80% of Employers Call References and 16% of Those Call Before Job Interviews

Rosemary Haefner of Careerbuilder

A new study cautions job seekers about the references they cite when applying to companies. Three-in-five employers (62 percent) said that when they contacted a reference listed on an application, the reference didn’t have good things to say about the candidate. Twenty-nine percent of employers reported that they have caught a fake reference on a candidate’s application.

The study was conducted by for Careerbuilder by Harris Interactive© from August 13 to September 6, 2012 and included 2,494 hiring managers and human resource professionals and 3,976 workers across industries and company sizes.

“You want to make sure you are including your biggest cheerleaders among your job references,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. “Before choosing someone, ask yourself ‘Did this person understand my full scope of responsibilities? Can he or she vouch for my skills, accomplishments and work ethic?’ You also want to make sure that you ask your former colleagues if you can list them as a reference. If someone is unwilling, it helps you to avoid a potentially awkward or damaging interaction with an employer of interest.” Continue Reading

Lessons Learned by Employers Impacted by Hurricane Sandy

Mark Mehler and Gerry Crispin of CareerXroads

By Mark Mehler and Gerry Crispin of CareerXroads

Four weeks after Sandy, life is getting back to normal – or is it? Walking the dog around a relatively unscathed block of homes in central NJ (miles from the shore), reminders are everywhere. Tons of debris in front of every home (more than 40 homes); the noise of still more 75-foot oak trees being cut while leaning precariously over homes rends the air; blue tarps draped over roofs (5 homes) that were speared with limbs weighing tons; and a flatbed truck finally easing up behind a flattened neighbor’s car (where my 75 foot oak fell). I check to make sure he doesn’t accidentally take the new car next to it.

Sandy was a storm that has little comparison even to Katrina although we can take some comfort that lessons learned from that catastrophic event seven years ago were likely responsible for preparations last month that saved lives – response speed and pre-positioning among them. Continue Reading

5 Biggest Turnoffs for Employers Interviewing for Seasonal Jobs

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

What are the biggest turnoffs for employers when interviewing for seasonal jobs?

A recent survey of employers indicated that a lack of flexibility or expressed interest top the list followed by: Continue Reading

On the Day the iPhone 5 is Announced, Remember Those Who Make Them

In the ongoing debate about globalization, what’s been missing is the voices of workers — the millions of people who migrate to factories in China and other emerging countries to make goods sold all over the world. Reporter Leslie T. Chang sought out women who work in one of China’s booming megacities, and tells their stories.

In her reporting and writing, Leslie T. Chang explores the lives of workers in China, focusing on the experience of women. Some of those experiences are horrible and some are positive. In the words of Esther Hartwig, “I read her book ‘Factory Girls‘ a couple of years ago and thought it was great, definitely an eye-opener. You can’t compare our view on factory work to their view; they come from a different place, they have a different background and a different mentality. From what I understood, they are brave, hard-working and independent people, and they have a plan. I hadn’t thought of Chinese factory workers as much more than people who work under horrible conditions, but after reading the book and being introduced to different aspects of their lives and what they have to say about it, I think I have a better understanding now and surely a lot of respect.” Continue Reading

5 Tips for Securing Your Work Laptop and Mobile Devices

How secure is your information at work? Of the 26 percent of workers who reported having office laptops, 61 percent said they have critical, sensitive information stored on them. According to CareerBuilder’s latest nationwide study, a significant number of workers may be putting their company or themselves at risk by failing to secure their laptop, sharing passwords or clicking on links from unknown sources. The study was conducted online by Harris Interactive© from May 14 to June 4, 2012 and included more than 3,800 workers nationwide.

What type of proprietary information is stored on laptops?

In addition to office-related data and documents, a notable percentage of workers said their laptops currently house a variety of personal files. When asked to identify the type of sensitive information that can be found on their office computers, workers with laptops pointed to: Continue Reading

58% Experience Road Rage Commuting To or From Work

A new study shows workers may have more than heavy traffic to contend with on their way to work. Fifty-eight percent of workers who drive to work said they experience road rage at times while traveling to and from the office, similar to findings in 2006 when the study was last conducted. Nearly one-in-ten workers (9 percent) who drive to work have gotten into a fight with another commuter. The study was conducted online by Harris Interactive© from May 14, 2012 to June 4, 2012 and included more than 3,800 workers nationwide.

