It's that time of year again... the time of year when you look to the year ahead as a clean slate and make resolutions to do better, to be better, to be happier, to make changes.

Unless you are perfect and live a perfect life in a perfect world there is probably room for change in your world. It's the New Year and what better time to take a look at your life and make a plan for where you want to be at the end of 2009.

Change could mean a new career, a new job, a new opportunity, or even just a new way of doing things. Maybe you'd like to spend more time with your family and finally get a hold on work-life balance? Maybe you'd like to advance your career by way of a promotion? Maybe you'd like to make a career change all together? What ever it is - now is the time for you to make changes - call it a New Year's Resolution, call it a goal, call it whatever you like just make some changes!

Last year I posted a list to help get started with your New Year's Resolution and this year I've switched it up a little...

1. Do you have a personal brand? Not sure what a personal brand is? Learn more about what it is and why you need one here.

2. Are you embracing Social Media? It's easy and free. Don't be afraid and start slowly but what ever you do put yourself out there and help recruiters find you!

3. Are you afraid of a risk? With the current state of our economy aren't we all a little scared? See what's available within the company that you are currently working for. You never know... you might be able to transfer within. Sodexo prides itself on providing growth opportunities for all of our employees.

4. Do you have a wish list with your top ten personal and professional priorities? Does your work fit into your home life? For some people, work is the top priority but for others it might be second or third. If spending more time with your family is top on your list - make it a priority on your wish list. Companies like Sodexo are embracing this concept with new programs. More on Sodexo's Flexible Work Arrangements initiative next week.

5. Are you networking? Join online networking communities (see #2 above Facebook or Linkedin would be a good start) and join your industry related associations or local business groups and attend the meetings. You never know what opportunity might be waiting for you with a friend or a colleague.

6. Do you have a plan? A career plan and/or personal plan? Clear concise goals and long term plans will help you focus. Make sure your plan is flexible and realistic. If your New Year's Resolution is to find a more rewarding career, Sodexo might be able to help you...click here to learn about career options at Sodexo.

We all have unsolicited advice we are dying to share... this is your opportunity.

What are your career and personal well being bits of wisdom?

Me? I am happy professionally but.... yesterday I had coffee for breakfast, chocolate covered pretzels (about 201 of them) and diet root beer for lunch, and a bowl of cereal for dinner. Does anyone want to take a guess at what my New Year's Resolution is going to be?

Courtesy of Sodexo Careers Blog Making every day a better day.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 31, 2008 at 12:32 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and Employment Standards Administration (ESA) publishes a final rule that modernizes the H-2A program for employing foreign workers in temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs, and enhances important worker protections.

"These reforms will improve the operation of the H-2A program for agricultural employers and help ensure that the employment of temporary foreign workers does not adversely affect U.S. workers," says Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

Many of the program's regulations have not been updated in more than 20 years. Last year, only about 75,000 positions were certified to be filled by legal H-2A workers, while there are an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 undocumented workers employed on America's farms. The changes will update the H-2A program to improve the process for hiring legal foreign agricultural workers when no U.S. workers can be found. Unlike the proposed AgJOBS legislation, which would arbitrarily slash agricultural workers' wages, the revised H-2A regulations will set required wages according to prevailing local market rates, a methodology that has been used successfully in other temporary worker programs. Regulatory updates include reducing unnecessarily duplicative filing, and federal and state government review of applications. Required employer recruitment for U.S. workers will begin earlier, thereby giving U.S. workers additional notice of available jobs, and employers will be required to submit an initial recruitment report to the department prior to receiving certification.

The rule establishes enhanced penalties for violations and new tools to ensure employer compliance, including audits, revocation of approved labor certifications, increased debarment authority and substantial increases in fines - up to $100,000 for violations resulting in serious injury or death of a worker. The rule also will prohibit employers and recruiters from charging fees to workers for access to jobs, a practice that in the past has led to many reported abuses. The Office of Management and Budget has cleared the rule: the rule will take effect January 17, 2009.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 31, 2008 at 12:11 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Who's hiring? Let's go right to the source, Company Career sites. Taking a look at some Company Career sites yields a surprising number of job postings. While Job Boards and Recruiters sometimes list stale jobs (jobs that have been filled or "put on hold") through no fault of their own, Company Career sites tend to list only actively recruited positions.

UPS:

Shipping giant UPS' career site is jam packed with information. The tabs at top link to job search, careers and general information about UPS. The left hand side of the page has featured jobs, employee videos, and an entire section for managing your career search on their site. You can register and complete an application online. There are several hundred jobs posted across the US and you can narrow your search by state.

Best Buy:

Number 66 on the 2008 Fortune 500 list, this electronics retailer has over 8,000 jobs listed on their site across the US. There are sections on Students and Entry level jobs, New Store opportunities, a search by key word and differentiation by retail versus corporate careers. You can join their Candidate Community, which will put you on their radar for jobs that match your background (or apply for one of the 8,000 positions listed on their site).

Apple:

Apple's Job Opportunities site is segregated by Apple Pro, Student and Apple Store opportunities. Apple has 770 jobs listed on their site. You can sign-in and register on their site or search for jobs based on various criteria. Their Student site provides information on the company as well as information on Campus Events. There is even a specialized search just for College Grads. "How to Apply" gives a full overview on how to apply for specific positions.

International Paper:

International Paper is known for paper and packaging. There main career page has sections on Featured Positions, Company overview, International Positions as well as a Student section. You can submit your resume, do a general job search or search by featured positions.

Good luck in your search.

Article by, CareerAlley

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 31, 2008 at 11:44 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I know for a few of my non recruiter friends the immediate response will be, "There is such a thing as a smart recruiter?"

Yes friends with all sarcasm put aside there are. In fact most are smart and good at what they do but like most industries a small percentage can ruin it for the group at large.

Jason Davis is running a "contest" at RecruitingBlogs.com called "Are You a Smart Recruiter?" The site is nearing 15,000 members and at each milestone Jason does a contest of sort. You can find out more by clicking Are You a Smart Recruiter?

The contest is sponsored by the folks at SmartRecruiters, an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) provider.

So far 35+ recruiters have participated and you can read the entries by clicking What makes me a Smart Recruiter.

