A Site is Born!

Some may claim I must be certifiable seeking to expound on the great benefits of being an HR Dept of 1. Perhaps. What I do know is that as a certified Human Resources professional, I am continually on the prowl for recertification credits, especially the elusive “Business” credits. There are standard go tos, of course, like annual conferences. But who has the time, especially as an HR Dept of 1?!

My personal fix for this is curating local and regional events to determine the best value for my company’s money and for my personal time. I chose to lead an HR Dept of 1 because I want to spend more time doing other things I enjoy and attending conferences is not at the very top of that list. SOAHR 2020 has joined the chat.

Year over year, I have found the SOAHR conferences well organized and relevant. For me, attending a conference or seminar is not just about whether or not I can get Business HRCI credit, but more importantly, I must be able to walk away having learned something new. SOAHR has yet to disappoint.

It was during this year’s conference, which of course was virtual due to COVID-19, that I proactively participated in the chat rooms hosted by the event organizers. I enjoy knowledge sharing and it was my pleasure to engage with other Human Resources professionals discussing various topics. I connected with some fantastic folks in those chat rooms which led to conversations after the conference ended and beyond.

The idea for this site was born out of one of these conversations. Cindy Lynch with Six20 Partners connected with me as we participated in some of the same chat rooms. In particular, I was a frequent contributor to the HR Dept of 1 chat room providing feedback on specific scenarios and questions. I wholeheartedly believe that there are no secrets in HR; there may be private and/or confidential areas of our work, but nothing is truly a secret. Because of that, I attempt to help when asked.

As Cindy and I discussed this underserved community and my passion for what I do, she encouraged me to formalize my thoughts so that I could better reach others in similar roles. The content on the site will be centered on my personal business philosophy - “Get There with You”.

I define “Get There with You” through three main actions and three sub-categories:

Be consistent

­ Work Behaviors and attitudes

­ Remain “present”

­ Output = results

Stay Informed

­ Ask questions; stay curious

­ Research and use resources available

­ Take advantage of external opportunities

Think of Others

­ How to best serve customers

­ How to best assist peers

­ Doing our job is what is expected; go above and beyond

I will cover topics based on the “Get There with You” philosophy and the three main actions listed above.

If you have a topic or question you’d like me to cover, reach out to me at admin@hrdeptof1.com.

So to every HR Manager, Office Manager, Ops person with multiple hats in a small organization, Payroll Clerk with HR duties, and everyone in between who is an HR Dept of 1: this site’s for you!