Finding Jobs in Cleveland

In April central Ohio’s unemployment rate was the lowest it has been in over a year, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Throughout the state, jobless rates fell in all but two of 88 counties. Despite this, Cleveland’s unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percent from 7.8 percent in March to 8.3 percent.
One industry that has been relatively solid nationwide will soon lose Cleveland jobs. The MetroHealth System recently announced that it will be cutting $17 million from this years budget. To achieve this, the hospital system has decided to do away with certain positions and change the hours that others work.

Continue Reading

Leveraging Young Talent to Beget More Young Talent to Beget More Young Talent…

When it comes to attracting fresh young talent for your business, don’t look past your Gen Why employees. After all, they are already sold on your brand (or they should be) and they are connected to others that are just like them. An employee referral program, by itself, is not enough. Instead, solicit their opinions and ideas relative to your entire recruiting efforts and encourage them to give you frank and candid feedback on how to improve all phases of your recruiting game.
Then, move to the next level. Take advantage of their desire to be in the spotlight and invite them to create some recruiting videos for you and post them to You Tube. Go even further by promoting a contest among your Gen Whys employees and kick-in some nice prizes for the person/team that can create the best recruiting video(s). With the viral effect online videos are producing, this could possibly provide the best return you’ve ever seen from your recruiting dollar.
By creating their own cyber TV station they’ve dubbed “Zappos TV” , here’s one way this innovative online shoe retailer is keeping their application flow strong for their call centers, and keeping the buzz about them strong among Gen Whys.
Click to view – http://www.youtube.com/

Tuskegee University

Founded on July 4, 1881, by Booker T. Washington, in Tuskegee, Alabama, Tuskegee University is one of America’s best known historically black college or university.
What do they have to offer? According to their Web site, “Tuskegee, through its five colleges and Centers of Excellence, offers a curriculum for success that includes courses in engineering, the natural and physical sciences, the health sciences, business and computer science, aviation science, the social sciences, liberal arts and education, and the fine arts.”
What started as the “normal school” for training teachers in a small shack borrowed from a church, has grown into a major black university, covering 500 acres of land with 3,000 students on campus each year.
Tuskegee’s National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care is the first in the country devoted to “engaging in the sciences, humanities, law and religious faith in the exploration of the core moral issues which underlie research and medical treatment of African-Americans and other underserved people,” according to Wikipedia.
Although Tuskegee, like MIT, is a private university, tuition is nowhere near as high. For out of state students, the tuition for one year is a reasonable $14, 740. For families who want their children to have a good education but can’t afford the creme de la creme like MIT or Cornell, might want to consider Tuskegee. But be warned, Princeton Review ranks Tuskegee ninth out of its list of 20 schools with the least happy students, ninth on the list of 20 schools with dorms like dungeons, and twelfth on its list of 20 schools with less than stellar library facilities.
If you’re looking for an affordable, quality education, Tuskegee University is the way to go; if you’re looking for college with all the trimmings, you might have to look somewhere else. You’ll probably also have to get used to a chronically empty wallet.

A Blogger’s Life

Blogging is all the rage these days, especially for freelance writers like Kay B. Day. In her article, “The blogging toolbox – where do you blog and how do you talk to your visitors?,” she talks about how she started her own blogging site and lists some of the platforms you can use to start your own blogging Web site.
Day started out using Google’s Blogger but wanted to do something more. So she started researching and discovered that WordPress.com works best for her. It’s free, user friendly and suits her need. Unlike Blogger, she can’t use plug-ins or third party ads.
Her full list of recommended platforms:
WordPress.com (free platform)
WordPress.org (must be downloaded and installed on your own site)
Squarespace.com
Blogger.com
TypePad.com
MovableType
Joomla
If you’d like to learn more about setting up your own blogging site, Day suggests reading What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting by Ted Demopoulos.