What follows is my entry:

I am not so convinced I am a smart recruiter because 75% of what I know has come from trial and error and 25% from listening to what others do and then make it work for me in the way I do things. Maybe the combined knowledge of messing things up and listening to smart folks makes me a smart recruiter.

Here are five reasons for my success:

- Short memory and avoiding the roller coaster. In football they say the best cornerback's have a short memory. What they mean is whether you gave up a touchdown, got an interception or usually something in between you have to forget what just happened and think about the next play. The common analogy is riding the roller coaster. It is hard to see this business clearly when your emotions are all over the place. Keeping the highs and lows not so extreme has served me well.

- I ask a lot of questions but the most important part is to listen and take good notes. I do this with almost every conversation I have. I will ask a candidate five different ways what the salary requirements are, same with the client on what is most important to them. A recruiter needs to know what really motivates both parties in order for a placement to benefit both the candidate and client.

- Do right by the client and the candidate. We are asking clients to trust our evaluation of talent and the marketplace and based on our information will invest lots of time, energy, salary, benefits and our fees. We ask candidates to pursue opportunities with our clients that will have an impact on their career paths and financial security for their families. I know if I do right by them my business, financial security and family will be well.

- I use a variety of tools without which my career as a one man band of a search firm likely would have ended years ago. Among them: phone, email, blog, social media, newsletters, RSS feeds, sponsoring events, speaking before groups, referral networks, talent pipelines, SEO and creating interesting and optimized job ads. Not every tool is right for every search but because of the niche and location I am in the previous in some combination always works well.

- #1 reason: Most days I like most people and most days most people like me.

Article by Paul DeBettignies and courtesy of MN Headhunter -- where they "play with their cards face up."

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 31, 2008 at 9:54 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The second guest blog post about social media and online communications predictions for 2009 is by John Breslin:

The two tools that I've found most useful for sharing information online this year would have to be the "Twi-ns" (non-identical!): Twitter and Twine.

I'll talk about Twitter as my "favourite social media tool of 2008" and share some details of Twine, describing what I hope to use both tools for in 2009.

My Most Effective Online Media Channel In 2008

Twitter, the world's favourite microblogging site, is great for getting a snapshot of what's going on/interacting with your community or communities of interest. It's a bit like what we had a few years ago in terms of Irish blog aggregators, where you could scan the headlines of all Irish blogs and have a feel for what was going on at a particular point in time, except on steroids. Continue reading about Twine and Twitter in 2009 ...

Article by, John Breslin and courtesy of Krishna De and Biz Growth News blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 30, 2008 at 10:04 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In a previous post, I wrote about the importance of hiring great people during a recession. Every expert who repsonded to my query agreed that it's important to hire great people whether the economy is up or down, but that during a down economy, companies are less able to afford the costs involved in replacing candidates who fell short of employers' expectations.

One of the experts who responded to my query was Dr. Robert Kinsel-Smith, author of "Discover Your Blind Spots," a book that "provides tools and advice on how to find great people."

Here are a few tips Dr. Smith offers for finding the highest quality entry level job candidates:

A. Have your interviews put the candidates to the test - don't have them be controlled environments but ones where how they perform under stress is demonstrated.
B. From the person's past determine if this is a person who attracts successful people - great people attract successful people, weak people attract people who are mediocre.
C. Use a tool like ZeroRiskHR's hiring tool - which helps direct the interview process and uncovers potential pitfalls for each candidate.

Finding great employees is a difficult task, but starting early might help a little, regardless of what the economy is doing. Companies that offer internship programs can stack the deck in their favor by hiring the best interns and making sure they have challenging, rewarding and interesting internship experiences. By cultivating great interns, the companies increase their odds of hiring great recent graduates for entry level jobs.

Since not all the jobs that companies offer are entry level and employers still need to know how to discern great candidates from average candidates, Dr. Smith suggests looking for the following characteristics:

A. Great performers want to work with and for this person
B. They are teachable and continually growing
C. They don't confuse words with actions - realizing that actions and outcomes are the basis of success
D. They have their areas of responsibility under control, they secure desire results, and they make their bosses' jobs easier.

The economy won't stay bad forever, but having the best possible employees on staff while it is will certainly make getting through it a lot easier to manage.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 30, 2008 at 10:03 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

While the past few years have seen a proliferation of social media tools - blogs, micro-blogs, social networks, discussion boards, podcasts and virtual realities - I look forward to a convergence of these tools and technologies in 2009 and beyond.

As I look back on the development of social media in an Irish context during 2008 I am conscious of how much it has come into our mainstream thinking and language. More and more people that I talk to know what Facebook, Bebo and LinkedIn are.

Downloading and listening to video and audio podcasts is something most Internet users seem comfortable with. Continue reading about social media convergence ...

Article by, Brendan Hughes and courtesy of Krishna De and Biz Growth News blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 30, 2008 at 8:57 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

With so many companies downsizing and going out of business, it's no surprise that there are a lot of people actively looking for new jobs. Ironically, according to Ronald Katz in his article for ERE, "What's So Great About Passive Candidates," recruiters tend to shun active job seekers. The way Katz describes recruiters' disdain for active candidates sounds as if it's the challenge of wooing someone away from a current employer that gives them a thrill. To them, people who are looking for new jobs, even if they already have them, must be troublesome.

The way things are right now, disregarding active job seekers could cause recruiters to miss opportunities to hire really great candidates who had the misfortune to work for companies that collapsed as a result of the recession. "[I]n this time when literally tens of thousands of people are losing their jobs, it's crazy to assume that everyone who is out there looking for a job is 'damaged goods,'" says Katz.

Katz goes on to point out that passive candidates are much harder to attract in today's economy because they're reluctant to let go of the jobs they already have. Experience has taught us that there are no guarantees. A company that's strong today, could suffer significant losses in the near future and be forced to lay off some of its employees. Who wants to take that kind of chance unnecessarily?

"There are all kinds of reasons that people are actively looking for work, and most of them do not cast a pall on the applicant," Katz says,

• "What if I need to find a job because my wife is being transferred to Chicago?


• What if I need a job because my company is going out of business or laying people off?


• What if my company just merged and I'm being proactive in positioning myself on the market before the company starts making up their RIF lists or transferring departments and people to other states?

