I was going to talk about all the great giveaways and exclusive events going on at CareerBuilder booth #602 during SHRM 2012 in Atlanta this year, but then I decided to re-watch the ‘The Bachelorette’ on Hulu instead realized you could hear about it from celebrity chef Kevin Gillespie of the renowned Woodfire Grill and ‘Top Chef’ fame.

In case you didn’t view the video, here’s the gist of everything we’re cooking up – literally and figuratively – at booth #602:

• Special event: Cooking demo with celebrity chef Kevin Gillespie
• Enter now: You could win big during SHRM 2012
• While you’re at the booth…food, drinks, giveaways and more
• Presentations you won’t see anywhere else

Cooking demonstration with celebrity chef Kevin Gillespie:

Don’t miss the chance to watch the former ‘Top Chef’ contestant cook dishes from his renowned Woodfire Grill restaurant in Atlanta – all while enjoying complimentary food and beverages!

When: Sunday, June 25 from 5-6pm at the CareerBuilder booth

Want to meet Kevin in person? Fill out the form below to win a photo with Kevin Gillespie and VIP seats to his cooking demo.

Three ways to win at booth #602:

Be the first to learn about prizes and giveaways and enter for the chance to meet a Top Chef, receive VIP access and take home a Calphalon cookware set.

• On your phone: Text SHRM to 88769 to get updates about exclusive prizes and events.
• In person: Bring the cover band (from your SHRM Magazine pre-show Daily mailed to your office before the event) to the CareerBuilder booth to enter for the chance to win a 10-Piece Calphalon cookware set worth $340. If, by chance, you don’t get the pre-show magazine, simply print this copy of the cover band.
• Right here: Fill out the form above for a chance to win a photo with Kevin Gillespie and VIP seats to our ‘Top Chef’ cooking demo.

While you’re at the CareerBuilder booth…

Don’t forget about the many activities going on during showroom hours at our booth:

Enjoy complimentary Southern-style food and beverages including mac ‘n’ cheese bites, peach cobbler, mini BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, Arnold Palmers and a Bloody Mary bar

Collect, Play and Win: Collect the recipe cards found at the booth to play CB Plinko for the chance to win great prizes, including Converse All-Star Athletic Shoes.

Check out the featured presentations you won’t see anywhere else:

Presentations for Monday, June 25^th

• 10 – 10:15 am: The Talent Mismatch
  Presented by: Jamie Womack, Vice President, Corporate Marketing & Branding, CareerBuilder
• 1:30 – 1:45pm: Hire Intelligence: Using Data to Recruit Smarter
  Presented by: Abdel Tefridj, Vice President, Workforce Analytics, CareerBuilder
• 3:30 – 3:45pm: Mind the Gap: Conquering the Divide Between Recruiters and Job Seekers
  Presented by: Bryan Johanson, Chief Operating Officer, The Adler Group, and Jennifer Seith, Managing Director, Business Development, CareerBuilder

Presentation for Tuesday, June 26^th

• 10 – 10:15am: Mind the Gap: Conquering the Divide Between Recruiters and Job Seekers
  Presented by: Bryan Johanson, Chief Operating Officer, The Adler Group and Jennifer Seith, Managing Director, Business Development, CareerBuilder

Stay updated! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or text SHRM to 88769 to make sure you don’t miss out on all the excitement CareerBuilder has to offer during SHRM 2012!

Last week, Justin (for those of you not familiar with his smiling face, he’s the one tweeting at @careerbuilder and filling my office days with near-forgotten music videos from the 1990s) and I were fortunate to be part of #HFChat with the folks who started Hire Friday on Twitter.

What is #HFChat, and why should you participate?

#HFChat, for those of you who don’t know, is a weekly chat focusing on helping job seekers through topics ranging from resumes, to cover letters, to networking — and much more. It’s also a way for employers and recruiters to connect with these job seekers and give them live answers based on their own expertise, in 140-character bursts.

