7 Signs Your HR Brand Needs an Update at CAHR18

Pamela J. Green, SPHR, PCC, ICC Professional success in HR is an ongoing process, not a destination. No one knows this better than Pamela J. Green, an industry-leading author, speaker and executive coach. She’s bringing over 30 years of business leadership experience to the 2018 California HR Conference to help you strengthen, align and update your HR brand and professional outlook. Below she offers seven signs your HR brand needs an update. If any of her points sound familiar, consider registering to attend CAHR18 where you can sit down with a professional career coach who can get you back on a strong career path.

7 signs your HR brand needs an update.

by Pamela J. Green, SPHR, PCC, ICC

If you’re in HR, your brand can take a real hit at times, leaving you feeling as if you have a kick me sign on your back. Your HR brand is the emotional promise of a professional experience people have as a result of interacting with you. It’s what makes your skillset desirable and directly linked to your brand’s marketability. Outdated brands often get trampled and overlooked which can lead to you feeling discounted in credibility, reputation, value and opportunity.

An outdated brand hurts your market value in the following ways:

  • Gives the impression that your knowledge and skills are no longer relevant.
  • Sends the message that you are stuck in your ways and unable or unwilling to learn new and innovative things.
  • Holds the company hostage to obsolete approaches and sets them behind the competition.
  • You offer diminishing returns often reflected in your performance reviews and your paycheck.
  • Makes you less competitive in the marketplace.

Some might believe that attending conferences and events is a way to maintain an updated brand, but in reality, if you do nothing with your conference experience you might as well have never attended in the first place. Let us help you boost your 2018 California HR Conference experience by working with a professional coach on site!

If you’re unsure if you’re walking around with a “kick me” sign or in other words, if your HR brand is outdated, see if any of these are applicable:

1. You’re seldom tapped for new projects or assignments even when they are related to your job.

This relates to more than what you know. It’s a reflection of how well you get along with others. The sand in the corporate sandbox is not for throwing; it’s for building and organizational teams need people willing to work together. If you have poor interpersonal skills and can’t get along with others, no one will care how much you know and leave your personal brand on the shelf to collect dust.

2. You’ve not attended a career enhancing development opportunity in more than a year.

Some jobs appear to need less talent development than others, but if you rely on your organization to dictate your development, you could easily wind up with an outdated brand. Your professional expiration date extends every time you take the initiative to learn something new and apply what you’ve learned. Be resourceful and look for opportunities to take responsibility for the development of your brand.

3. You have not obtained or maintained career related certifications.

HR certifications require you to obtain continuing education credits to keep that certification, which is why some organizations prefer their employees to be certified. If the organization holds its HR employees accountable for new learnings, a certified HR professional keeps the organization’s brand, needs and priorities relevant and updated.   

4. Co-workers and leaders rarely come to you for insight on job-related innovation.

Personal brands that are in-the-know are repeatedly tapped for what they know, especially when it come to cutting-edge industry developments. Get in the habit of identifying the technical knowledge needed to stay current in your job while also keeping up with the absolute latest in relevant technology. Sharing these new insights labels you as an in-the-know personal brand, and someone others can rely on to expand their own understanding of industry relevant innovations.

5. You don’t know if your brand is aligned with the organization’s brand, needs or priorities.

Alignment is pivotal for growth to occur as it helps you establish a brand that can successfully adapt to organizational changes. If you are unwilling to take initiative to learn everything you can about the organization and how your personal brand can make a signification contribution, you could find your brand taking a back seat to other personal brands in the organization. The aligned personal brand knows what is needed to keep up with changing organizational priorities and increases the likelihood the organization will ensure they obtain the training and development needed to remain relevant.

6. You’ve not had a career change (including promotion or lateral moves) in more than 5 years.

A progressive career is one where you’ve been able to demonstrate promotability and usability by an organization. Those looking for growth opportunities outside need to first start internally. This show’s prospective employers that if your current employer found your talent valuable and useful enough for promotion, you must be worth their investment which, by the way, can amount to more than a 20% increase in salary.

7. Your personal appearance belongs to an age gone by.

In reality most of the world is made up of visual learners, some 65% of us in fact. We take in a lot of information visually every day. In addition we are trained by media and social interactions to care about our appearance and it is often reflected in our own personal appearance. In short, what an outdated or unkempt personal appearance says is “I don’t care what you think of how I look.” If you don’t care how you look, the organization is going to limit your exposure and opportunity to represent them more broadly and especially in important settings.

If you’re like the thousands of HR brands I get to engage every year, I’ll bet one or more of these really hits home for you. If it does, embrace the opportunity to make a shift and see what it feels like to experience a rise in the market value of your brand.

If your organization can’t or won’t invest in an upgrade in your market value, what’s holding you back from investing in yourself?

Join me at the 2018 California HR Conference, this August 26 – 29 in beautiful Long Beach, CA, to take a look at your HR brand and discover what you can do to update your professional outlook. Register to attend here, then add the Professional Coaching Session option to your registration. Your future career will thank you!
Coaching Question Of The Day
What is the most meaningful action you could take today to move your brand towards your desired career goals?