• The man who is looking because his wife transferred has shown that he is a good team player who can support others.


• The person who's lost a job due to a business folding has learned valuable skills about how to survive in a difficult environment.


• The woman staying ahead of the curve by looking before the merger RIF's hit has demonstrated a keen business sense and the ability to be proactive and in control.

A final, interesting point that Katz makes is that not all passive candidates are the "creme de la creme" that recruiters assume they are. Just because someone is currently employed and not looking for another job doesn't necessarily mean that he's a good candidate for a job offer, Katz remarks. Without a background check, essentially, there's no way for a recruiter to know if he's wooing someone who will really shine or someone who should be written in as a character on "The Office."

I guess the moral of the story is: Just because a candidate is actively looking for a job, that doesn't mean he isn't worthwhile, and just because a candidate isn't actively looking, that doesn't mean that he is.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 30, 2008 at 8:34 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Many candidates ask me whether or not they should pursue an MBA. Will they make more money in their next position? Will they be promoted more rapidly?

Many will not like my answers here but they are just based on my experiences. I, myself, have an MBA. So I can, also, speak from my personal journey.

First, should I get an MBA? The answer is yes! More education is always best. If you use that education to excel at your job, if you truly learn something in those courses and apply that to your job for greater productivity or a better thought process.

But I would say that I met many MBA's that just check the box. In either case, the MBA on the resume may get you in the interview process because it may be a gating factor. Also, some hiring managers buy into its value and give candidates with the degree more credence than candidates without the degree.

Will you make more money? In my area of expertise (sales and marketing), the answer is that you will not be compensated higher just because of the degree. However, again, if you use the education to be better at what you do then invariably you will make more money.

As a sales representative, the financial experience I got in my MBA courses gave me tools to position my company and products for greater success. It follows that if you are more successful at your job you will be promoted faster!

So, to summarize, yes you should get an MBA if you aspire to be more. If you will use it! Or if you want to avoid being passed over because you have a manager that uses education as a gating factor.

One exception - I do not see the value if you already have a business degree.

Article by Medical Sales Recruiter

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 29, 2008 at 11:27 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

My annual holiday column comes a bit late, so I'll just post the ghosts of blogposts past on my recommendations for candidates and recruiters over the holiday.

This is a short week. If you hate your job, you're probably loving that you get two and a half days of work, followed by another half day on Friday. If you're freaked out by the economy, you're probably wishing you had more time, and wondering what January will be like.

I'm with you. I've been there. In December 2004, my last year working for someone else, I faced an action plan at a new company. The work I did from Thanksgiving to New Years jumpstarted my best earningyear ever. I made a placement a week from the first week in January to the third week in August, and ended the year with over 70 hires and my first six figure year.

In December 2000, I was in Los Angeles in the midst of the dot-com bust. The work I did from Thanksgiving to Christmas gave me a string of hires from January to September that built my book as other recruiters and account managers were laid off. It was my best year to date, until the September attacks cut short our recovery.

In contrast, in December 2001, I used my time unemployed to visit friends, hang out at bars, spend time with family, and stay up till three of four o'clock reading. I had a small severance and California unemployment, and so I waited until the second week in January to get started on my job search. It took me seven weeks to get hired as an account manager (which was still pretty good), but money was so tight by that point, I was living at home with my parents, driving a car with a cracked windshield, and 30 pounds overweight.

It's not too late to start.

Get your resume ready. Plan out your call list. Go to the library and build a list of companies you'd work for and with. Start calling immediately. The work you do (or don't do) right now will make the difference in the New Year. Think of it this way. If you were in a race, and got to start 10 minutes before everyone else, wouldn't you take that shot if the prize was a job? Well, it is a race, and the prize is a job. Ready, Set, Go!

Article by Jim Durbin and courtesy of StlRecruiting.com

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 29, 2008 at 11:23 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Much of recruiting is done electronically these days through social media sites, text messages and targeted emails. Some thoroughly embrace it, while others, like Stephen Lowisz, still believe in the personal touch. In his article for ERE, "Technology: Recruiters' Friend or Foe?" Lowisz tells a story about one person who told him email and text messages were the only means of communication recruiters should use to get in touch with candidates. Like Lowisz, I doubt the wisdom of such an idea.

Although text messages and targeted emails can help recruiters reach more desired entry level job candidates in a shorter span of time, I still advocate campus visits. Meeting the people who will one day fill the jobs or internship positions that companies have to offer could make all the difference in the world. It would give recruiters the opportunity to observe how certain candidates relate to others. And in this world of emailed resumes and video interviews, having recruiters come to the campus to actually shake their hands and look them directly in their eyes might make them feel extra special.

"Within the recruitment profession today, technology has moved from a tool to identify candidates and create efficiencies to a mechanism that replaces real relationships," Lowisz laments.

Recruiting, he says, is sales and should be conducted as such. According to Lowisz, "Every Sales 101 class teaches us that there are five main steps in the sales process:

• Develop a relationship
• Identify the need
• Overcome objections
• Fill the need
• Advance the sale"

I guess the real solution is something that falls in between relying solely on technology and continuing the practice of campus visits. As Lowisz sees it, technology should be used to complement the more personal, "hands on" side of recruiting entry level job candidates, not replace it altogether.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 29, 2008 at 10:37 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In these tough economic times, many companies have had to maintain or cut back on employee bonuses or find alternative ways to treat their employees this holiday season. In her article for Respectful Workplace, "Creative Ideas for Rewarding Your Employees," Melanie Sklarz cites a survey done by CareerBuilder.com and an article in the Wall Street Journal as sources for her information.

It's a good idea for employers who can't give monetary gifts to their employees this year to find a way to show them that they are appreciated. Not only does rewarding employees for their loyalty and dedication help them, it helps the company, too. Top employees can't be wooed away to better jobs by recruiters from other companies if they feel valued where they are.

According to the Wall Street Journal, these are some of the alternative ways that employers can show their appreciation:

"Give extra paid time off. Maybe you can't afford to lay down $500, but you might be able to spare an employee for an extra day or two.

Feed them a feast. One lunch or dinner isn't too budget-breaking, and many employees still appreciate time to catch up and network with colleagues socially - even if an open bar and DJ isn't involved. It could be a basic catered lunch or, if that's still too pricey, even an employee potluck.

