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

Increased Layoffs in Q1 Led by Retail, Government Woes

John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas

The nation’s employers reported job cuts totaling 49,255 in March, a decline of 11 percent from the 55,356 cuts announced in February, according to the latest report on downsizing activity released Thursday by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.  Despite the decline, quarterly job cuts reached their highest level since 2011.

March job cuts were 30 percent higher than a year ago, when employers announced plans to shed 37,880 workers from their payrolls.  This marks the second consecutive month and the fourth time in the last six months that the job-cut total was higher than the year-ago figure.

Employers have now announced 145,041 job cuts through the first three months of 2013.  That 5.6 percent higher than the previous quarter’s 137,361 job cuts and 1.4 percent higher than the 143,094 job cuts announced in the first quarter of 2012.  The first-quarter total is, in fact, the highest quarterly tally since 233,258 job cuts were tracked in the third quarter of 2011. 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

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

Higher Home Prices Likely to Lead to Surge in Employees Quitting Jobs

John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas

With the recent report on home prices showing the biggest year-over-year gain in more than six years, one employment authority predicts a surge in relocation by job-seeking homeowners in 2013, which could ultimately help to accelerate the decline in unemployment rates.

“One factor that has kept unemployment rates high has been the inability of underwater homeowners to relocate for employment opportunities.  With home prices bouncing back, even those who may now simply break even on a home sale might consider moving to a region where jobs are more plentiful.  This could spark a more rapid decline in the unemployment rate over the next year,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.  Continue Reading

College Recruiting Bootcamp at LinkedIn Head Office on May 13, 2013

LinkedIn head office

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network on the Internet, and CollegeRecruiter.com, the leading niche job board for college students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry-level jobs and other career opportunities, are co-hosting a half day college recruiting conference on Monday, May 13th at LinkedIn’s corporate headquarters in Mountain View, California.

No Selling

During the keynote and presentations there will be absolutely no selling of any kind. There will be no exhibit hall or sponsors and all presenters and attendees will be corporate or government recruiting and human resource professionals. No third party recruiters. No career service office professionals. No vendors. Just your peers.

TedX-like Format

The College Recruiting Bootcamp will feature today’s most innovative thought-leaders in the college and university relations space. Attendees will enjoy a fast-paced, interactive learning environment as presentations will be 20 minutes or less. That lightning fast pace will force presenters to be razor focused on their topics. Continue Reading

Telecommuting Benefits Environment, Worker Productivity, Job Satisfaction, and Profits

John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas

With a new report detailing the growing cost of daily commuting to and from work, one workplace authority wonders if it is time for the nation’s employers to make a serious commitment to expanding the use of telecommuting strategies.

“Right now, a very small fraction of the nation’s workers who could viably work from home on a regular basis are actually doing so.  By not expanding the use of telecommuting, employers are negatively impacting the environment, worker productivity, job satisfaction and, most importantly, their bottom lines.  And, it is not a lack of technology or other resources that is holding back this expansion.  It is simply a lack of vision, a shortage of trust and an irrational adherence to antiquated notions of how and where work should be done,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Continue Reading

Video: The Ultra-Flexible Hidden Corner of the Job Market

Plenty of people need jobs with very flexible hours — but it’s difficult for those people to connect with the employers who need them. In this Ted Talk, Wingham Rowan explains how the same technology that powers modern financial markets can help employers book workers for slivers of time.

Wingham is the Project Director of Slivers-of-Time Working, a U.K.-based, government-funded initiative that uses advanced (but easy-to-use) trading technology to help individuals who need to work on their own terms and at times of their choosing connect with employers who need their labor. Employers expanding their workforce in this new way include local authorities, housing associations, National Health Service Primary Care Trusts, retailers and caterers.

Rowan is the former producer and presenter of the UK’s longest running television series about the Internet, cyber.cafe, and the presenter of the children’s TV program Rowan’s Report. He’s is the author of two books about the social potential of online markets.

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70% of Workers Say Increased Pay Key to Their Retention

Rosemary Haefner of Careerbuilder

If you could have one perk – any perk – in your workplace, what would it be? If you had the choice, would you rather have a bigger title or a bigger office? If you were thinking about leaving your company, what would make you stay? A new survey explores which job factors are most important to today’s workers. More than 3,900 full-time workers nationwide participated in the survey conducted online by Harris Interactive from November 1 to November 30, 2012.

Nearly one-third of employers (32 percent) reported that top performers left their organizations in 2012 and 39 percent are concerned that they’ll lose top talent in 2013. While most workers (66 percent) stated that they are generally satisfied with their jobs, one in four (25 percent) said they will change jobs in 2013 or 2014. Continue Reading