The Sexual Harassment Saga Continues… June 8, 2018 by Sonia Johnson In this era of social media, and the sheer power of all manner of media, it is hardly surprising that sexual harassment has become a big issue, created the #metoo movement, numerous resignations, and an ongoing engagement depressant for companies that are unaware of the scourge of sexual harassment within their companies. On various HR and company sites, for many years, some of us have written about the ineffective routine once a year sexual harassment training. It was ineffective then, and it is just as ineffective now. In many organizations, training is a mere perfunctory action for a living and evolving issue. The once a year or occasional training merely created an opportunity for lawyers to make money, from the inevitable claims that arose from such a limited and worthless training strategy. Training should change things. the structure of most sexual harassment training is full of laws. The trainings on sexual harassment are usually punitive, and based on law, warnings and outcomes of engaging in improper conduct. It is obvious that it did not, and does not work as it should… You cannot “train” employees once a year with warnings and laws, and expect that it takes care of all sexual harassment questions or issues. In our society sex is pounded at us in everything (movies, online, magazines etc,) and in every imaginable way and women and men are brazenly objectified sexually, it is not enough to scream consequences of being improper at work. Incredible as it may seem, over years of research, and countless investigations, we have found that some people really DO NOT understand the blurred lines of normal and unacceptable conduct. Thus, the distinction between acceptable and unacceptable conduct should be provided in the same dynamic steps, without the punitive and law focused one shot type training alone. I was at a pharmacy a while back, and a female attendant was searching for more bottles of distilled water for our rowing team. The manager, who was friendly at first, started making every improper sexually harassing comment imaginable to her. He was laughing loudly at his imagined jokes, and she laughed uncomfortably along with him. Since there were six of us present, he obviously did not think he was doing anything wrong. I later spoke with him, and he was genuinely perplexed that his remarks about watching her “fun bags jiggle” were remotely improper. Fast forward one year later. Our organization was hired to create a strategy for sexual harassment training for this pharmacy. Our training strategy was created after a needs assessment, a review of the continued issues that occurred within similar companies etc. It worked. This occurred many years ago. This our large client, to date, has not experienced any of the problems that other similar organizations have experienced at this time in the #Metoo era. As many people are being terminated, and investigated for all manner of sexual harassment issues, they heave a sigh of relief. They are functioning without the public relations nightmare of being exposed as a payout machine, and perceived “enabler” of sexual harassing conduct. Their proactive and scientific approach to sexual harassment management and eradication has paid off. There is an ongoing knee jerk reaction by companies that do not want to be part of the sexual harassment media blitz. They are terrified of the public relations problem such media exposure could create, and are getting folks to sign NDA’s up to the sky and back. In addition, as part of the reactivity and knee jerk response, people are being fired, or forced to resign without due process of law. Fundamentally, however, the foundational problems of sexual harassment are not being properly addressed for the long term. “Gagging” the problem of sexual harassment only results in a hostile environment, sexual improprieties, and disengaged staff. It is not a good solution to throw investigations and NDA’s at everything. Sexual harassment is typically not an issue of unbridled sexual desire by men or women. It is an issue of power. Everyone who has worked as an executive within in-house HR, knows that the C-suite executives set the tone at the top, and HR starts from the base with training and oversight. There have been good outcomes from the interest in sexual harassment problems which have been ignored for so long. But the worst outcome is the “nothing lasting” part. Nothing is in place for long term solutions for this issue in many companies. The only great news from this sexual harassment chaos, is that there are professionals and organization that are well versed in creating effective strategies that prevent, recognize and eliminate sexual harassment. Many executives are well aware of the problem of sexual harassment in many companies, but some justify its prevalence or their lack of knowledge about its depth, by explaining that they cannot be everywhere at the same time. Use the dynamic solutions from professionals and organizations to create a robust solution to the problem of sexual harassment. It starts by understanding that although cases are not being reported to HR, it does not mean that an organization does not have a sexual harassment problem which needs solutions now. It is also bears repeated that a strategy to end sexual harassment is required to contain, manage and end it. I wish you well. By Sonia Johnson Esquire