Offering Defined Benefit Plans

The pace of retirement plan changes among FORTUNE 100 companies is stabilizing, and a majority still offer pension plans to their new employees, according to an analysis by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a global consulting firm. The analysis of retirement plan sponsorship among FORTUNE 100 companies found that 54 firms offer a defined benefit (DB) pension plan to newly hired salaried workers. Following an 11% decline between 2004 and 2005, the number of FORTUNE 100 companies sponsoring pension plans decreased by 5% in 2006 and 4% in 2007. The rate of change slowed after passage of the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which established a more supportive environment for both traditional and hybrid DB plans. But with proposed hybrid plan regulations not final until 2009, it may take several years to see the full effect of these developments for DB plans. “Thanks in large part to the pension reform legislation, the peak rate of replacing DB plans with defined contribution-only plans appears to be behind us,” says Alan Glickstein, a senior retirement consultant at Watson Wyatt. “In fact, as companies evaluate what the new rules mean for them, we could very well see a renewed commitment to hybrid and other DB plans.” Of the 54 DB pension plans sponsored by FORTUNE 100 companies, 28 are traditional plans and 26 are hybrid plans. Most companies that sponsor a DB plan also offer their new employees a defined contribution (DC) plan, and 46 firms have moved to a DC-only approach. “Companies are seeking innovative ways to reduce the risks and costs associated with their retirement plans while still providing attractive benefits,” said Kevin Wagner, a senior retirement consultant at Watson Wyatt. “For some employers, that will mean offering an enhanced DC-only plan. Others, however, might opt for hybrids, given the combination of reduced volatility for employers and secure, portable benefits for employees.”
Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Outsourcing Your Hiring Process

While most hiring managers agree that selecting the right employees is key to building a successful business, many wish they could avoid the time, costs and frustrations required to screen and evaluate viable candidates. In order to address these needs, Hire Insight Group, specialists in identify candidates with high potential for job success, developed a program that enables employers to outsource the tedious steps in the hiring process and receive a shortlist of candidates with the potential to become top performers. The program, developed in response to common employer complaints and research, shows the considerable time and cost required to find and shortlist a pool of applicants using traditional methods: anywhere from nine to 15 weeks for professional, managerial and executive positions, with the entire process costing roughly between $17,000 and $43,000. “Technology providers are performing a great service, in terms of saving administration time, but they do little to increase employer confidence,” says Assessment Director, Chad Hayward. “Hiring managers want much more than a faster way to screen resumes. They want quality information to help them make the right hiring decision, quickly and confidently.” Instead of providing the next piece of automation technology, Hire Insight allows companies to outsource their entire screening and evaluation process to experts in the field of employee assessment who have access to the latest tools and methods. The high level of dissatisfaction among hiring managers suggest that there is real opportunity for companies who offer this type of solution. When DDI and Monster surveyed 628 staffing directors and 1,250 hiring managers in 2007, less than 50% stated that they were satisfied with current selection systems. At least two-thirds expressed dissatisfaction with the efficiency of hiring systems, even with access to automation technology to help organize and track applicant information.
Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Merger Enhances Recruiting Capabilities

