Becoming what is known as an Employer-of-Choice (EOC) has always been a challenge - sometimes more than others.
The bad news - this is one of those times! Scarce financial and human resources in almost every organization, skittish customers, volatile markets, returns lower than they have ever been in many sectors and too many people out of work for much too long.
The good news - becoming an EOC doesn't require throwing money at the problem. The principle distinction of an EOC is its culture - the collection of ingredients that creates the recipe for the way an organization gets things done.
Continue reading "3 Tips for Creating an Employer of Choice Culture"
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 20, 2009 at 2:17 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
Technology can be a wonderful servant ... and an awful master.
To find work faster, remember that your goal with any gadgetry or software -- from smart phones and email to Linkedin and Twitter -- is to meet people who can hire you.
With that in mind, here are two ways to find a job -- one high-tech and the other very low -- from Australia. How can you adapt them to your search?
1) Tweet and Meet
Jade Craven (www.jadecraven.com), in Geelong, Australia, found work in August 2009 by doing a few smart things on Twitter.
Continue reading "Job Search Technology: From High to Low -- and No"
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 20, 2009 at 10:30 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
The job market is flooded with candidates, but employers don't want to hire just anyone. They want to hire people who will fit well in their companies. It's not easy to convey company culture in a job description so it might be better to use employee testimonials on the company career site.
Research shows that candidates respond well to hearing about companies from people who actually work there. A study done by the American Psychological Association (APA) discovered that job seekers responded better to video or audio testimonials than to text and pictures. The study also found that candidates like to use video testimonials to help them gauge whether or not they will be a good fit for a company and vice versa. With video testimonials, it's important to use employees who sincerely enjoy their jobs and who are representative of the company's culture.
Showing candidates the kind of challenges they could face, giving them a glimpse of where they might end up working and who they might end up working with could help employers attract desired candidates.
Attracting talented candidates in the current job market is easy, but attracting the right talented candidates is tough. Employers who are willing to spend the time and money on video testimonials for their companies' career sites could vastly improve their chances of attracting qualified candidates who will be good cultural fits, too.
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 19, 2009 at 3:04 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
Workplace Expert Identifies Eight Mistakes That Can Hinder Holiday Breaks
During the holiday season, we all may make questionable choices, like wearing knitted snowman sweaters, overindulging at the dinner table or serving turducken. But according to administrative staffing firm OfficeTeam, the decisions professionals make before going on vacation can mean the difference between a relaxing respite and a harried holiday.
"Taking time off provides an opportunity for employees to recharge and come back to work refreshed," said OfficeTeam executive director Robert Hosking. "However, those who don't lay the proper groundwork before they leave may find themselves constantly connected to the office while on holiday breaks or overloaded when they return."
Continue reading "Time-off Tips for Turkey Day"
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 19, 2009 at 2:23 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
Culture Change: altering the way an organization operates and conducts its business happens in one of two primary ways:
Most professionals know that changing the culture of an organization is the most difficult task anyone can attempt. However, as economically induced organizational upsets have occurred and been addressed often with organizational realignment or restructuring activities, organizational culture has been collateral damage. Because many changes have been unplanned, they may have been accompanied by some unintended and negative consequences.
Continue reading "Corporate Culture Skidding Off the Rails?"
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 19, 2009 at 2:05 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
Over the next few weeks, we'll be counting down the top 10 most "noteworthy" verdicts/settlements from the past year, according to the fine folks at Jury Verdict Research.
Here's #9 . . .
$4 Million for Blood Test Retaliation
In Schumann v. Dianon Systems Inc., a pathologist sued his employer, a health care laboratory, for wrongful termination and retaliation.
Schumann was employed from January 1993 through April 2005 at a Dianon Systems lab in Connecticut. In February 2005, the lab started using a new blood test to detect kidney disorders. Schumann complained to a VP of the company that the test wasn't supported by the latest scientific research and could result in false positives that might endanger patient health. He contended that his continued opposition to the test resulted in his being fired on April 4, 2005.
The company denied the plaintiff's claims. It asserted that its laboratory methods were appropriate and that the pathologist was terminated for legitimate reasons unrelated to his opposition to the test.
The court sided with the plaintiff, awarding him $4 million in compensatory damages.
Lesson for Employers
Four of the top ten big-$$$ cases this past year were for retaliation. As discussed here yesterday, be very careful that any adverse employment action you take as an employer is based purely on concrete, job-related reasons 100% unrelated to employee actions protected by law. If an employee complains -- especially about company actions that could potentially endanger others -- be extremely, really, very careful before taking action against him or her.
Article by Mark Toth, Chief Legal Officer of Manpower's North American operations, and courtesy of Manpower Employment Blawg. Mark also serve as Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President of Franchise Relations and serve on our Global Leadership Team, North American Lead Team, Executive Diversity Steering Committee and Sarbanes-Oxley Steering Committee.
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 18, 2009 at 1:46 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
Because they have so many candidates from which to choose these days, employers have become increasingly selective. They want to find the "perfect" candidates. But how can they when nobody is perfect? Finding the right job just got a little bit harder.
"The pursuit of perfection is a powerful trend in the present job market," says Guy Nadivi in his article, Why You Shouldn't Hire a Perfect Job Candidate, "and it's rip tides are sweeping suitable job candidates off their feet and out to sea."
Continue reading "The Quest for the Perfect Job Candidate"
Posted by Candice Arnold on November 18, 2009 at 12:16 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