Stop Begging To Be Hired! March 8, 2018 by Sonia Johnson The hiring process is a one which is beneficial to both the organization and job applicants. By its bi-directional nature it is a mutual assessment of two prospective partners. The fact that one party, the corporate entity has deep pockets does not diminish their need for YOU the applicant. It is employees that create, occupy and drive the success of the legal entity, the organization. This is a critical reminder to enhance and enrich the course of your job search. When you reduce yourself to nothing, despite your years of education and/or hard work, the consequences of demeaning yourself and groveling from work lingers with you negatively. It has been shown to have a long term adverse effect on the candidate’s internal dialogue and belief in themselves, even when they get hired for positions. Be confident and strategic. If you don’t have the qualifications and experience, get it, or create a clear narrative of how what you possess works for the position that you seek. Begging and desperation can get you the job, but data shows that you are unlikely to enjoy it and will probably lack the respect of your hiring manager, especially if you were hired based on your pleading and begging. In the past I participated in various HR, Law and Employment research funded by groups of companies in all sectors. One of my stunning finds remains the HR lag, in terms of keeping pace with business evolution. The other most shocking thing was the eight (8) year long Hiring Project that we executed. We applied to companies, were interviewed, and used our experiences, and additional data provided by senior management to improve their hiring processes. It was astounding to find the qualifications and experience for recruiters in many organizations is not sufficient. Further, most times, recruiters and hiring managers are not well trained, and are placed at the lower end of the importance spectrum. Although, recruiters and hiring managers have a disproportionately critical effect on companies, too many organization still treat recruitment without the respect, training and attention it needs. Thus frequently, the outcome, except for the more exceptional recruiters and hiring managers, is that you are sitting across from a hiring manager or recruiter that is unaware of the biases and limitations, they often unconsciously have about candidates. Begging does not help increase respect for your skills, as it elevates recruiters biases against you— even if you get hired based on your pleas. Please note that if you have sought work for more than two years without success, it is imperative that you seek career guidance from an experienced Career Coaching professional. Such a professional should have a record of success, and the education and experience to provide you a robust guideline on how to succeed in your search. Preparation for the job interview, and the use of constant research to improve your interviewing process, cannot be over emphasized. Interviews are conducted with humans with as much or more implicit and other biases as you possess, and they making the decisions about you. To the extent possible, do all that you can to neutralize existing biases, by avoiding things that are distracting and unique to you. For example, I wear four rings on my right hand. When I am attending certain meetings, I do not wear those rings. I like my rings. I identify with them as they were gifts I was given for excellence in professional, and other personal achievements. But they could distract from the conversation, and could cause more implicit or explicit biased associations by the interviewer. So, it’s not worth it. Make sure it is a bi-directional discussion. You should determine if the company deserves you. Yes, internal confidence manifests externally too. Know your worth If you know you are suited for the job, and are not hired for it, move on. Review, Strategize and Move on. For Job Applicants, here are some signs that you might be interviewing with the wrong company: If the recruiter does not know the goals of the organization and cannot explain how your position fits into the macro picture of the organization’s needs. DO NOT ACCEPT A FOLLOW UP INTERVIEW, AND DO NOT CALL THEM TO FOLLOW UP. If the hiring manager appears not to know core components of the job very much or seems intimidated by your experience or astute preparation for the interview –you will not enjoy working for such hiring manager. If the hiring manager is hostile or distracted, END THE PROCESS QUICKLY. If the number of candidates being interviewed for the same position exceeds four or five applicants and/or the applicants are all from the same industry— do not expect to be challenged and excited by such a job, if hired. Only unprogressive companies in this era of creativity and ingenuity, hire people from the “same” industry (except where they have specific, verifiable and near incontrovertible reasons). If you are interviewed more than three times, and it is not a senior executive position, AND the reason for numerous interviews explained to you during the recruitment process as such– RUN AWAY. If ninety (90%) percent of the organization looks the same, and diversity seems to be a by line that no one executes, at least based data on the staff composition–PAUSE! Companies that lack DIVERSITY or lack leadership diversity, often prove very problematic for even non-diversity candidates. It is most likely operating out of a 19th century business model. It might be a tasteless and meaningless work experience. LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR MEANINGFUL WORK. Nothing, including a job, or search for it, is worth sacrificing your personhood, or Self-worth. You are a whole person, and your life should be far more than just work. Don’t diminish yourself. Seek EFFECTIVE AND SEASONED professional guidance. There is a new spate of people who claim to be masters and experts at coaching and everything imaginable, most are not! Verify before you dole out money and/or time to them. Most times, the girth and success of service you obtain, is a direct result of the quality, pricing, experience and knowledge of the company or professional you hire for this purpose. Choose wisely. Now, go forth confident and powerful for that job for which you are qualified. Never allow anyone or circumstance to stop you from achieving your goal. Author: Sonia Johnson Esquire