Global organizations are well aware that dedication to acquiring top-quality candidates will enable them to thrive and grow in the midst of fierce competition. Finding efficient ways to directly recruit the best candidates is crucial as well as controlling the cost of recruiting in today’s market. To fulfill this need, Arbita, an Internet Recruitment Powerhouse, recently merged with JobMachine, a consulting and training solutions company for recruiters and recruiting agencies, to further empower its customers to hire more and better people faster. The merger will give customers access to an integrated line of services, combining job ad distribution and recruitment solutions with alternative methods for candidate sourcing. Arbita’s customers will have access to workforce development and consulting services designed to add value to their sourcing and recruitment teams by developing their research skills. JobMachine’s renowned seminars, onsite workshops, webinars and strategic sourcing consulting will help customers to implement long-term internet recruitment capabilities. Customers will be better equipped to consistently mine top candidates using the best available techniques – enabling them to find talent not obtainable from mainstream sources. “JobMachine delivers real value to the recruitment market by empowering practitioners and organizations with workforce development programs and consulting services that transform individuals and organizations,” says Don Ramer, Arbita’s CEO. “Shally’s research and thought leadership have changed the way that thousands of recruiters and hundreds of companies view Talent Acquisition Strategy and Recruiting Tactics,” he continues. “This merger flows from strategic alignment of vision for the industry our companies serve and the shared values of our leadership teams,” Ramer concludes. “Arbita is defining industry standards through recruitment best practices,” says Shally Steckerl, Founder and Chief CyberSleuth of JobMachine. “The merger will further expand the ways in which customers pipeline talent. Our combined products and services will bring recruitment to the next level by adding core competencies in research and facilitating just-in-time sourcing from every possible channel. Through the merger we will enable our customers to obtain world class talent globally, and bring premium candidates to the right jobs with a high level of precision,” states Steckerl.
Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Internships: The Best and the Worst

So far, we’ve explored the importance of internships, how to make the most of them, how interns have contributed to employers, and why diversity matters. My final query to our internship experts was, what are the best things about interns and/or internships? and what are the worst?
Internship Coordinator for the Art Institute of California-San Francisco, Katie Layous, said “The best thing about internships is the experience students get from interacting with professionals, building their skills and networking connections, and growth of industry knowledge. Internships are one of the best ways to gain experience and to test a career choice.” The worst, Layous said, is “when the student isn’t doing the job or when the employer isn’t pulling through on their end.”
“Similar to having interns with diversity, the best thing about having interns in general is that they bring new and innovative perspectives to the company,” said Elsa Morgan, HR director for JAKKS Pacific. “The worst thing about interns is that they are never here for long enough!”
Alpaytac Junior Account Executive, Brian Saunders gave two very detailed descriptions of the best and worst aspects of Alpaytac internships: “We have had interns at Alpaytac tell us they left the program feeling ‘an inch taller,’ that is to say, vastly more confident in their abilities and the future of their career. Alpaytac’s unique internship structure allows them to develop the skills they will need in the business world, placing them atop the shoulders of job candidates who require extra training. Interns benefit the company, as well. They are excited about their industry and eager to contribute. Their enthusiasm consistently drives them to go the extra mile with their work, and this in turn challenges the full-time employees to do the same.”
So what does Saunders think is the worst thing about internships? “The hiring, training, and fostering of interns utilizes Alpaytac’s most valuable resource: our time. It is disappointing when an intern does not reciprocate the efforts we put into their training. However, when those efforts are met with an equal amount of commitment and enthusiasm, it typically results in a long and productive working relationship,” he said.
“Internships at Scottrade allow students a great opportunity to learn more about the industry and provide impeccable hands-on experience,” said Chrissy Glover, intern recruiter for Scottrade. “Not only does the student discover their true desire to pursue a career in this industry, but we have an opportunity to see hwo well the intern acclimates to Scottrade and what the job requires.”
Alicia King, public relations coordinator for Clarke/Eric Mower and Associates (Clarke/EMA), sums it up this way, “Once an intern has secured a position with a company, it’s a great way for the company to hold a three-month trial for the intern and vice versa, for the intern with the company. Internships … provide students with fresh perspectives and potential new hires for the organization.”
Like Saunders, Maureen Buehler, global manager for Autodesk Global University Programs, and Rebecca Hall, APR, CEO, and president of IDEA HALL gave detailed explanations of what they feel are the best and worst aspects of internships.
The best: “Building relationships with students to proactively develop a rich ‘talent pipeline’ for future staffing needs is a significant value-add to any company. In addition, internships can clarify career objectives and reduce attrition in degree areas such as computer science and ingineering promoting retention in these fields,” said Buehler.
“The best thing about internships,” Hall said, “is the exchange of relationships and building on a network beneficial to both the intern and the organization. A day will come when a former intern can be the gatekeeper or key influencer to bringing business to an organization.”
The worst: “There is always risk in investing time, resources training, and exposure to product knowledge in a student who may not be converted or may take the skills they have learned to market themselves to an industry competitor. The key is providing a well structured internship program that is designed to offer project-based assignements that are both challenging and encourage personal growth,” Buehler said.
And for Hall, “the worst thing about internships is not having a system or set of clearly defined roles and expectations for the intern. It is a company’s responsibility to have a program laid out for interns wishing to engage in real world experience. Anything less is a disservice to both the organization and the intern.”
“Internships are like an extended job interview and it allows the company and the student to put the best foot forward,” said Keyla Cabret, university programs supervisor for Aflac, echoing Alicia King’s sentiments. “An example,” she continued, “is that Aflac student interns and co-ops present ideas and project updates to senior management where they can showcase their skills and knowledge learned in college but transferred to the job. Therefore, they are able to build relationships and expand on their business skills through working as a team member on special assignments and employers find this advantageous in potential employment possibilities.”
And finally, David Kowalczyk, co-director of Career Services at Assumption College thinks the best thing about internships is that the practical experience the students gain can help them validate their professional interests; and the worst thing about internships is that “limitations do occur when interns accept offers predicated on internship experience without analyzing what else is available.” Basically, intern … know thyself.
This concludes our first exploration into internships, their importance and their benefits. Be on the lookout for further developments.

