#6Things: Birthday Edition

Back in black, baby (because it’s the most slimming anyway). Okay, welcome to an edition of #6things that is very important and interesting. One, because it’s my birthday, a day lauded in history (at least mine) and also because poor little #6things gets very neglected in the summer, so I haven’t done one in a while. And boy oh boy have I been hoarding links. Also, since this is (no matter which way you look at it) a totally historic week, particularly for the “fairer sex”, this miiiiiight be a little female focused. Sorry, not sorry.

 

JABBA THE HUTT GETS NAILED

And then everyone believes his side of the story anyway. Okay, not everybody and certainly not Laurie Ruettimann (@lruettimann) , who decided to call our Fox News HR Department because it’s literally their job to avoid situations just like this…or barring that, at least resolve them before more employees are harassed. Read Laurie’s insightful takedown of not just the failure of HR at a major media corporation but also the inevitable fallout of public perception every time a woman has the audacity to come forward. (LR)

 

SPEAKING OF BARE ASS SHOULDERS

“Here’s the deal: Society has norms, and when you go against those norms you’re going to get backlash.”

So starts the Inc. Article from Evil HR Lady, Suzanne Lucas, a respected columnist and writer in the HR space.

I am conflicted.

On one hand, @EvilHRLady has a point: If Megyn Kelly’s male co-workers had worn a similarly “casual” outfit (say a Hawaiian shirt or flip flops) they likely would have faced the same criticism Kelly endured, namely that bare shoulders and spaghetti straps had no place at the Republican National Convention.

But on the other hand, it didn’t feel like the criticism was the shirt was too casual. It felt like (because it was) the criticism was that she was facing was more sexual in nature. And this is from the same network that lost their MINDS when Michelle Obama wore a sleeveless dress.

I am conflicted.

Lucas winds the post up thusly:

Kelly can, of course, wear what she wants (as long as her boss allows it–remember, she’s not just representing herself; she’s representing her company), but just like the rest of us, she can expect to receive criticism when she steps outside the norm. There’s no right to wear whatever you want to work, nor is it bad for a company to have dress standards. If she wore that to many offices, she’d be sent home to change or at least handed a cardigan. That’s not sexism; that’s a dress code. (Inc)

 

HOW NOT TO APPROACH THE “KIDS”

I know this already made the rounds and like this email, I am so 2000-late but honestly, I had to include it in #6things from the minute I saw it!

 

My roommate received this email from a Microsoft recruiter today. pic.twitter.com/90Qwr78eGO

— Patrick Burtchaell (@pburtchaell) July 6, 2016

Jessica Miller Merrell (@jmillermerrell) said what we were all thinking in a quote here:

Jessica Miller-Merrell, vice president of talent strategies at the Advanced Group and founder of HR and recruiting blog, Blogging4Jobs.com said no student would ever reply to this email.

“Talented interns are just like everyone else when looking for work. They want to learn about the company, the culture and career opportunities,” she said in an email. “That doesn’t happen with an email that clearly demonstrates Microsoft is trying too hard to be young, hip and cool.”

Microsoft is looking into the matter. No one cares. Still funny. (DailyDot)

 

HOW DOES ONE BE A CEO?

I ask myself this a lot of times per day. So imagine my surprise and delight when I saw this article on The CEO’s Checklist from Andreessen Horowitz. It was fascinating to realize that some of the things I was already doing organically while others (just as crucial) I was ignoring. Check it out, it’s not just for CEOs! (a16z.com)

 

STOP THREATENING PEOPLE

I work with some great men. Clients, colleagues, employees, interns, partners, vendors. I am lucky to be able to work with men who value my intellect and leadership and don’t give me the run-around or reject my ideas and drive simply because I am a woman. This post was not made for those men. (The Cooper Review)

 

WANNA GET YOUR EB SCORE?

While I am pretty sure this is a lead gen thing, it’s still interesting. (FirmPlay)

 

Now excuse me while I go extinguish the light on my youth.

via GIPHY