surprising post from a seasoned employee and resume coach. He posed a question on LinkedIn, ranting about a performance review that was only a “Meets Expectations” rating. While this employee said all of his supervisor’s comments were favorable, he was completely angered that the overall rating wasn’t an “Exceeds Expectations” as it had been in the past.

When he discussed the 4 page rebuttal he was in the process of preparing for HR, he received almost 25 responses – most of which advised him against posting about his employer in the first place. The question is now closed, but it is not deleted which means that his rant is forever out there for all to see – including future customers, clients and employers.

A professional paper resume – and a professional online presence – are both necessary.

When caught up in the heat of the moment, it feels good to just let loose. If we can stop and ask ourselves “Is it true?” and “Is it kind?” before we post it on line, we may be able to develop an online presence that it complements, rather than competes, with our well-written resume.

A paper resume may “make or break a bid for a job” and an online presence may make or break a career.

The old saying about the cobbler’s children not having shoes can apply to HR professionals and their own careers. How many of you put yourself last on the list when it comes to career planning? Are you so busy counseling everyone else that you’ve forgotten to take a good look at your own needs?

With the start of a new year,  it’s a good time to inspect your own career and see if it’s time for a brush-up.

• Personal Data

• Is your resume up-to-date? Have you added new skills and accomplishments from the prior year?
• Do you have a list of current articles or blog postings you’ve published, presentations you’ve made, or trainings you’ve conducted?
• Do you have a list of 3 people you could readily use as a reference? Do they know what you’re doing in your career? When was the last time you spoke with them?

• Networking

• Are you active in your local chapter of SHRM? When was the last time you attended a meeting? Volunteered for a committee?
• Is your LinkedIn profile up-to-date? Do you regularly add connections as you meet new people in the business community?
• Have you invited a colleague for coffee or lunch anytime in the last month?

• Knowledge and Credentials

• Do you regularly read HR articles and keep your knowledge up-to-date?
• Have you obtained your PHR, SPHR, or GPHR? If not, why not? If you have certification, is your credential up-to-date and do you have the credits you need to recertify?
• What was the last new skill you learned or topic you gained expertise on? Is it on your resume?

• Looking Ahead

• Do you know what you want to be doing 5 – 7 years from now? Do you have a plan to get you there?
• What are you doing to demonstrate your expertise to the HR community? (Hint: you can write for WomenofHR.com)
• Is there a new skill you want to learn but have been putting off?

If answering these questions has put you in a positive frame of mind as you check off the items, that’s great! Pat yourself on the back for giving yourself and your career the priority it deserves.

If, on the other hand, you felt an overwhelming sense of “Oh crap!” as you read this list, do not despair!  A career checkup isn’t like your annual doctor’s visit – it doesn’t take place in one hour. And you don’t have to rush it.

Right now, think of three small, ridiculously easy things you can do to move you forward. For example,register for your local SHRM (or other HR association) chapter meeting, call a former boss or colleague and invite him/her to lunch, just to catch up or send a LinkedIn connection request to someone new you met in the last month.

Keep track of your progress and reward yourself for any action you take, no matter how small. Taking time for yourself and your career isn’t selfish, it’s just smart.

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This first week of the new year we are featuring some of our top posts at Women of HR. Enjoy!

Dreading Monday mornings is a ridiculous way to spend one-seventh of your life, but that’s the weird habit millions of people have fallen into.

Sound familiar?

Weekends rock in our household. We sleep in and whoever sleeps the latest is the winner – we’re trying to convince my daughter that sleeping late is a good thing. There’s time for pancakes for breakfast and cozying up in a sleeping bag with a movie in the middle of the day. Regular rules fly out the window and everything seems to slow down.

Sunday night is when the world starts to return to normal. Laundry gets done and food shopping and cooking for the week ahead begins. This is when I check in with myself. Am I excited to return to work tomorrow? Have I spent enough time with my family so that I am ready to jump back into the challenge of my job? Thoughts of work filter slowly back into my consciousness. Does it pique my interest? Or cause vague feelings of uneasiness?