Think bare essentials. In bad economic times when many are scraping by financially, often bare essentials like gas or food are much appreciated gifts. Think about the possibility of giving employees a gas card or even a fruit basket."

The holiday season isn't ended, yet, so there's still time for employers to come up with some innovative ways to retain their best employees. And it's especially important for employees who recently started entry level jobs and students gearing up for spring internships to understand that although money is tight this year, employees and interns are still valued and their hard work is greatly appreciated.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 29, 2008 at 6:17 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

The other day I received a friend request on Facebook from a name I didn't recognize. When I looked at the photo of the person requesting my friendship I didn't recognize her because she had a Halloween costume on! I was able to view part of her profile but the information available did not reveal enough information about who she was. I could see her name was "Jane Doe" (which I didn't recognize) and I could see that she was from a city in Florida but, I couldn't see her education information or her work history and she didn't personalize her friend request.

So I did not accept her friendship.

I didn't decline the friend request... I sent her a message looking for more information. She did not respond to my message.

It was at that moment that I truly understood the importance of information sharing. If you are going to ask people to be your friend on Facebook or any other social networking site it would be best if you have a photo of yourself without the Halloween costume and at least include a little bit of information about who you are and where you've been so your "friends" can confidently welcome your friendship - especially if you are going to use these sites to help with your job search Add even more value to your friend request and Include a personal message. A simple "Hi my name Jane Doe and I am interested in a career with Sodexo" would be sufficient or "Hi Kerry, remember me? We went to college together in 1988."

What about you?

Do you accept all friend requests even if you don't know who they are?

Courtesy of Sodexo Careers Blog Making every day a better day.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 26, 2008 at 9:18 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Job search engine and recruiting advertising network, Simply Hired, Inc., releases November employment data for location and occupation searches in the United States. Despite the traditional lull in job seeker activity during the holidays, site usage increased by 27% during the two weeks ending November 20, 2008 as compared to the two weeks ending November 6, 2008. Over the course of these two-week periods, New York topped the list cities with the most searches with an increase of 104%, followed by Sunnyvale, home of ailing internet giant Yahoo and Symantec, with a percent increase of 67%. Sacramento (62%), Miami (58%) and San Francisco (57%) rounded off the top five. The number of searches decreased in a few cities, including Oakland (-37%), Cincinnati (-21%), and San Jose (-13%).

The presence of certain occupations in searches increased as well, with 20 occupations increasing by 25% or more over the two-week periods before Thanksgiving. Searches for entertainment jobs such as actors, athletes, musicians and dancers increased the most (37%) followed by searches for math jobs like actuaries, research analysts and statisticians with a one-third increase. Other occupations with an increased presence in searches during November include production workers (32%), architectural and civil drafters (30%), and hotel jobs (29%). Searches for construction work and forestry occupations decreased slightly over the two-week periods.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 26, 2008 at 9:12 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

We live in a world of naysayers, doomsday predictors, pessimists and alarmists. They always see a theat that will bring us down, end life as we know it, wreck our dreams, play havoc with all we hold dear.

But they always overlook Malthus and the human ingenuity he preferred to ignore. An 18th century English economist, Thomas Robert Malthus predicted that the geometric growth in world population would ultimately outstrip the arithmetic increases in food supply.

End game: worldwide starvation.

What Malthus overlooked was the human drive to solve problems, to invent, to create fertilizers and farming techniques that would vastly increase the availability of food. Malthus rang the alarm bell and the enterpreneurs, the scientists, the doers who disdain the handwringers, answered and put the panic to bed.

Fast forward to the present. Here we are deep in a recession, perhaps on the precipice of a depression. It is just about the only thing anyone talks about. It blasts across the headlines. It screams throughout the talk shows. It is the stuff of dinner conversation and boardroom strategy. It is changing and diluting our capitalist system. It is causing runaway human angst. It is the sound and the color of FEAR. It is what Franklin Roosevelt warned about. It is what is keeping millions out of the Christmas shops. It is causing a growing number of companies to crawl into a bunker and hope to wait it out. To wish it away.

It is time to remember Malthus.

The world did not starve. It will not melt. It won't blow itself up. The business community, the economy, will not be sucked into a black hole. Yes, there is and will be pain. Millions more will be unemployed. Companies will fail and dreams will be dashed.

But the miracle workers who refuse to succumb to statistics, to the predictions of the college professors or to all of those who move through life from one would-be peril to another, they will develop a path to revival. Fear is contagious but they won't catch it. They know that every problem is an opportunity in disguise. They will not wait for or rely on a government rescue because there is no such thing. It has never worked. And it never will.

The entrepreneur is the machine of the economy. But she is more than that. She is the embodiment of the American spirit. She dreams in Technicolor. She has the guts of a marine. She has the creativity of Picasso.

The formula for success is really quite simple. Unleash the entrepreneurs. Get out of their way. Give them dollar for dollar tax credits for every unemployed person they hire. Let them dream and risk and build.

Put them in the driver's seat and put Malthus back in the history books.

Article by, Mark Stevens, the bestselling author of "Your Marketing Sucks," "Your Management Sucks" and"God Is A Salesman." Stevens is CEO of MSCO, a global marketing firm, who has advised many clients over the years such as Estee Lauder, Virgin Atlantic, Guardian Insurance, MONY, Giorgio Armani, Starwood, Intrawest, etc. Stevens delivers more than 40 speeches annually and is a regularly featured media commentator, lending his insights and opinions on Fox Business Network, to the Associated Press, on CNN International, BBC Radio and Bloomberg TV.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 26, 2008 at 7:58 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Mentoring Goes Beyond Professional Development

A recent Google search on the terms "importance professional mentor" gave me almost half a million results. Clearly, professional adults are turning to mentors for guidance on everything from networking skills to improving their performance within their current job.

However, professional adults aren't the only people who can benefit from good mentoring. Young people from pre-adolescents to those in their late teens frequently need mentors to provide a same-gender role model, an understanding ear -- and, yes, help in finding their first (or even second) job. Continue reading about mentoring ...