Stop Being Afraid, It Is Not Your Only Option May 24, 2017 by Sonia Johnson You are probably totally disengaged from your job, if you do not recognize the concern and undercurrent fear or concern of certain folks in the workplace. Human Resources Departments that have not conducted a culture and health check survey of employees in the light of new Legislation and the Social Media rumor mill, are close to committing professional malpractice in terms of their expected obligations to their employers and employees. Collection and review of cultural, performance and other related analytics, in times of internal and external change remains a mandatory practice, for effective Human Resources and Organizational Business success. The news media is replete with the usual sensationalism and hysteria. However, the underlying mood in many organizations has changed. And although the change is not immediately evident to some; the use of surveys and other methods of evidence analysis and related statistical review, will enable your organization to effectively prevent the permanent injection of this damage into the foundation of your workplace. A colleague with whom I have a great working relationship, a woman, recently wanted to know how I had made my way out of my family generational financial difficulties?? In addition, she also asked me about a litany of stereotypical assumptions, rife in some repeated sensational news cycles, about minorities of color. She assumed they applied in general, and specifically to me. She told me she thought that the wretched background sprinkled with a few successes, was the truth about most minority groups. We both laughed about it, after we discussed her untested assumptions and researched various verified statistical data, and robust evidence on the issue. She is a very kind and well-meaning colleague, but did not recognize how some repeated falsehoods from media outlets, and other untested generalizations, had crept into her implicit thought process. As we talked, I told her that both my parents are Lawyers. My grandparents were educated and very financially stable. Even further back than my grandparents, my family possesses a record of consistent and muscular education, hard work and documented financial success. My friends and I, many people of color, and large swaths of other minorities have such backgrounds. Interestingly, the lady who asked this question, with whose permission I am sharing her remark, is the first and only person to have graduated college in her family, to date. She was the one who needed accolades for struggling out of generational poverty. I celebrated her grit and determination for making her way out of rural and damaging poverty. She was appreciative of the recognition I gave her for her success. Based on our open and honest discussion, we continue to have a great and even closer working relationship. I am grateful that she permitted me to share our exchange on this topic, in this article. Thank you, L., I am sharing this experience to encourage employees to stop being hyper-vigilant and hypersensitive about the misconceptions of well-meaning people. The workplace is a microcosm of the real world. If someone has a misconception about you, don’t judge them, just correct it. Do not immediately label such a person as unthinking or ignorant, or run away in fear because you feel they are out to “get” you. If you do so, you are just as culpable in the whole implicit bias bonanza, and are a part of the problem. Instead, have an open dialogue about such matters. Consider each human as a person not as a group statistic. On another note– if you encounter malevolent and cowards and bullies, who attack you based on whatever distinguishing characteristics they perceive you possess, do NOT engage them. Their remarks are an index of their own inadequacies, as any seasoned Clinical Psychologist, and extensive research on the issue would affirm. On Social Media or elsewhere, use your energy to spread a positive and uplifting message about EVERYONE. Ignore the bullies, and refuse to be a target of the lack of self-worth, which many of them do not know they possess. It is worth noting, that we have seen a documented spike in the number of complaints received by many organizations, about harassment of Muslims at work. It is the job of organizations to be vigilant and ensure such behaviors are not tolerated. Most dynamic companies have notified their employees that anti-Muslim rhetoric and discriminatory behavior will not be tolerated. All organizations should do the same. It is not a remotely financially beneficial practice to discriminate against anyone based on religion (or anything else). Such anti-religion discrimination reminders, also limit the probability of legal action on religious and other discrimination against any organization. It is also a helpful reminder to all employees, that as humans we should do the right thing to others, always. Make your fear constructive, and use it to propel yourself forward in your life. Please buy and read these books that I frequently recommend for self growth and professional success: “Fear” by J. Ibeh Agbanyim and “The Happiness Advantage” by Shawn Achor. The information in these two books will help most people develop a better sense of self, and provide guidance and sustained confidence on how to navigate their lives positively, both personally and professionally. Do your part, and get additional knowledge on how to thrive. Eleanor Roosevelt stated: “You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.” Live happy!