As hosts of the 3/30 chat, we chose to talk about “The next step – how you plan your long-term career goals.” We not only enjoyed discussing long-term career goals with everyone on the chat, but also received really interesting questions and feedback from job seekers and excellent advice from employers and recruiters who participated.

The questions “officially” discussed (aside from the great side discussions mixed in):

Q1: How and when do you identify long-term career goals?
Q2: In a job search, how can you ensure a job or industry isn’t a dead-end?
Q3: How do you supplement lack of experience if switching careers?
Q4: What are ways you can position yourself to move up in a career?
Q5: How do you adapt your current skills to new or other industries?

A few favorites from the chat:

@ChrisFleek Visibility within org is YOUR responsibility. Hard to learn, but subtly sell yourself around org at all times.

@FordCareers Show up early, stay late and never, ever say “its not my job”.#workethic

@TheResumeSmith To move up, dont just do the job you have, do the job you WANT. Show competency.

@WorkResults when in career transition, focus on transferable skills, expanding networks, working hard – it worked for me!

@Victoria_mpc The job you love today, may not fit tomorrow. Keep aware as your goals and aspirations develop.

@ChrisFleek People who focus on tasks have trouble changing careers – those who focus on skills & processes more easily transition.

@RobinResumes Before switching, make sure you are unhappy with the career rather than the company environment.

If you’re interested in seeing how Friday’s discussion unfolded, check out the transcript of #HFChat.

This year’s HR Technology^® Conference & Expo promises to be “the largest and most exciting in our history” according to the registration site.

Hmmm…what a coincidence that this also happens to be the year CareerBuilder will be there. OR IS IT? (Cliffhanger!)

If you’re planning to be at HR Tech, don’t forget to stop by CareerBuilder booth #333 – where you can snag a free Supply & Demand Report – and see for yourself why it’s one of our bestselling new solutions.

Register now for your free Supply & Demand Report.

Go for the demo, stay for the party…
You’ll also want to check out the CareerBuilder Demo Room for two reasons:

1. See demonstrations (it’s not just a clever name) of Talent Network, CBMobile and Supply & Demand Portal – our newest, most innovative solutions to date!
2. Get a free ticket to our exclusive Unplug and Unwind happy hour on Tuesday, October 4th: Mix, mingle and relax with fellow conference attendees – compliments of CareerBuilder!

CareerBuilder Demo Room Hours and Happy Hour Ticket Pick-Up
When: Monday, October 3, 2011 at 4:30 pm
Where: Booth # 333

Unplug and Unwind Happy Hour
When: Tuesday, October 4, 2011, 5:30 – 7:30
Where: Mix Lounge (atop THEhotel at Mandalay Bay)

About the Supply & Demand Report

This report, generated from our new Supply & Demand Portal, is completely customized to your organization and provides real-time access to:

1. Supply: The availability of active candidates for any position.
2. Demand: Locations where you will find the most and least competition is for that talent.

See you in Vegas!

Obviously, there are a lot of reasons the team over here at CareerBuilder is excited to be in Las Vegas this year for SHRM – spectacular food, shopping and shows, the chance to relive the epic skydiving Elvises scene from Honeymoon in Vegas, etc….but the chance to meet all of the conference attendees is at the top of that list. Honestly. (I mean, Vegas is great and all, but if you’ve seen one American Storm show, you’ve seen ‘em all…I’ve heard.)

SHRM, after all, provides us one of the best opportunities to get quality one-on-one time with you, the people who are the driving force behind our mission to match the right people with the right companies. That said, if you’re planning to go to SHRM this year, I highly encourage you to visit us at booth 2217 on the showroom floor.

Here’s a run-through of everything we’ve got going on:

• Cash In Your Chips and Spin to Win Free Giveaways
• Featured Presentations: The Future of Social Media Recruiting and More…
• Speak One-on-One with Our Recruitment Experts
• Special Guest: Rock DeMarco “The World’s Fastest Speed Painter”
• Featured Event: What Your CEO Wants to Know

Cash in Your Chips and Spin to Win Free Giveaways

All SHRM attendees will receive a mail piece with a custom CareerBuilder poker chip in the mail in the weeks leading up to the conference. Bring this chip with you to Vegas, where you can “cash it in” at our booth – booth 2217 – for a spin at our prize wheel. (Did I mention we’re also going to have a daily $1000 Grand Prize giveaway?)