Article by, Dawn Wolfe and courtesy of George Lenard, the originator of George's Employment Blawg, has over twenty years of experience in all aspects of labor and employment law, including preventive law as well as litigation. His special interests include employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and noncompetition agreements. He is currently a managing partner with Harris, Dowell, Fisher & Harris, L.C., in St. Louis, Missouri, and lives in the suburb of University City with his wife and family.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 24, 2008 at 9:01 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

It's never easy starting a new entry level job. Feeling confused about what's expected of you or who is your immediate supervisor, only add to feelings of unease in the first few weeks. Dr. John Sullivan, in his article for ERE, "Onboarding Program Killers: 15 Common Errors to Avoid," says poor onboarding practices can cost companies talented employees.

"When managed well, onboarding programs can have a dramatic and measurable impact on employee productivity, retention, employment brand, service/product quality, workplace safety, and future hiring success," Sullivan advises.

"[M]ost programs have boiled onboarding activities down to all but the bare bones of administration. Every new hire, transfer, or merged/acquired employee gets the same information, on the same timeline, via the same channel," he adds.

Sullivan has a list of 15 common onboarding errors employers should avoid if they want to retain the top candidates they went to so much trouble and expense to hire in the first place:

1. The wrong definition and limited goals.


2. Overloading new hires.


3. Failing to extend the timeframe.


4. Not offering onboarding at multiple organizational levels.
The five organizational "levels" of onboarding include:
• Corporate level. Covering signups and corporate-wide values.
• Location level. Covering information and issues related to the country/region and the plant/facility where the new hire will be working.
• Departmental level. This level covers things related to the department the new hire is joining.
• Team/Job level. Covers things related to this person's work team and job.
• Individual level. Covers things at the team level that relate to the unique and diverse needs of this individual.
5. Unidirectional information.
6. No metrics or accountability.
7. Ignoring diverse needs.
8. A face-to-face approach. Sullivan recommends having "all necessary onboarding information" available online to accomodate people who work remotely and to save time and money.
9. A lack of integration.
10. Failing to make the manager's expectations clear.
11. Their manager is not present.
12. No compelling business case.
13. Run by benefits.
14. Failing to reinforce the employment brand.
15. Delays in offering onboarding.

Sullivan went on to detail problems and weaknesses in the administration of onboarding programs. Effective onboarding programs are key to employee retention. New hires who feel lost or disregarded aren't likely to stay very long so Sullivan advises employers to assess their program designs to ensure that they are rich with critical success factors and that they steer clear of program killers.

It's important to note that entry level job candidates sometimes come from companies' internship programs so how they welcome and orient interns might serve as a clue to what their new hire onboarding programs might be like.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 24, 2008 at 6:34 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Not long ago, I posted an article that listed certain career fields that are, essentially, "recession proof." It's because of such career fields that it seems like a bad idea to lay off recruiters. Unless the entire company goes under, recruiters will be needed to keep IT, accounting and other departments fully staffed. Not everyone will wait for the proverbial pink slip before hitting the bricks to look for another job. Some will "get while the gettin's good." So recruiters are as important during a recession as they are during economic boom periods ... maybe more so.

John Zappe discusses this issue in his article for ERE, "Despite The Numbers, This is a 'Different' Kind of Recession." Zappe points out that in previous recessions, recruiters were considered a luxury that companies could ill afford. Now, though, they see differently.

"What's different is that employers have more of a challenge hiring workers. Even while some workers are laid off, there are always some positions that have to be filled. These are the jobs that generate revenue or are otherwise critical to keeping the company operating," Zappe says.

Interestingly, as some companies opt to lay off all or part of their recruiting staff, they still need recruiting services, so they outsource these tasks to companies like The Right Thing. According to CEO Terry Terhark, "the company had its best third quarter ever and is on track to have an even better fourth quarter."

Pharmaceuticals and technology firms are still going strong. These are fields that will be in need as long as there are people and computers; however, it's not so easy for recruiters to entice top talent away from their employers these days. People are more willing to heed the old adage, A bird in hand beats two in the bush, during an economic downturn.

As Zappe says, this is a "different" kind of recession. Companies are still offering internships and hiring recent college graduates for entry level jobs. There's no need for panic, though, for many there is a cause for concern. Fortunately for recruiters, employers have realized that when it comes to finding and hiring the best candidates, nothing beats having an experienced recruiter.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 23, 2008 at 1:25 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

This is a great blog posting I came across this morning about resume fraud. It's about a women named Andrea Stranfield who lied on her resume and years later came clean! She wrote a book about her experience.

To Lie or Not To Lie - There Is No Question

When creating your resume, it is important to maintain a balance between including relevant information without overwhelming the interviewer with superfluous detail. Further, you should only include details you can provide evidence for, should this be required. There have been several documented cases of people lying on the resumes and suffering the consequences. And the worst outcomes don't always involved simple job loss.

Andrea Stanfield, for instance, told her employer that she had a business degree, when she didn't. She paved a well-regarded career for herself in management for several years before the stress of the lie became too much and she decided to come clean. She wrote a book about her experience called "Phony! How I Faked My Way Through Life". Audio interview: Phony: How I faked my way through life Her story certainly makes you want to think twice about any level of resume deception.

Of course, nowadays it's fairly difficult to tell too big of a big lie. Background checking by recruitment companies is stringent, and employers often turn to third party investigation firms to make sure that the wool isn't being pulled over their eyes.

More ...

Article by, Jason Morris and courtesy of EmployeescreenIQ

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 23, 2008 at 11:33 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Survey Identifies Need For Consultants For Financial Systems Upgrades

Just as a great mechanic can extend the life of an older car, a project consultant could be the Mr. Goodwrench of a systems upgrade. More than one-third (37 percent) of chief financial officers (CFOs) recently interviewed said financial systems upgrades top their list of projects for which they are likely to bring in financial consultants over the next three years.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Management Resources and conducted by an independent research firm from Sept. 23 to Oct.15, 2008, and is based on interviews with more than 1,400 CFOs across the United States.

CFOs were asked, "In which one of the following areas are businesses most likely to bring in financial consultants or project professionals over the next three years?" Their responses:

"Despite lean economic times, many companies have to bear the expense of replacing or modifying outdated financial systems to improve efficiency, and firms need expert help to implement these initiatives," said Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources. "These projects typically require highly skilled, experienced professionals for only a finite period of time."

