Video: What Motivates Us to Work? Constant Progress and Sense of Purpose, Not Money or Joy.

What motivates us to work? Contrary to conventional wisdom, it isn’t just money. But it’s not exactly joy either. It seems that most of us thrive by making constant progress and feeling a sense of purpose. Behavioral economist Dan Ariely presents two eye-opening experiments that reveal our unexpected and nuanced attitudes toward meaning in our work.

It’s become increasingly obvious that the dismal science of economics is not as firmly grounded in actual behavior as was once supposed. In “Predictably Irrational,” Dan Ariely tells us why. Continue Reading

4 Reasons Why Employers Must Encourage Telecommuting

Why should employers allow employees to work from home?  The following post has four good reasons.

2.5% of the U.S. employee workforce (3.1 million people, not including the self-employed or unpaid volunteers) considers home their primary place of work. it is also estimated that 20 to 30 million Americans work from home at least one day a week.-According to an analysis byTeleworkResearchNetwork.com Attract and Retain Employees

Originally posted here:

4 Reasons Why Employers Must Encourage Telecommuting

Do Job Boards Still Matter?

Yes, job boards still matter.  They are a convenient method of searching the latest job postings or different categories such as job title or location.  While new recruiting strategies such as social media and mobile may come into play, job boards can incorporate them to help people find jobs.  As a result, you would expect job boards to have more success by expanding their audiences to those who use social media and mobile devices. Continue Reading

Moneyball for Recruiters: How Data-Driven Analytics Are Revolutionizing Corporate Hiring

Sarah White, Principal & CEO of Sarah White & Associates, LLC

Interesting discussion today at HuffPost Live about how the same data-driven analytics that revolutionized talent evaluation in pro sports are now being applied to the broader marketplace. Will the evolution away from traditional sourcing techniques, resumes, assessments, and other traditional hiring practices and toward new technology help or hurt?

The consensus — as well stated by my friend, Sarah White — was that the new techniques will help employers and candidates alike as the new technology will help the two connect even if they’re not aware of each other.In addition, the new technology is enabling employers to move away from flawed personnel selection tools such as Myers-Briggs and other personality tools.

Some of the most interesting aspects of the discussion to me were: Continue Reading

Job Boards Aren’t Dead. They’re Evolving.

Mark Mehler and Gerry Crispin of CareerXroads

Mark Mehler and Gerry Crispin of CareerXroads just released their Annual Sources of Hire (SOH) Study, which is one of the most referenced and authoritative snapshots of how large, highly-competitive, high-profile firms define and measure the talent supply chain.

The SOH report is a glimpse of where employees – actual hires – were found. This data is important to organizations as they look to find and hire new employees. It is equally important to job candidates as they seek the most effective channels to a new job.

Interesting findings from this year’s study include: Continue Reading

Does March Madness Boost Morale in the Workplace?

It is that time of year again when college basketball fans brace themselves for March Madness.  However, can all of this excitement affect morale in the office?  Learn more in the following post. Continue Reading

Filling Finance Jobs a Challenge for CFOs

If you’re looking for a job in finance, then employers are looking for you.  Learn more in the following post.

The outlook for professionals such as financial analysts and senior accountants is increasingly bright, and talent shortages are leading to higher salaries for in-demand specialties, new research from Robert Half International shows. Nearly three in five (59 percent) chief financial officers (CFOs) interviewed for a Robert Half survey said it is at least somewhat challenging to find skilled financial professionals today. Continue Reading

What women really want in the workplace (and why men matter)

Female dressmaker working on clothes with a mannequin. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

If you want to start a fight at the next big family gathering, you could bring up the issue of gender and employment. Since long before the feminist movement hit center stage in the 1960s, social and academic commentators have been arguing over the role of women in the workplace.

The discussion has moved beyond simply should women work to how and why they want to. While it is now a given women can work in virtually any role currently occupied by a man, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are motivated by the same factors as their male counterparts. Continue Reading

Media Screening – Helping to Avoid Brand Damage Through a Bad Hire

Bill Tate, President of HR Plus

In today’s economy, where jobs are still scarce and the competition for open positions is fierce, how does a company know they have selected the perfect candidate for an executive position? Sure, you have completed numerous face-to-face interviews, the candidate has passed the background check, fingerprinting and drug testing, and references have been called. But what else should you know? Continue Reading

82% of Applicants Expect Answers From Employers Yet Only 25% Get It

Sanja Licina of Careerbuilder

Job hunting can be a frustrating process especially if you have no idea whether the employer made a decision or even saw your application. More than one in four workers reported that they have had a bad experience when applying for a job. The vast majority (75 percent) of workers who applied to jobs using various resources in the last year said they never heard back from the employer, according to a nationwide CareerBuilder survey.

While this speaks to the challenges of finding employment in a highly competitive market, it also brings to light negative implications for today’s employers. The survey shows candidates who have had a bad experience when applying for a position are less likely to seek employment at that company again and are more likely to discourage friends and family from applying or purchasing products from that company. The study of more than 3,900 U.S. workers was conducted online by Harris Interactive^© from November 1 to November 30, 2012.

How important is it to acknowledge every job applicant? Continue Reading