Forgot your chip? Not a problem. You can earn additional chips by participating in any or all of the following activities taking place at our booth:

• Check out an in-booth presentation on current recruitment trends. (Detailed schedule to come)
• Participate in a social media video: Look out for our camera crew, who will be out on the showroom floor, shooting man-on-the street videos, gathering testimonials and asking job seeker questions that will be featured on our social media sites.
• Stop by a workstation and speak with one of our recruitment experts.
• Download the new CareerBuilder Mobile App.
• Follow us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.
• Attend What Your CEO Wants to Know on Monday, June 27 at the Las Vegas Hilton, featuring CareerBuilder’s own CEO, Matt Ferguson

Special Guest: Rock DeMarco, The World’s Fastest Speed Painter

What would a visit to Vegas be without catching a show, amirite? Join us on Sunday, June 26 to catch renowned performance artist Rock Demarco, the “world’s fastest speed painter” as he transforms a blank canvas into a giant masterpiece. Attendees will also have the chance to win one of his completed art pieces!

Where: Booth 2217
When: Sunday, June 26, 4 pm – 7 pm

Featured Event: What Your CEO Wants to Know

This year, we’re proud to announce that our CEO, Matt Ferguson, will be a featured presenter at SHRM.  In What Your CEO Wants to Know, Ferguson will discuss a recent nationwide survey of CEOs that highlights how the CEO/HR professional relationship has evolved over the last five years. Attendees will walk away with the following insights:

• What CEOs consider to be “must knows” and “don’t cares”
• The most – and least – effective ways to get your CEO’s attention
• What today’s CEOs expect as the economy continues to heal

Where: Hilton
When: Monday, June 27, 4 pm-5:15 pm
For more information or to add this presentation to your conference schedule, visit http://cb.com/shrmceo

Stay updated! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter (follow the #cbbuzz hashtag too) and LinkedIn to make sure you don’t miss out on all the excitement CareerBuilder has to offer during SHRM 2011!

Simon Sinek was one of the keynote speakers I was most interested to see at HRPA’s 2011 Annual Conference and Trade Show, Canada’s conference and trade show focusing on HR issues and trends — and he didn’t disappoint. Sinek has a way of getting people’s attention when he enters a room — and I can attest to the many HRPA attendees (including myself) focusing intently on his words as he began his Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action keynote on that still-early Thursday morning.

Don’t hire  people who need what you have, but who believe what you believe. This was one of the points driven home by Sinek over and over again. As he says, “people who don’t believe what you believe work for your money” — and their time with your company likely won’t last long. People who believe what you believe, however, will work for you with their blood, sweat and tears.

Sinek teaches leaders and companies how to inspire their people—by finding the purpose, cause or belief that drives them. I’d like to share some highlights from his keynote speech, but I recommend that you also watch his TED talk (below).

On Starting with “Why”

All the great and inspiring leaders and organizations in the world all think, act and communicate the exact same way, Sinek says — and it’s the complete opposite to everyone else.  All companies function on three levels: 1) What you do, 2) how you do it, and 3) why you do it. The problem, he says, is that most organizations don’t know “why” their organization exists. The “why” does not mean “to make money” — that, he says, is a result. The “why” is your purpose, your cause, or your belief. He calls this concept of what, how and why The Golden Circle. The Golden Circle theory explains why some organizations are able to inspire — and others aren’t. Innovative companies are not defined by what they do; they are defined by why they exist.