McDonald added that using project professionals is a cost-effective staffing strategy and also can result in less need for continual layoffs and rehiring due to business fluctuations. "When used properly to augment staff, bringing in skilled consultants can increase productivity, profitability and morale."

Robert Half Management Resources was founded in 1997 and is the premier provider of senior-level accounting and finance professionals to supplement companies' project and interim staffing needs. The company has more than 150 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.roberthalfmr.com.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 23, 2008 at 9:57 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Given these tough economic times, more and more employers are facing RIFs. One RIF-related question that employers frequently ask is: How much severance is appropriate in exchange for a release of claims?

A recent Right Management study answers that question and more. Right Management is a subsidiary of Manpower and the world's leading provider of integrated human capital consulting services and solutions across the employment lifecycle.

According to the study, U.S. employees receive the least amount of severance in the world, with many countries paying more than twice as much on average for certain positions. Below are the mean weeks of severance paid in the U.S. per year of service:

Voluntarily Separated

Top Executives: 2.76
Senior Executives: 2.23
Department Heads/Managers: 1.55
Professional/Technical: 1.39
All others: 1.23

Involuntarily Separated

Top Executives: 3.04
Senior Executives: 2.49
Department Heads/Managers: 1.78
Professional/Technical: 1.60
All others: 1.44

Never, ever, never pay severance unless an employee signs a release. According to the study, most U.S. companies (96%) follow that practice.

According to Right Management President Doug Matthews: "Severance can be used as a strategic tool to differentiate an organization in the tough war for talent and should be directly aligned with a company's business strategy and brand value. Severance benefits should be consistent with the values and culture an organization espouses."

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 December 23, 2008 at 9:35 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

A 199-year-old economic theory may provide -- possibly for the first time -- the theoretical framework needed to effectively align strategic personnel policies with organization and management strategies, according to new research from The University of Alabama.

"Our paper is grounded in established 'rent' theories, but it takes us to places we haven't been in explaining how human resource management can influence a firm's success," says Dr. Clint Chadwick, an associate professor of management in UA Huntsville's College of Business Administration.

"This research is getting a lot of play because it has the potential to solve problems for people who heretofore haven't had good tools for solving those problems. This can tell me which kind of strategic HR system will work best within a firm or even within different parts of a firm. Nobody has done a good job of linking strategies and HR systems in a specific way.

The underlying problem has been that strategic human resource management (SHRM) research has been phenomenon rather than theory driven, Chadwick said. "We need good theories so we can know what to do with the data." That and the shortage of hard data make it difficult to study cause-effect relationships between SHRM and corporate success or failure.

"If you look at what most firms say about their people being their most important assets, that's mostly hot air," he said. "Everyone understands that employees are important to competitive advantage, but there's been little specific guidance for capturing that importance. We know there is smoke but we don't know what the fire is or how to start it."

Chadwick and Dabu propose solving the theory problem by dipping into economics for "rent theories," the first of which was formulated by David Ricardo around 1809. (It is "rent" theory because Ricardo was studying why certain farm land was worth more rent than other land.)

In economics there are three kinds of "rents." Knowing which kind of rent relates to the employees in an organization might help managers align their HR strategy to an organization's goals because different rents require different HR policies.

In rapidly evolving industries, for instance, where it is important to gather and use employee knowledge to develop or improve goods and services, Chadwick said, "I can change my compensation system to reward sharing information. On the other hand, if you put in cross-discipline management teams but don't reward people for the team's productivity, you've blown it."

There are challenges in applying rent theory to human resources: "HR is unique because employees have free will. We don't have to worry about keeping a piece of real estate engaged and fulfilled. That's not true with people. If you don't engage people, it's easy to screw things up."

"This is relatively unexplored territory relative to other areas in business." This research by Chadwick and Adina Dabu at HEC School of Management in Paris has been published online and will be in the February 2009 edition of the journal Organization Science.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 23, 2008 at 9:12 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Interview With Bob Bishop, St Louis Marketing Recruiter

1. You're a marketing headhunter. What exactly does that mean? Narrow it down for us.

It means that I'm an Executive Recruiter specializing in Marketing. I'm using Marketing as an term encompassing other aspects of marketing like advertising, sales promotion, online marketing and corporate communications. In my case, I'm a retained marketing recruiter which means that the client actually pays a percentage of our fee "upfront", to engage our services. I specialize in the marketing industry that I've been a part of for over 35 years. I'm a marketing headhunter because I have expertise in that field, which is appreciated by both marketing candidates and clients in need of marketing executive search.

As a headhunter, I identify, recruit and hire candidates in partnership with my clients. My goal is to find the finest talent available, matching my clients' needs . . . whether they are actively looking for a job, or very happy in their existing position.

2. What are the top three positions you recruit for?

The top three positions are:

• VP of Marketing
• Senior Interactive Strategist
• Creative Director

3. What is the single biggest mistake that candidates make when they interview with a client?

They don't ask enough thoughtful questions in their first interview. It's imperative that a candidate find out everything they can about a company before they interview. They should know what that company does and how they do it. They should know what the corporate culture is and what the company values in employees. They need to put themselves in the position of actually getting the job and then asking themselves, "How can I best prove value (and succeed) to my employer?" What is something that's been missing (from the department of company) in the past that I might provide? What's the most important thing for me to do when I start? Is there an issue that my boss needs addressed as soon as I start? What's the one thing that the employer is missing in his department (that I might be able to provide)? How can I contribute beyond my literal job description?

In my experience, the more thoughtful the questions are, the better. There are other obvious and more literal questions that I would expect any candidate to ask about things like benefits, start times, direct reports, etc., but not necessarily in the first interview. The purpose of that first meeting is simply to see if the candidate and employer have a mutual interest in a second meeting. The idea is to make it obvious to the hiring authority that you've given serious thought to how you might best contribute to the Employer.

4. What are some good ways for candidates to get noticed by you?

Send a personalized cover letter. If it's apparent to me that someone has taken the time to go through my website (http://www.Bishop-Partners.com) or has followed my blog ("The Perfect Fit" at http://www.TheMarketingRecruiter.com), I'm much more willing to spend some additional time with them. Conversely, if someone sends me a cover letter that is obviously the same letter of introduction they send to everyone else, it tells me they don't really care, or worse . . . they're lazy. It's essential to stand out from the crowd at every opportunity. Then, send a hand written thank you note after every meeting!