Monday morning is the true test. While I wait in the elevator lobby at the office, my stomach and brain tell me everything I need to know about whether or not I am following my true path. Of course there are occasional days of anxiety, angst, and annoyance - that’s to be expected anywhere. But if I experience Monday morning dread several weeks or months in a row, I know something isn’t right. Either I’m not doing the work I’m meant to do, or I’m not working with the people I’m meant to serve. The most important lesson I’ve learned is that it is up to me (not my employer) to do something about shifting those Monday morning feelings.

How do you know when you’ve strayed away from your true path?

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This is the sixth post in a series where Women of HR writers share their thoughts and reactions to a manifesto, Six Rules Women Must Break In Order to Succeed.

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Do I agree with the authors of  The Six Rules Women Must Break in Order to Succeed who believe,

In order to succeed at the highest levels in business, we need to rethink the conversations we are having in our heads and tell ourselves a new story. Women must think differently?

Absolutely.

The stories we tell ourselves are powerful. When we believe certain thoughts, we always find evidence to prove our beliefs. For example, if I believe “to get ahead in my company you have to suck up and be just like the CEO,” I can find lots of examples of people who have gotten ahead that way. And then I tend to ignore all the other evidence and examples of people who are succeeding in their own way.

Part of the problem is that we want to ignore reality. Every place has politics. You see it in your place of worship, your kid’s schools and even in your Homeowner’s Association. Arguing with this reality directly violates Rule #4 – Be Politically Savvy. Women are quick to write off ‘office politics’ as an old-boys networking game and one they aren’t interested in playing. But the truth is, office politics is an area where women can excel and use their natural talents to their advantage.

Office politics is all about relationships, networks and communication. Those of us who are reality TV fans have watched how alliances often make it or break it on Survivor. The same is true in the office.

Instead of believing the thought “Office politics are manipulative,” think of some ways you can turn it around and come up with some beliefs you can support:

• Developing relationships with key people in my office is smart and efficient
• It’s helpful to let my boss know when I’ve succeeded
• Aligning myself with people who are interested in my success gives them the opportunity to help others

When you believe these stories, you’ll start finding evidence to prove them true. The mentor you want and need may suddenly appear, and now you’re poised to ask them to help you. Your powers of observation and intuition can operate on full alert at the office -  without making you feel icky.

You can be authentic and sincere and succeed at office politics. Office politics won’t go away just because you ignore them. Just change the name of the game so you can win – or at least have more fun trying!

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October 16 is National Boss’ Day  … a day that is often mocked as a Hallmark holiday.

According to Wikipedia, Boss’s Day was registered in 1958 so you could thank your boss for “being kind and fair throughout the year.”

In this day and age of layoffs, books about bosses who are jerks, and employees getting fired for posting inflammatory remarks about their boss on social media, it seems kind of quaint. But this day does make me pause and reflect on the bosses I’ve had in my career and all that I have learned from them.

I Walk In My Own Shoes

I assumed the best boss for me would be another working mom who would understand my struggles. I was wrong.

The female boss I had who was most like me (in terms of stage of life) was one of those Type A Superwomen. I had 1 kid, she had 3. I had a 6-month-old, she had an infant. She worked until the moment she gave birth, and then stayed completely connected all through her maternity leave. It was her choice, how she liked to do things, and it worked really well for her. But it made me feel inadequate for not being able to handle my own work/life balance issues when I wasn’t grappling with as many kids, or as much responsibility, as she was.

I made the mistake of thinking that someone who had walked in my shoes would automatically understand where I had been, and more importantly, understand where I wanted to go.

Even The Best Bosses Have Bad Days.

My most recent boss was great at acknowledging this; he would often come into my office the day after a bad day and apologize for his mood. The first couple of times I pretended that I hadn’t noticed, but finally I felt comfortable enough to ask what was up, which led to an even greater level of trust between us.

Bosses are not Mind Readers.

I thought my boss was there to tell me what to do. But I learned it was better to tell my boss what to do.

