3 Ways Minions Can Improve Your HR Strategy

Who doesn’t love Minions? Those pill-shaped, banana loving, yellow lab assistants have truly stolen America’s heart, and while their quasi-evil nature may be up for debate, their adaptable attraction is not.

The Minions movie is hitting theaters this weekend and as HR professionals and recruiting pros, there is much we can learn from these 3-fingered henchmen. Read on for three ways Minion-isms can improve your HR strategy.

1. Be Flexible:

Minions are masters of flexibility. Regardless of being shrunk or stretched, they use their adaptable nature to withstand even the strangest of situations, including outer space. As human resource professionals, we can always use some Minion-esque situational flexibility. Many of us find ourselves struggling with a myriad of responsibilities ranging from hiring to training and maintaining regulatory requirements. Being able to integrate flexibility into your routine will help you be prepared for any and all responsibilities, making your work life easier and prepping you for any and everything that is thrown your way. Amp up your flexibility with these tips:

• Communication is key when managing multiple, demanding roles. Keep open lines of communication with everyone you are involved in processes with.
• Keep a public calendar that everyone can access so that your workload and daily schedule are always available. Allow team members access to add things to your calendar and always keep it updated so that your co-workers know where you are and when you’re available.

2. Speak to Your Audience:

While the Minions may sound like they’re speaking a completely made up language, it is actually a mixture of Spanish, English, French, and Italian, with additional elements of Russian and Korean. Sounds like a lot to master, right? You may not realize it, but as HR pros, you’re already speaking a lot of different languages to attract the right talent. The best way to recruit for your target demographic is to speak their language, literally. Doing so not only creates a strong, identifiable employer brand, but it also helps people to self-select when applying for jobs at your company. Some tips on attracting the right talent:

• Engage applicants by having a strong job description that sells the available position and highlights exactly the type of candidate you are looking to attract.
• Create a picture of what the ideal person for the role looks like and speak their language. If you’re targeting millennials, do research and see what specific language and culture you need to convey to hold their attention. If you’re looking for tech professionals, research what appeals to them and include it in your job description.

3. Wear Many Hats:

Minions love adapting to different roles, especially if it means dressing the part. Regardless of the situation, they’re eager to take on different tasks to simplify tricky situations. Need a light in the dark? With a crack and a shake, they’ll double as glowsticks. Beach vacation? That hula dancer just may be a Minion. The DJ at your kid’s dance recital? It’s a Minion. While we’re not suggesting you quit your day job, there is definitely something to be said for the Minion’s ability to wear many hats. Many HR professionals are one-man or one-woman departments or are members of small departments and responsible for wide-ranging tasks. While seamlessly managing many different roles is undoubtedly difficult, there are things you can do to make it easier:

• Have systems in place that encourage organization and an open dialogue. Whether it be Basecamp or Salesforce - utilize tools that allow you to be as organized as possible.
• Keep up on your projects by setting face-to-face meetings. While google may have an app to simplify every work process, nothing beats a face-to-face meeting. Having a standing meeting with your key team members and keep it up every week. 15 emails can be simplified into a 5 minute conversation, thus giving you more time to work - and, ya know, dress up.
• Be accountable. Know who you are reporting to and be available to those communicating with you. G-chat, Slack, whatever you choose, be online and available throughout the day for questions.

While Minions are always bringing silliness (and sometimes chaos) to the scene, they remain ever-loyal to their leader and family and always help save the day in a pinch. HR professionals similarly have the responsibility of reporting to leadership while also being hands-on with others in the organization to keep it running smoothly.

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