The vast majority of workers (83 percent) said they typically drive to work and, of those, 12 percent reported they took a job with a longer commute during or post-recession. While incidents of road rage are more prevalent among those with lengthy commutes, workers with short trips to their jobs aren’t immune. Thirty-seven percent of workers with commutes of less than five minutes said they experience road rage from time to time. The same goes for 54 percent of workers with commutes of less than ten minutes.

Gender and Age Comparisons

Women were more apt to feel road age – 61 percent compared to 56 percent of men. In terms of age groups, workers ages 25 to 34 were the most likely to experience road at 68 percent while workers 55 and older were the least likely to experience it at 47 percent. Continue Reading

Honor Student Has Baby, Loses Healthcare, Becomes Homeless, But Now Back in School

MoniKea Hatten of Glen Ellyn, Illinois had always been a good student and driven to succeed even though she grew up without much support or the means to accomplish many of her goals. She lost her job in 2007 and enrolled at the College of DuPage in an effort to upgrade her education and make herself more marketable to employers and a more productive member of society.

In 2010, MoniKea Hatten was an honor student but also pregnant. She was unable to finish a summer course scheduled to end July 27th because she delivered her baby on July 12th.  Because she didn’t complete the course, she lost her financial aid.

In 2011, MoniKea turned to WorkNet DuPage to see if they could help her find a way to continue school. Many barriers, however, stood in her way. She had no means of transportation and soon became homeless. Paying for childcare was out of the question. Roseanne Deane at WorkNet recommended a program called LEAP at People’s Resource Center. MoniKea called. “My life has never been the same,” she said. “LEAP gave me provisions for transportation and incentives to help pay for childcare. I didn’t have much money, and it was very difficult to travel 4 ½ hours every day using public transportation from a shelter in Villa Park, but I did it.”

PRC taught MoniKea how to network, and today she is working and continuing her education. She credits LEAP for both. Currently, she is looking for housing for her son and herself. “Everything’s a stepping stone to my destiny,” MoniKea said. “PRC is my home, and the people at PRC are my family. Any young person seeking change should check out PRC. They push you forth into your life. Seriously, they will work with you until you are on your way.” Continue Reading

Must Interns Be Paid?

Whether an employer must pay an intern for their work depends on the experience they will receive. Although the Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to pay at least the minimum wage to employees, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has developed six criteria for identifying which learners/trainees may be unpaid. Note that the DOL’s use of “learner/trainee” is equivalent to the commonly used term of “intern.”

The six criteria are: Continue Reading

Worst Interview Mistakes

In a labor market where a single open position can receive resumes from dozens, even hundreds of hopeful applicants, just getting to the interview stage is an accomplishment for many job seekers. But once one lands the elusive interview, what are the sure-fire ways to make the wrong impression?

Most Harmful Common Mistakes

Hiring managers say the following are the mistakes most detrimental to your interview performance: Continue Reading

Dating Website Helps Managers Sleep With Potential Hires

I founded this business 21 years ago and really thought that I had seen just about everything in the employment world but then a press release crossed my desk today that made my jaw drop. Incredibly, SeekingArrangement.com bills itself as a dating website for Sugar Daddy’s (typically male managers) and Sugar Babies (typically female job seekers). Not sleazy enough for you? These, ahem, matchmakers are now trying to leverage the recent revelations that President John Kennedy apparently had an 18 month affair with a 19 year White House intern.

Which sleaze to tackle first? Well, let’s start with the JFK story. According to her recently published memoir, Mimi Alford had an 18 month affair with President John F. Kennedy when she was a 19 years old virgin, while she was working as a White House intern. Though this revelation may come as a shock to those who thought the White House would be resilient to such clichés, it actually marks the beginning of an upward trend in American society. Today, such workplace affairs between a much more powerful Sugar Daddy, and a much younger Sugar Baby is, unfortunately, already well entrenched in the American popular culture. Continue Reading