HR Managers in the National Parks

A few weeks ago, I got to attend my 6th SHRA conference in Gardiner, Montana. In attendance were four of the five Cool Works team, around 10 International Agency representatives and 25 HR managers from the national parks. It was a fantastic group of people.



If you've read my page, you may know that I came from an HR background and it, as much as my time doing seasonal work, lead me to my job at CoolWorks.com. I have immense respect for individuals who hold this profession and especially those who do it where most of their staff turns over each season. It's incredibly challenging work and as a seasonal worker, you should do what you can to make their lives easier. They are knowledgeable, kind, and willing to go the extra mile, but just don't get on their bad list. We, and I can say we since I've been there, remember you. Don't be memorable for the wrong reasons. Be responsible for yourself and you'll be in good shape. Okay, I'll get off of my soapbox now. ; )

Anyhow, these fine people all gathered in Gardiner, Montana, the week of October 26 through 30 and they talked about their best practices and spent a few days learning how they can better serve you. We discussed all kind of things including the best ways to onboard up to thousands of employees, following the latest labor laws, ways to coach you into being the best employees you can be, etc. It wasn't all work and no play. We did get to spend some time in the park playing tourist with the Yellowstone Association and recall what it is like to be in a national park for the first time including all of one's own expectations, not to mention live there. It was a great week.

During our time together, I hosted a live podcast on Blog Talk Radio and covered topics like social networking including Facebook and Twitter. On the podcast we covered the following topics.

• how these HR managers got their jobs
• what keeps them coming back
• fun things to do at their various locations, and
• how you as the job seeker can stand out during the hiring process.

I've included the podcast here and I hope you take the time to listen for 30 minutes to learn a bit about what to expect and/or learn a bit about the HR managers who will be serving you in the parks.