Bosses are not mind readers or long-email readers. I was in the habit of giving lots of information to my boss and assuming that he or she would know which outcome I wanted, since it seemed so obvious to me given my 14-bullet point explanation. Often I got no response, or a “Let’s chat.” Finally, one of my bosses pulled me aside and threatened me with bodily harm if I ever again sent a long, intricately crafted email or memo. “I trust that you’ve done the research and I want your recommendation. All that other stuff can stay in your file.”

I completely reversed my style, started my emails with my recommendation, including a few bullet points of ‘why’ and ended with “I’ll proceed forward with this as I have outlined, unless I hear differently from you.” Guess what? I was able to make a lot more things happen, much more quickly.

Who was your best boss? What did they do that you remember and value?

During the last couple of months, I’ve been helping two friends in their attempts to find gainful employment and seeing the HR roadblocks they are running into along the way.

Both are attorneys, with excellent work history, references, and a clear cut picture of what they can provide to an organization. When I started helping them out, I was impressed with how quickly each of them updated their resumes, polished their LinkedIn profile, and amped up their networking activities. I knew it would take them a while to find a job, as they each are in the high-earner bracket, but I figured it wouldn’t be too terribly difficult for them to at least start getting some interviews.

Boy was I wrong.

Last week I found myself saying, “I hate HR,” after hearing about yet another roadblock they experienced. I’ve always been annoyed with people who try to go around HR directly to the source, but now I understand why they do it. 

It’s been hard not to get defensive with them when they complain: 

• “Why haven’t I heard anything since I turned in my resume?” Because the recruiter probably has over 300 resumes for the job and is still wading through them.
• “If they called me and asked me to apply for the position, shouldn’t I be a shoe-in?” Maybe. Or it could be that one person in the organization recommended you, but that doesn’t mean the others are on board.
• “I meet 8 out of the 10 criteria, what else do they want?” Maybe, in this market, maybe 10 out of 10? Job descriptions used to describe the ‘ideal’ candidate and these days, a lot of companies are willing to wait to find that person.

One of the most painful parts of this process for me has been recognizing my own behaviors in almost every scenario. Despite good intentions, almost everything my friends complained about HR doing has been something that I’ve done at one time or another. Ouch.

It’s been a great reminder for me that every applicant who comes through my door has friends, family and other people invested in them finding work. It doesn’t matter to them that we don’t have an opening, that their friend’s cover letter had 12 typos and spelled my company name wrong, or that their wife arrived ten minutes late for our interview because she got lost.

All they hear about is how I made their loved one feel during the process. Did I call for the phone interview when I said I would? Did I get back to them and let them know where we stood in the process? Did I treat the person in a way that would make them want to work for our company? Did I acknowledge their value and what they had to contribute, even if it wasn’t exactly what we were looking for?

It’s been a good wake-up call for me to start looking at how our applicants feel during every step of the process.

How about you? What roadblocks in your applicant process you can shift today?

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If you went back to work shortly after your child was born and tried expressing breast milk at the office, you know it can be a struggle.

The only place to pump at one of my earliest employers was the bathroom. I heard numerous complaints from employees who would generally be interrupted by curious co-workers 2-3 times while they were pumping.

In my own experience, I started a new job the same day I went back to work after having a baby. So, one of my first conversations with my boss had to be a request for a lock to be installed on my door or a private area where I could pump. Not exactly the conversation you want to have on your first day of work.

Lately, government regulations have been providing more support for employees who are breastfeeding.

Is your office up-to-date? Here’s a rundown of some of the latest changes:

Breast Pumps Qualify as Tax Deductible Expense. On February 10, the IRS reversed a long-held position, and now are allowing breast pumps and other lactation supplies as tax deductible medical expenses. This means that families can use pre-tax funds from their flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts for these supplies. This can be especially welcome during the first year of a baby’s life when families are also facing childbirth expenses.

The new rule takes effect for 2010 tax filings due April 18. If your company offers Flexible Spending Accounts or Health Savings Accounts, make sure your employees are aware of these new deductions so they can take advantage of pre-tax savings.