6. What is different about recruiting in St Louis from other areas of the country?

St. Louis is a "tiny town". Being a marketing recruiter in St. Louis, means being known by one's reputation and successes. There's a genuineness about how people interact . . . usually. I find that using a very open, honest, straightforward approach is appreciated and embraced. The marketing community is rather small by comparison to some other markets. Candidates and clients often seem to have the impression that they (already) know each other. In my experience, more often than not that impression leads to conclusions that aren't always true. I frequently spend time dispelling rumors, straightening out misconceptions and talking about "realities", to both my clients and my candidates. I can do that because as a retained recruiter I have the ability to spend enough time with both clients and candidates to have sufficient information to know what's true, and what's not.

7. Do you currently read Blogs or use any of the new Web 2.0 tools to recruit?

I've been very pleased with LinkedIn. My LinkedIn profile has been a powerful tool in having premier candidates get in touch with me. Additionally the LinkedIn database is an outstanding tool for research and identifying passive candidates. When I contact a "passive candidate" through LinkedIn, my profile helps give me credibility. I've also found my Plaxo profile, has been a useful tool.
Additionally my blog at TheMarketingRecruiter.com, has been a wonderful tool in supporting my approach to retained marketing recruiting and retained advertising recruiting. It helps establish industry knowledge and enhances the trust that both clients and candidates have in my Company and me.

Reading industry related blogs as background for my blog is an outstanding way of staying current with what's going on in the world out there. I've found that the whole blogging process is helping me stay more current on latest trends in recruiting, marketing and advertising.

I also have a Facebook page and I'm on Twitter. I encourage any reader (happily employed or not), to invite me into their LinkedIn network and follow my blog.

8. List two trends affecting the St Louis marketing industry.

The current economy is obviously having a tremendous impact. The biggest issue related to the economy is no one knows what's going to happen next, so it's difficult to plan, or consider expansion and hiring additional staff. The second thing most affecting the St. Louis marketing industry is InBev's buyout of Anheuser-Busch. Again, nobody really knows what the result of that acquisition will be. Will they continue their marketing efforts at the same level with the same staff as before, or not? There's a pervasive "wait and see' attitude. What AB-InBev does has a ripple effect throughout the St. Louis marketing community.

9. Does networking work for candidates? Where should they hang out, if it does?

Networking continues to be the number one way for candidates to identify new opportunities. There are several associations, that support the St. Louis marketing industry. The Ad Club offers networking opportunities, and for younger professionals I enthusiastically recommend REBUS and their monthly visits to agencies. Additionally, there's the American Marketing Association, the Business Marketing Association and for those interested in online marketing, the Gateway Interactive Marketing Association (GIMA), is young and growing fast. Go to the monthly meetings of those associations and meet colleagues. Networking is a two way street. Successful networkers understand that it's important to contribute to everyone's networking effort, not just your own. You must be willing to give, to receive!

10. You're a retained search recruiter - explain, and tell clients how to reach you.

As a retained executive recruiter specializing in marketing and advertising, our client pays a fee "up front", as a commitment to the search. This advance payment enables the recruiter to spend the time necessary to get to know their clients' business and needs thoroughly. The retained recruiting relationship also allows the recruiter to spend the time to get to know the candidate in a more detailed way as well. The result is a more intensive, far-reaching and detailed effort to identify, recruit and hire absolutely the best possible candidates for our clients. I invite any interested clients to visit the Bishop Partners' website and then give me a call directly. We pride ourselves on being responsive to our client's marketing and advertising recruiting needs.

Article by Jim Durbin and courtesy of StlRecruiting.com

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 22, 2008 at 9:30 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Even in Current Economy, Employee Retention Top Concern, Survey Shows

A recent survey suggests today's employers are most worried about hanging on to good employees and bringing in new ones, even in the current economy. When asked about their greatest staffing concern, nearly four out of 10 (39 percent) senior executives interviewed cited employee retention, while 22 percent said recruitment. Productivity and employee morale were each named by 17 percent of respondents.

The survey was developed by Robert Half International and conducted by an independent research firm from Sept. 15 to Oct.15, 2008, and is based on interviews with 150 senior executives from the nation's 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked, "What is your greatest staffing concern?" Their responses:

• Retention: 39%
• Recruitment: 22%
• Productivity: 17%
• Staff morale: 17%
• Other: 3%
• Don't know: 2%

Messmer added that within a few specialties, recruiting in-demand skills remains a challenge. "There continues to be a shortage of skilled job candidates for positions such as credit and collections specialists and staff and senior accountants, and companies may not be able to offer generous perks and incentives to attract them."

Robert Half International has more than 360 staffing locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.rhi.com.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 22, 2008 at 9:13 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Millennials have gotten a bad rep because they have a tendency to change jobs frequently. For them, the idea of staying with one employer for five years or more seems to be unheard of. But it's not frivolousness or flightiness that governs their actions. According to Philip Gardner and Georgia Chao of Michigan State University, in their white paper, "Today's Young Adults: Surfing for the Right Job," young adults change jobs frequently and have many different experiences in an effort to discover their true identities.

More than 10,000 young adults between the ages of 18 and 28 were surveyed to help determine their attitudes toward work, life in general, and to discover why they job surf.

One reason for job surfing among today's young adults is a lack of loyalty. Already, many of them have seen friends and relatives laid off because of the failing economy. Reports in the news about large corporations going under only increases their uncertainty about the future, so naturally, if another company comes along with a better offer, they're going to walk.

There are a lot of things going on in the lives of Millennials. They're delaying marriage and starting families and are actually opting to live at home with their parents because their parents can afford to support them. In the United States, they're called "twixters" and in Japan they are referred to as "freeters."

The survey compared attitudes of "goal instability," "superiority," "job surfing," and "career/life vision" between young and older adults, and among races and socioeconomic groups. Young adults seemed to have less certainty about where they would be in 10 years than older adults and a higher sense of superiority. Among ethnic groups, Asians ranked highest in both goal instability and superiority, followed by whites, African-Americans, Hispanics and "Other" in that order. Interestingly, Hispanics tied with whites in their sense of superiority over others. This may be what drives older generations batty when they work with Millennials.

