When a press release landed in Guru’s inbox, purporting to offer HR managers ‘a great tool for promoting sharing and group-spirit among colleagues’, he paid it little heed.
Then, something caught Guru’s eye. The name of the website offering this service was www.iliketoswap.com and, as a veteran of many a Surrey suburban ‘swapping’ scheme, Guru read on, his interest aroused and car keys at the ready.
Sadly, he soon found out it is in fact a free website that enables you to exchange your DVDs, etc, with colleagues.
However, as Guru was about to consign another press release to an early grave, he saw this quote from a contented user: “I had a stack of DVDs that were sitting at home gathering dust. I have swapped them and got some hot films for me and my girlfriend to watch.”
Some people have no shame.
Guru, needless to say, would be happy to meet them.
KKK recruitment day is one big headache
There are certain groups that the sane of mind would never consider joining. Included in this list is the Ku Klux Klan. If you do make the decision to join these hooded nutters, don’t expect flexi-working and a progressive HR department.
However, even Guru was taken aback when he heard about one of their recruitment sessions that went rather awry.
The event, which took place in that US bastion of political correctness, Tennessee, saw a new member tied to a tree and shot with paint pellets.
One redneck participant, Gregory Freeman, decided this wasn’t enough and fired his real gun into the air to add to the atmosphere.
The bullet shot into the air, before returning to earth via the skull of fellow Klansman, Jeffrey Muir, leaving him in a critical condition.
Guru always said you should use your head when it comes to recruitment.
Freeman, used to having crosses to bear (or burn), has been charged with endangerment and aggravated assault.
No one seems to know if the guy tied to the tree got the job or not.
Fine puts bang back into local authority
Our next story sees Guru still going ballistic. Last week, Personnel Today ran a story about youngsters shunning local government as they saw it as dull.
However, in Geuda Springs, Kansas, once again in the US deep south, local government is a barrel of laughs.
They just passed a law requiring all households – with the odd exception – to keep guns and a stash of ammunition, or face a fine.
The contentious decision went through with a majority vote of three to two, and now gun-less households face a $10 fine unless they can prove they are paupers, or are physically or mentally disabled. There is another group exempt – conscientious objectors, but there won’t be many of them.
Will the local sheriff be enforcing the law by going house-to-house and rifling through people’s belongings?
Unfortunately, in the gun-mad south, Guru thinks anyone who reckons this is a bad idea is just going to have to bite the bullet.
HR award winner has real star quality
How often has Guru said that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?
Alan Warner, people director at Hertfordshire County Council, led his team to the title of overall winner at the Personnel Today Awards 2003. Guru looked a little closer.
Something was niggling at Guru, then he realised what it was. The charismatic and dynamic leader of the council was entertaining and focused. There could be only one answer: Warner is the love child of comedian Frank Carson and Easyjet entrepreneur, Stelios Haji-Ioannou.
