I flew United for the first time in a decade last week. It was a lesson in customer as well as candidate experience I won't forget anytime soon.
The customer service people were very nice. When I stepped up before boarding and told them I normally fly Continental- had in fact booked my ticket through Continental but my mileage (50-100k per year for the last decade) and status weren't highlighted on the ticket as they should be and then asked whether 1st class had all checked
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Added by Gerry Crispin on June 13, 2010 at 5:30pm —
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I'm looking for some baseline practices (present or absent) in the recruiting process that impacts how we welcome...or not... people who may be eminently qualified but happen to have a visible disability. This
survey should take 10 minutes
Assuming someone got far enough to reach a corporate or third party recruiter via phone, tty, etc. I give most recruiters the benefit of the doubt and assume they have sufficient c…
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Added by Gerry Crispin on April 7, 2010 at 2:31pm —
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I went to India to check off one more country on my “bucket list” (not that I plan to kick the bucket anytime soon mind you but I’ve always had a long list of adventures to experience and this is one of the last countries on it).
My colleagues on this trip and I all recognized that the ten days we spent in 3 cities barely scratched the surface of India’s current business practices, culture and history. Ten years wouldn’t be sufficient, but we made the most of our moment and hope that as student…
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Added by Gerry Crispin on December 17, 2009 at 10:30am —
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From the beginning of our trip through Monday night’s farewell dinner, our 19 SHRM delegates and guests had little time off – clocking 14 hours on occasion but, not all of it was taking meetings.
Sunday we were tourists (three of our days in India- counting our trip to the Taj, were devoted to tourist activities) and a few of us “shopped til we dropped” whenever we had a chance to do so.
(About the buying of India’s wares, I’m sworn to secrecy- with the holiday season upon us, I do not want to…
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Added by Gerry Crispin on December 16, 2009 at 9:30am —
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Saturday morning we arrived at Welingkar’s Business School in Mumbai (WE) and entered a room filled with students at tables off to the side but empty tables in front of us (and no professors or deans in sight). Our delegation only hesitated a moment before China Gorman said it was all right to go sit with them and we did. Eventually the deans showed up but the casual style of engagement for the next several hours that we spent with the students was set.
The time spent here was a fabulous gift.…
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Added by Gerry Crispin on December 13, 2009 at 9:58pm —
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Friday our delegation attended and participated in a conference as high powered and as rich in content as any I’ve ever been to…and I've been to more than a few.
The 1-day meeting, Leadership Next, was produced and managed by SHRM’s India staff. It was promoted as a summit on leadership for business and HR execs and 150 very senior managers were in the room. Included among them was the new head of GE Capital, Anish Shah and Arun Nando of Mahindra & Mahindra (who, I was told by several confe…
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Added by Gerry Crispin on December 13, 2009 at 9:04pm —
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I've taken over 1000 pictures most of which will never see the light of day, are understandable only with some explanation like a picture of a dish of chutney where I made the chef explain his personal recipe using lemon and toasted spices that short circuited my taste buds this morning.
I arrived fresh
Meeti…
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Added by Gerry Crispin on December 11, 2009 at 10:00pm —
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Yesterday I was reminded about of my first visit to China.
During the long drive from the airport to Beijing’s downtown, I marveled at the ability of the Chinese [gov’t] to hide thousands of its poorest citizens behind a never ending array of ingenious landscaping devices- miles of carefully planted trees and plants, well positioned walls and mounds, all designed to obscure our view of ordinary people going about their daily lives.
Regardless of China’s motivation for managing the initial impr…
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Added by Gerry Crispin on December 10, 2009 at 3:24pm —
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Up at 7an Tuesday morning. Our delegation’s 1st “work” day lasted 13 hour (note to self on feedback form to ask for an afternoon wine break). Now, back at the hotel late at night, I'm having that nightcap in a quiet corner. Everyone else has headed up.
By mid-morning I was at Delhi’s Management Development Institute that is noted for its MBA, PHD, Business and HR programs at the graduate level producing 900 graduates a year. (The bus ride there and all thsat entails is still being digested....b…
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Added by Gerry Crispin on December 8, 2009 at 8:19pm —
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Arrived Delhi 9pm last night. Refresehed.
I checked in to Newark and my boarding pass read "Seat 20A Window". At least it was in an exit row. Walked up to the friendliest flight attendant just before boarding and, with all the smile I could muster (as if that would make a difference), said, "Just checking to see if miracles really happen". She looked up, smiled and said "if your name is...(then looked quickly down at a ticket) Gerald Thomas Crispin they do".
Yes!!! Scored 1st class at the buzz…
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Added by Gerry Crispin on December 7, 2009 at 9:09pm —
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2 hours to takeoff. Leaving 8:45pm from Newark tonight and landing 9:30PM in New Delhi….Monday (would be 9PM but they are 10 and a half hours ahead. 14 hours in the air.
Safely ensconsed at the moment in Continental’s Int’l Club.
Passport and visa. Check
Money. Check
Intinerary and Emergency #s. Check
Extra reading material for when I get bored studying India and tune in to the latest Patterson thriller. Check.
Tech Equip. Check.
Headphones w whitenoise. Check.
Medicines and extra clothes in ca…
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Added by Gerry Crispin on December 6, 2009 at 7:20pm —
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Time: I’ve learned over the last decade that by changing my watch to the local time before a long flight, I can reduce jet lag to nothing (don’t know about you but it works for me). The trick is pretending it is the time zone you are going to and acting appropriately. I even try it a day before boarding…but then must remember to make the plane instead of going to bed.
I leave Sunday night for New Delhi, the first stop on our delegation’s itinerary. I just googled the world clock and the…
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Added by Gerry Crispin on December 3, 2009 at 10:30am —
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India. 1.2 billion people. 600,000 are “unorganized”! Ok, I’ll start there. What does “unorganized” mean? Can that many people actually be off the grid? How do you get “organized” when you start off “unorganized”?
Preparing for my ten-day adventure in India (beginning next Sunday) means collecting information from lots of sources. Too much, too early and my learning will color my senses when I’m on the ground. I’ll have too much baggage to be an effective observer. I want as few filters as poss…
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Added by Gerry Crispin on November 30, 2009 at 1:18am —
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Thanksgiving is my favorite day.
Today is November 25 2009. It is the night before Thanksgiving. 38 years ago, Thanksgiving fell on November 25 and, on that morning, in the middle of a snow storm, I was married in small chapel in an inner city hospital to a nurse, Diane, who had Thanksgiving off. As did I! As an orderly working his way through grad school during the early 70's, the world was a very different place...don't get me started. Diane and I had been dating since September...two months…
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Added by Gerry Crispin on November 25, 2009 at 4:51pm —
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