Flynn Barrett Consulting

Hiring based on work experience, educational tracks and talent, alone and without bias, is an important and ambitious goal. The reality is that we all make connections and judgments, positive and negative, about people based on hometown, schools attended, gender, name, perceived race or ethnicity, etc. To remove these unconscious or blatant biases, a smart colleague of our is developing a platform that will effectively neutralize all resumes and cover letters that are submitted for an open position. This should allow hiring managers to consider candidates more holistically and build more robust and diverse teams. #fractionalHR #HRconsulting #peoplewhisperer #unconciousbias #talentsearch #qualityrecruiting #removingbias #selfexamination

Business owners are painfully aware of the cost of employee turnover. They may also be intimidated by the cost of providing employee benefits and perks -- both formal and informal. As such, they look for the most effective and creative ways to innovate and invest in providing a flexible, high-quality work environment so their team members will stay with the company, be encouraged to collaborate and to produce their best ideas and output. Some examples: • Offsetting a portion of continuing education • Providing a childcare option or subsidy • For mostly in-person organizations, acceptance of remote work as an occasional necessity to accommodate caregivers, medical appointments, pets, etc. • The opportunity for flexible hours to optimize employees’ most productive work times We’re available to help business owners understand which benefits would be meaningful to their employees and align with the company’s values and goals. #fractionalHR #HRconsulting #peoplewhisperer #employeeexperience #qualitywork #employeeflexibility #activelistening #employeebenefits

I love the thinking behind RADICAL TRANSPARENCY! In my coaching and strategic engagements, I try to model transparency and weave it into the fabric of a company’s cultural norms. Specifically, radical transparency is a high degree of openness concerning decision-making rationale, challenges faced and progress achieved across levels and functions. Questions and ideas are welcomed. This encourages trust, respect and collaboration. A September 10 article from the Forbes Human Resources Council lays out 20 ways that C-suite executives can adopt radical transparency to help their organizations. Each has merit but may be difficult to execute based on your organization’s current culture or employee base. If see the value of radical transparency, we’re here to help you prioritize and evolve. Contact me at kfb@flynnbarrett.com! Read the article at: https://lnkd.in/eQJBqKgs #fractionalHR #HRconsulting #peoplewhisperer #radicaltransparency #openworkenvironment #opendecisionmaking #listeningculture

This month’s blog, “HR is Broken” has caused quite a stir, HR leaders, colleagues and friends! Kerry takes a hard look at the reasons that human resources has a less-than-stellar reputation and shares ways that some companies are working to change that perception. Of course, with the Flynn Barrett formula of active listening to employees, flexibility and respect, there is a path forward for every organization and leader. Check out what all the fuss is about and chime in with your thoughts! Read it at: https://lnkd.in/eYvKzQBD #fractionalHR #HRconsulting #peoplewhisperer #humanresources #activelistening #employeeexperience

SHRM, the largest professional HR management association, announced that it was dropping the “E” from DEI policy platform. Its leadership felt that Equity is inconsistently defined, and thus a distraction, compared to the clear values of Diversity and Inclusion. Instead, Equity will be treated as a subset of the Inclusion framework. Despite the stated commitment to continuing the important work behind DEI, dropping the identifiable name has been met with mixed reviews among SHRM members and industry leaders. Some worry that SHRM has caved to DEI political backlash and is taking the wind out of the sails of progress. We challenge that! Just because some DEI programs have missed the mark or not everyone can articulate what equity looks like in their organization, doesn’t mean you need to change the term. Rather, it’s our job as HR leaders to try harder, try differently -- reconsidering the programs, the engagement, and the communication strategies that drive an equitable culture. #fractionalHR #HRconsulting #peoplewhisperer #DEI #employeequity #inclusionmatters #diversity #dotherightthing

🚀 Exciting News! 🚀 I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be facilitating an amazing panel discussion on "The Future Voyage of HR: Navigating through Uncharted Waters" at Westchester Human Resource Management Association (WHRMA) 2024 Annual Conference! 🤝 Join us as we dive into a lively conversation with some truly inspiring thought leaders. We’ll be exploring [Key Topics/Questions] and sharing insights that you won't want to miss! 🎤 Panelists include: Dr. Jill Brodsky, Chief Medical Officer, Optum Medical Care, P.C. Ken Wong, Founder and CEO, DragonTek International Dorothy Montgomery, Chief Financial Officer, ZWILLING J.A. Henckels LLC J.A. Henckels Rich Nightingale, President and CEO, Westhab, Inc. Whether you're looking to gain new perspectives, spark innovative ideas, or simply connect with like-minded professionals, this is the place to be! Lindsey Garito, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Joseph DiCarlo, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Elia Chavez, SHRM-SCP

What does it mean to be a team player in 2024? Based on our insight, these are the qualities and behaviors that build cohesive teams: Contributing your best ideas and work product to achieve shared team and company goals. Committing to open communication with real-time feedback and experience- or data-based input. Sticking to commitments and delivery dates or proactively asking for support when needed. Recognizing team members’ unique strengths, experiences, values, workstyles and viewpoints. Understanding the work-life balance means something different for everyone. Being flexible about work hours or responsibilities on occasion and when you are able with confidence that it will come back to you in a positive way. With experience in a range of industries, company structures and sizes, Flynn Barrett Consulting can help your HR organization incorporate these values into your employee management strategies. Let’s talk about how we can help your culture thrive.

In the end-of-summer spirit, let’s cheer for the “loud vacation,” a phrase coined by the Chief Human Resources Officer at Paycom.com. Loud vacationing is announcing that you are happily and confidently taking your earned PTO. (Rounds of applause please!) This contrasts with quiet vacationing, where employees take time under the radar to keep up appearances that they are going above and beyond for the company. Prioritizing your well-being by disconnecting from work makes you a better employee. No one should feel guilty or vulnerable for using a benefit they are entitled to! Leaders should be transparent about their own vacations and proactively set the expectation that their team members will take all their time off as well. Source:https://lnkd.in/e_88CiWN #fractionalHR #HRconsulting #peoplewhisperer #loudvacationing #PTO #quietvacationing #takeyourvacation #opencommunication

Political opinion is another, but less visible, aspect of diversity in the workplace. Politics can be highly charged but... With the expectation of active listening and polite questioning, there are benefits to team members getting beyond the assumptions made about someone based on their political candidate or party. You can learn more about formative life experiences. Conversely, it is perfectly acceptable for any employee to choose NOT to engage or share their political views. Leadership should model the behavior of how to ask about and share opinions in ways that lead to greater understanding. Leaders should also create an environment where employees can comfortably set personal privacy boundaries. These models should be reinforced and formalized by a clear company Code of Conduct to communicate the examples and consequences of disrespectful or inappropriate behavior. #fractionalHR #HRconsulting #peoplewhisperer #diversityofopinion #opencommunication #workboundaries #insight #activelistening

Seems simple: To keep the peace in the office, ban all talk about the election and politics in general. Not so easy or advisable. Why a ban on political talk won’t work and is counterproductive: ► Limits on free expression may be perceived as a lack of trust and, at worst, discrimination ► Creating a “forbidden fruit” topic may have the opposite effect, creating even more focus on it ► If management is seen as authoritative, cautious and compliant team members may worry about overstepping and hold back on creative ideas and interactions in other arenas If your organization is eager to create healthy boundaries and productive behavioral models, but doesn’t have the seasoned HR leaders or capacity to do so, consider a fractional HR consultant. #fractionalHR #HRconsulting #peoplewhisperer #opencommunication