Human Resources – FiscalShare

Category: Human Resources

Advice from an Interim Mentor

She grabbed my arm and, sounding like some sort of romance heroine, said “Don’t go! I never had this before.” “What?” I asked. “A mentor,” she said. The district had taken its time to find the right replacement for its vacant Director of Finance position. It was a big promotion, but she was definitely the right person

April 10, 2015 Short URLDirector of Finance, mentor, mentoring, mentorshipCareer Development, Human Resources, Management, School District Jobs

A Candidate’s Interview Questions

At the end of any job interview a candidate is often asked “Do you have any questions for us?” When the candidate answers “No, not really” the impression is created that they aren’t interested, insightful, or engaged. Here are some typical candidate questions from Business Insider. Check them out and consider asking a couple of these at the

January 18, 2015 Short URLcandidate questions, interview questions, interview skills, typical candidate questionsCareer Development, Human Resources, Management, Working Together

Strengths and Weaknesses

Interview questions about strengths and weaknesses are old standards. Everyone preparing for a job interview needs to be prepared to answer them. Strengths: Forbes suggests that you brag without being obnoxious. Provide concrete examples to illustrate your successes. Tell a couple of brief stories and make them memorable Weaknesses: This is the hard part. The classic advice is to

December 29, 2014 Short URLinterview questions, preparing for a job interview, strengths, weaknessesCareer Development, Human Resources, Management, School District Jobs

Book Review: Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work

I wish I could have read “Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work…and What Does” by Susan Fowler at the start of my career. It would have been helpful to not only learn the concepts but also to be coached in their practice. I have gleaned some of this information from mentors and coaches, such as: “money is only a de-motivator”. and “when you

December 26, 2014 Short URLemployee engagement, Motivating People, motivationBook Reviews, Human Resources, Management, Productivity, School District Jobs, Working Together

Gift Cards Anyone?

The short answer – just say no! Here’s a thought experiment. Imagine I want to give you a bonus of $100 as appreciation for your hard work and dedication to education. I cannot just do it because: You are in a union. This payment has to be bargained. The board of education has adopted a salary schedule. If

June 6, 2014 Short URLemployee engagement, gift cards, taxGovernment, Human Resources, Management, Productivity, Public Schools

You are Worth my Time

Much has been written about disengaged employees. Right now they could even make up the majority of your company’s workforce and they are impacting your productivity and your bottom line. Some employers simply blame the employee. They approach this problem by hiring slowly and firing fast. All well and good, and I support it. But

May 11, 2014 Short URLattention, employee, employee engagement, employeesCareer Development, Human Resources, Management, Public Schools, Working Together

The Mystery of the Black Box

The black box is usually associated with tragedy. However, this post is not about airplane accidents. It is about wasted opportunities and undefined steps. There is a cartoon that shows a blackboard full of calculations. The calculations on the left hand side are, presumably, Step One and those on the right hand side must be Step Three. Between

March 19, 2014 Short URLblack box, business, Management, mission, planning, strategyHuman Resources, Procedures and Practices, Uncategorized, Working Together

An Interview Question on a Mission

If you are going for a leadership role in the Business Services section of a school district, you are probably going to be asked something like the following in an interview. If we hire you into this role, how will you advance the mission of the school district? Not Recommended: You created this position so I don’t have to tell

February 7, 2014 Short URLcareer development, communication, education, employment, hiring, interview, interview question, job, job interview, mission, question, school finance, strategic plan, strategy, workCareer Development, Finance, Government, Human Resources, Management, Public Schools, School District Jobs, Working Together

The Handshake of Death

A handshake should be neither limp nor bone-crushing. This is common knowledge. But how should you handle a death-grip handshake that is clearly designed to intimidate? I inadvertently stumbled across the answer when meeting with a customer who had used our bus services and was now not paying the bill. The transportation manager had arranged the meeting. I

February 4, 2014 Short URLauthority, business, death grip, handshake, Management, meetingCareer Development, Management, Uncategorized, Working Together

Resources for Aspiring School Business Leaders

Continuing my series for future school business leaders, I offer short commentaries on some of the most useful technical and policy resources for California school business aspirants. In no particular order, here they are: 1. School Services of California. This is a subscription service. If you are in California it is likely that your school district is a

January 20, 2014 Short URLaspiring leader, auditor, business, California, California Department of Education, California school districts, career development, CASBO, CCR, Code of Regulations, Edjoin, Edsource, Education Code, fcmat, Google alerts, government, government spending, leadership, legislative analyst, Management, policy issues, PPIC, public education, Public Policy, public school finance, public schools, Sacramento Bee, school district business, school finance, School Services, technical expertiseCareer Development, Finance, Government, Laws and Regulations, Local Control Funding Formula, Management, Procedures and Practices, Public Schools, School District Jobs