As Sinek pointed out, Steve Jobs is brilliant at giving context and talking about why Apple’s products matter. Inspiring companies work from the inside out — the “why” drives them. Rationally speaking, he says, Macs aren’t better, but people will defend the brand and culture to the death because Apple inspires people through the way they talk about their company. Lehman Brothers , on the other hand, was very good at what they did, but there was no sense of community and trust, and that made all the difference.

On how we hire

On the importance of the HR profession Sinek says, “If you don’t understand people, you don’t understand business.” Why do we care more about someone’s resume and about how much money they’ve made for our competitor, Sinek asks, than in what they believe? How do you know a candidate is not passionate about interviewing but about working for you?

On engaging employees

During his talk, Sinek asked how many of us loved our job. Ninety percent of people don’t, he said. Ninety percent! Now imagine how many of your employees that equates to. Although it may seem like common sense, it’s important to remember that people who come to work excited about their jobs do better work, and as Sinek points out, it’s cyclical: Happier employees will treat their kids and spouses better, and then their kids and spouses will be happier, and they will come to work the next day happier and treat their colleagues and customers better.

How can you help employees love what they do a little more?

On roaming the halls

Are your executives roaming the halls to talk to employees? If they aren’t, Sinek said, they can’t hear or see the impact of their decisions. And even if it’s not a “physical” walking of the hallway, are your leaders out there in the online world, listening to what employees want? Are they reaching out to employees and asking what matters to them? We’re detached from the impact of our decisions; we use polls and hire outside companies to find out what employees think — instead of simply asking them.

Sinek used the example of Stanley Milgrim’s shock experiment from the 1960s to illustrate the danger of people being separated from seeing the impact of their decisions. If leaders can’t see or hear how their decisions are impacting their employees, how many of them will stop themselves from making decisions that negatively affect or hurt those employees before it’s too late (or know that they are hurting employees in the first place)?

On being a great place to work

• Take great people and help them to do extraordinary things.
• Hire those who believe what you believe and wake up every single day and compete against yourselves.
• Worry about doing what you do better and how to do it better next week, and next month, and something remarkable will happen.
• Stating what do you in company vision statements = who cares? Sinek says your company vision statement should be about why you do what you do; it should be about what you believe.

Fortune’s best companies to work for aren’t doing anything differently, Sinek says — they make the list because people WANT to be there. To lead means you have to have followers, a follower is someone who volunteers to go where you’re going. Somebody who chooses to be a part of whatever is it you’re building — not because they have to but because they want to. Employees want to surround themselves with the people and products and brands that prove to the outside world who they believe they are.

Do your employees want to go where you’re going?

The American Staffing Association’s Staffing World 2010 conference, taking place at the Venetian Casino Hotel Resort in Las Vegas, NV, is well underway. Throngs of recruiting and staffing professionals have been mingling and networking, attending professional development sessions like keynotes and workshops, browsing exhibitor booths (like CareerBuilder’s — yes, that’s a shameless plug), and generally having a great time while learning more about how to not only adapt but thrive in our rapidly changing workplace. And we want to share some of those learnings with all of you.

New Economy, New Attitudes

We all know businesses are rethinking their strategies, doing more with less, and thinking creatively to get ahead in today’s  economy. What’s worked in the past won’t necessarily work now, and everything from the role of contingent workers to the attitudes of Gen Y in the workplace are shifting. As ASA says on their site, “The “Great Recession’ reset the global economy to a ‘new normal.’” We’re all figuring out how to adjust as the dust settles, and conferences like this are an opportunity to share ideas and push the conversation forward.

Although I’m going to post more videos in a subsequent post, you can find all of CareerBuilder’s videos from Staffing World here and peruse them at your leisure — and be sure to follow along with the conference tweets with hashtag #sw10.

Here’s the first video I wanted to share — it features Bruce Tulgan, keynote speaker at Staffing World 2010 and founder of Rainmaker Thinking Inc. In the video, he talks to CareerBuilder about what we’re dealing with right now: a highly uncertain business environment,  a high-pressure workplace and a high maintenance work force. Although he focuses on what this combination means for staffing firms and talent, much of his advice can really be applied to any business:

What’s your take on what Bruce has to say?