Nursing Mothers Get a Break. Thanks to an amendment to the FLSA included in Health Care reform, employers must now provide “reasonable” unpaid breaks to nursing mothers in the first year after birth to express milk for their infants. Breastfeeding experts say this generally translates to a half hour of time for every four hours worked. The health care law adds a new provision to the FLSA, 29 U.S.C. §207(r)(1), which allows nursing mothers to take a break every time they need to express breast milk and requires employers to provide a private location, other than a bathroom, where such employees may express milk.

Employers of fewer than 50 employees are exempt if the breastfeeding requirements would “impose an undue hardship by causing the employer significant difficulty or expense.” You can read more on the U.S. Department of Labor Website, Fact Sheet #73: Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the FLSA

The new legislation only covers women who are paid hourly, not a salary, although some state laws cover both. If you work in a state that is more favorable to the employee than the federal law, you’ll need to follow your own state’s rule. Here’s a link to all the state breastfeeding rules.

White House Support for Nursing Mothers. Recently, Michelle Obama announced her support for breastfeeding as part of her “Let’s Move” anti-childhood obesity campaign. And, in the child nutrition bill President Obama signed Dec. 13, the WIC program for low-income women provides more breastfeeding counseling and supplies to eligible mothers.

Many women say flexible workplaces and a private place to pump were a major factor in their decision to continue (or discontinue) breastfeeding.

What is your office doing to give nursing mothers a break?

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I recently asked one of our employees to write an article for our recruiting blog about being pregnant during the busiest time of year in public accounting.

Having just completed her second successful pregnancy in the workplace, I wondered what she did (or didn’t do) that made her pregnancy manageable with a heavy workload. I also wanted to learn some new tips to help me in one of my favorite HR roles at the office: workplace pregnancy coach.

When I was pregnant, I was amazed at the number of classes offered at the local hospital.They offered classes on prenatal exercise, childbirth preparation, delivery, breastfeeding, newborn preparation, newborn care, conscious fathering, and even a complete class on car-seat installation and safety! (That one actually came in really handy.)

What classes didn’t I see but really, really needed? How about:

• Managing your Pregnancy at Work (with special emphasis on morning sickness)
• Returning to Work after Maternity Leave and Preparing for International Travel (Have you ever tried to pump enough breast milk for a 3 week trip)?
• Starting a New Job when You’re Breastfeeding (What a way to meet new co-workers!)
• Maintaining High Performance at Work When You’re Only Getting 3 Hours of Interrupted Sleep Each Night

When I was working and pregnant, I struggled with the dilemma over when to tell my employer. I wanted to follow conventional wisdom and wait at least three months, if not more. However, I was struck so hard by morning sickness and fatigue (resulting in later and later morning arrivals) that I felt I had to say something. As it turned out, my boss already suspected, having noticed my water-only consumption during happy hours with co-workers.

Now that I work in Human Resources, I struggle over how much information (or advice) to provide to pregnant moms. Over time, I’ve restricted myself to one piece of advice: if you want full-time infant care in a daycare center, get on every waiting list you can as early as possible. Finding infant daycare is the one detail I see causing my employees the most stress and creating unanticipated delays in their return to work. Otherwise, I’ve let my employees determine how much, or how little, they want to discuss their pregnancy and coping mechanisms with me.

As I read my employee’s article about her workplace pregnancy experience, I was amazed at all of the helpful tips she was able to impart from the simplest things like packing a healthy lunch more often as she neared the end of her pregnancy to her system of scheduling doctor’s appointments, especially the frequent ones in the third trimester. It was a load of great information and I plan on making it available to all of my pregnant employees.

And it made me wonder, should I be doing more for our pregnant employees? There is so much variability in how a pregnancy can affect someone and you can’t assume everyone needs (or wants) special attention, advice, or even a change in their circumstances.

Is your company doing anything to help employees manage their workplace pregnancy? Are you? Why or why not?

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