Hot Fields’ Lower Salaries Leave Candidates Cold

We’ve talked periodically about the impact that the economy’s downturn is having on the job market. Last week, in the new Outside Voices blog that recruitment guru Joel Cheesman is writing for U.S. News and World Report, the topic is compensation in traditionally hot fields like technology, finance, and government contracting.
Joel cites a May 2008 JobFox report on the most wanted U.S. job candidates. According to the report, there is still an extremely high demand for these professional and highly skilled employees, but there are budget constraints and cutbacks that make it difficult to offset the demand for jobs. This has driven businesses to lower the salaries they offer for some of the hottest jobs on the market.
Most salary decreases are around $10,000 for technology jobs, product management, network/systems administration, governmental contracting, and finance. The good news? It won’t stay this way forever. Says Joel: “These are high-profile jobs with high demand so salary adjustments are imminent when the economy strengthens. Employees who are able to look far enough into the future know that taking a job at a lower salary today is a smart bet for tomorrow.”
So here’s a question for you all: would you take a job for less money than you’d have commanded at this time last year
either to keep yourself out of the unemployment line, or to break into a competitive field?
Article by Alexandra Levit and courtesy of Water Cooler Wisdom blog.

Who Else Wants To Add More Facebook Friends?

One of the limiting factors of Facebook is that you only get one degree of separation, while LinkedIN gives you 3 degrees of Kevin Bacon.
Here’s why that matters….I have almost 3K first level connections on LinkedIN, which gives me access to 10M members. On Facebook, I have over 1K first level connections, and that’s all I can connect to.
Facebook has 2 applications that can help you: More Friends and People You May Know. Both applications attack the same issue from different approaches: Connecting to the friends of your friends efficiently.
Sure you could go through your friends lists, and invite people you know (or don’t know) to grow your network, but that takes a lot of time. Both applications suggest people who are friended by many of your friends. This means that the person is likely to have a lot in common with you, or be an open networker who accepts all friend invitations.
Using these tools also avoids the spam problem. Going through your friends’ list of friends and emailing them also looks like spam to the Facebook spam police, and will likely get you a nasty email warning saying Facebook will explode your PC if you continue (or kick you out of Facebook). Instead, sending invitations through either of these applications generates a default email that tells the receiver that you’ve got like a gazillion friends in common, and don’t you think we should connect?

Continue Reading