Take Your Dog to Work Day, started by Pet Sitters International, was first celebrated in 1999 (with 300 companies participating) to celebrate the companionship of dogs and encourage people to adopt dogs from humane societies, animal shelters and breed rescue clubs.  As we’ve discussed in the past, this annual event encourages employers to experience the value of pets in the workplace for one designated day, for the primary purpose of promoting pet adoptions and better the lives of shelter dogs.

And while bringing a four-legged friend to work isn’t practical for every kind of work environment, supporters claim having dogs around the office has many benefits, including lowering stress and boosting employee morale.

There are a lot of ways you can get involved in Take Your Dog to Work Day, including partnering with a local shelter to bring adoptable dogs into the office. And if bringing dogs into your work environment just isn’t possible, consider finding another way to give back to the canine community — like volunteering with The Humane Society. Some businesses, like Esser Vineyards, are getting creative with events like Take Your Dog to Dinner Night, in which they donate wine to be paired with cuisine to dog-friendly participating restaurants, while diners’ furry pals enjoy a free meal.

Those who sign up and participate in the day get celebration ideas, sucess tips, a sample “dogs at work” policy for the office, coupons, pet product offerings, and the comfort of knowing they are helping raise awareness of shelter dogs and pet adoption. Tomorrow too tight of a deadline? You can request info for next year’s event.

Steve Dale has some great tips to make the day a success (like “give your dog a job” by stuffing some food in its toys), and TakeYourDog.com offers some of their own:

• Dogs should be kept on a leash, unless in the employee’s office or cubicle.
• Employees should use a baby gate to prevent dogs from leaving their office unsupervised.
• Specific areas, such as bathrooms or employee dining halls, can be designated as dog-free.
• Have a back up plan for taking the dog home if he or she is not comfortable in the work environment.
• Find a local pet sitter at Pet Sitters International to provide midday walks to employees’ dogs.

Are you celebrating Take Your Dog to Work Day, or thinking about getting information to participate next year? Or are dogs in the office a no-go? Let us know!

Going to the 2010 SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition in San Diego?  We’ve got 5 reasons for you to visit CareerBuilder Booth #1419 while you’re there:

1. To pick up your free report on talent compensation…which you have until June 18 to register for by going to www.careerbuilder.com/shrm2010/report. (Did we mention it’s worth $150? No? Well, it’s worth $150. Just a little fyi…)
2. To see presentations on topics that you get to pick. That’s right: You have from now until June 20 to visit www.careerbuilder.com/shrm2010/vote and select up to three topics that you’re most interested in learning about. CareerBuilder is creating its presentation schedule around your interests, and is choosing its presentation topics based on audience vote…Check back after the 21^st to see the finalized schedule – or simply stop by booth 1419 during conference breaks.
3. We’re throwing a birthday party! On Monday, June 28, CareerBuilder celebrates the one year anniversary of our Applicant Experience service – and everyone’s invited to join us.  Stop by the booth between noon and 2 p.m. for free food and drinks!
4. To speak with our recruitment experts about ways to better your recruitment process. Our recruitment experts will be on hand to answer questions and discuss ways to help you meet your recruitment related goals, solve your most baffling talent questions or simply make your life easier overall.
5. (More) free stuff. Who needs another conference T-shirt? You do! (But trust us..these aren’t your mother’s conference T-shirts…) As a token of our appreciation for visiting us at booth 1419, we’re giving away some great door prizes – so don’t miss out!

Want to let others know you’ll be visiting us at SHRM? RSVP on Facebook.

DOWNLOAD a free one-day expo pass, compliments of SHRM.

Can’t Make It to SHRM This Year? Follow us on Twitter (#CBSHRM10) for real-time updates on all the conference action – and check back here for daily recaps from the conference room floor.

For more information on what we have in store for SHRM 2010, visit www.careerbuilder.com/shrm2010 or if you have specific questions, feel free to leave it in the comments section below!