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 Employers Want: 12 HR Hot Buttons

Dawn Dugan, Salary.com contributing writer

The competition is fierce in today’s job market, and standing out in the crowd is more important — and challenging — than ever before.

How do you know you’re giving employers exactly what they are looking for? This article explores 12 human resources hot buttons. Continue Reading

97% of Employers Have No Plans to Eliminate Telecommuting a la Yahoo! and Best Buy

Marissa Mayer of Yahoo!

When big box retailer Best Buy followed in the footsteps of Yahoo! Inc. by altering its telecommuting policies for employees, some undoubtedly concluded that there would soon be a flood of companies doing the same.  However, a new survey indicates that Best Buy may be in the minority, with the overwhelming percentage of companies planning to maintain their telecommuting policies.

According to the survey, 80 percent of the 120 human resources executives polled said their companies currently offer some form of telecommuting option to employees with 97 percent of them saying there are no plans to eliminate that benefit. 

The survey was conducted by global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. in the days following Yahoo’s widely reported and controversial plan to bring work-at-home employees back to the office. Continue Reading

Employees Rank Effectiveness of Employee Training Programs

Where do industries rank on the effectiveness of their employee training programs?  Learn more in the following post.

Earlier this year, ON24 announced the findings of its 2013 Employee Training Survey of over 500 American workers, aged 18 and older, conducted online by uSamp.  The survey, which was aimed at revealing how employees regard on-the-job training, found that fully 100% of the respondents say that employee training is important – but that not all industries train their staffs successfully. 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

Most CIOs Say Their Companies Don’t Capture Customer Data

Does your company collect customer data?  If not, it is not alone.  Find more information in the following post.

Big data is not without big obstacles for some CIOs. In a survey from Robert Half Technology, 76 percent of CIOs (chief information officers) said their companies don’t presently gather customer data such as demographics or buying habits. Less than one in four (23 percent) executives interviewed for the study said their firms do collect this type of information. Among those that do, more than half (53 percent) said they lack sufficient staff to access customer data, and generate reports and other business insights from it. Continue Reading

Workforce Trends to Watch in 2013

Both job seekers and employers should be aware of workforce trends which may affect them in 2013.  Learn more in the following post.

As we continue into 2013, what trends will drive the workforce and what can businesses and job seekers expect to see in the months ahead? With recent advancements in social media, an increasingly diverse workforce and continued demand for skilled talent, employers and job seekers have much to prepare for in the New Year. 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

Recruiter’s Advice: 5 Things Employers Look for in Entry-Level Job Candidates

Dunya Carter

A fresh graduate is always intimidated when going in for his or her first real job interview, and many feel that no matter what they apply for they are woefully unprepared and unqualified – especially in this economy, when even jobs advertised as entry level are apparently seeking years of experience. But regardless of how many flourishes are requested in the help wanted ad, many employers are really looking for a few basic things for entry level positions, and all of them are more than attainable for the new worker. 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