When the study compared attitudes between men and women, there were no surprises. Men agreed more strongly that delaying marriage was a good idea and they had a greater sense of supreriority.

Household income played a large role in whether young adults decided to job surf or not. Naturally, young adults from lower income families were less likely to engage in job surfing because, truthfully, it's a luxury they can't afford. College major also seemed to play a signicant role in their decisions. Students who majored in education, computer science, and health professions showed less inclination toward changing jobs frequently than did those who majored in social sciences, liberal arts, or communications.

So what does all this mean? It means that employers who have a better understanding of this generation will be better equiped to choose the right candidates for their organizations. They will know what kind of questions to ask during interviews in order to determine if the candidates will be good fits for their companies, but long-term fits, too.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 22, 2008 at 7:42 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Following Google's Lead Might Help Improve Recruiters' Campus Relations

There's a reason why so many college students send applications to Google, whether they're interested in technology-related jobs or not. Part of the reason is Google's willingness to get inside the heads and their target audience and relate to them on their level. According to Dr. John Sullivan, in his article for ERE, "The Google Recruiting Machine Rolls On With Google's College Ambassador Program," recruiters for other companies can learn a lot from Google.

"The number-one weakness of all college recruiting programs is their inability to maintain a 'continuous presence' on campuses throughout the academic year. Every firm is forced by travel expenses and a finite supply of recruiters to limit the number of days they can have a recruiter on any particular campus," Sullivan says. This is probably especially difficult now that we're in a recession.

Even Google realizes that they can't afford to maintain a "continuous presence" on the most desired campuses because it's just too much of a strain on the company budget. That's where their ambassador program comes in. They recruit college students to represent the Google brand around campus, paving the way for recruiters when they arrive for events like career fairs.

Some of the benefits of an ambassador program, Sullivan says, are:

• Credibility


• Knowledge of the campus


• Enthusiasm


• Low-cost


• Relationship building


• Educating Googlers - meaning Google employees and recruiters get educated about the campuses and their individual cultures.

Google isn't perfect, of course. Like any company, they have areas where they need some improvement, but overall, Sullivan feels that in the race for the best and brightest talent coming off of campuses today, Google is one of the companies to beat.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 22, 2008 at 6:59 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Now is not the time for companies to limit their hiring options by rejecting out-of-town candidates. In his article for ERE, "How to Hire True Diversity and Get Beyond Hiring Only Local Candidates," David Dalka addresses the issue of companies willingly providing for summer interns and recent college graduates, but rejecting the idea of paying for upper level new hires to relocate.

When he Googled the phrase "local candidates only," he received over 250,000 choices for primarily low skilled jobs like cashiers, retail workers, etc. To his surprise, when he added first "vp," then "mba" to his search terms, he received more than 5,000 choices each time. Naturally, the reason for this comes down to money.

"Long-standing, legacy budgets fund college graduate and intern relocation programs and are regularly renewed while mid-level, experienced-hire budget resources are highly irregular and often insufficient to acquire the best talent," Dalka says.

Many companies don't have a sufficient budget to cover the expense of hotel accommodations and airfare during the interview process. Dalka suggests that it's worth their while to set aside a separate pool of finances, strictly for the purpose of financing candidates' travels during interviews or for providing relocation assistance to new hires.

Dalka gave the following suggestions for hiring a more "geographically diverse" workforce:

• Actively seek out renters as candidates - it's easier for renters to relocate because they tend have accumulated less "stuff" than people who own their own homes.
• Target veterans terminating active duty military service - combat soldiers and EOD techs aren't the only people separating from the military. There are also computer programmers, administrative support workers, doctors, nurses, etc. What they bring in addition to their job skills are teamwork abilities, discipline, and adaptability.
• Seek out spouses of recently relocated workers - to me this sounds like tapping local talent, but it's still a good source.
• Target individuals who have shown an interest in your geographic region - this can be done via the Internet. Dalka also suggests keeping an eye out for candidates to who send letters to the company specifically stating their interest in relocating to your area.
• Focus on sourcing candidates who previously lived in your region - this is key for companies located in large, heavily populated cities like New York. If the candidate lived there once before, there's no concern that he might not be able to handle it.

It's important to have a diverse workforce, especially in the fast-paced era of the 21st century; and diversity is about more than race, gender or disabilities. It's also about bringing in people who have a completely different perspective because they grew up in small towns, in rural areas, or close to a beach. It's well worth the time and money spent for companies to find ways to continue growing and staying competitive by hiring people from various parts of the country.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 22, 2008 at 6:50 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

Festive frolics are being dampened by the downturn in our economy suggests a recent survey by job site, RecruitIreland.com. In fact, nearly 35% of employees have stated they will not be having a Christmas party this year and out of these, 4 out of 5 blame the state of the economy. For those who are having a party, 2 out of 5 respondents claim that their party has been scaled down on previous years. Although many companies have certainly taken a hit in recent months 60% feel employers are using the economic downturn as a reason to scale back on spending on social events. However, the question is, does the cancelling of this Christmas ritual actually have any effect on employees' attitudes? Of the respondents,

• 77% believe that the cancelling of the annual bash has a negative effect on staff morale, divided by


• 46% believing staff need to be shown appreciation and


• 31% believe it makes employees feel worried and concerned about the future of the company.

On the flipside, 68% of employees say if the party was cancelled it would have no effect on their loyalty to the company and that they understand that savings must be achieved somehow. "From the results we can see that it is important for staff to feel that their hard work is appreciated, especially in these uncertain times. So our advice to employers is to make sure to have some sort of social event to show their appreciation, even if it is only drinks after work in the office and talk with your staff to help them understand the position of the company so that they do not worry and can feel as secure as possible in their jobs," says RecruitIreland.com's Rebecca Clark. Furthermore, money seems to be at the top of everyone's wish list this Christmas with 91% of employees claiming they would prefer to get a bonus than have a Christmas party. However, only 20% of employees say they will receive a bonus this year, a significant drop from last year when 46% indicated they would receive a bonus. As for salary increase next year,

• 45% believe they will get a salary increase,


• 43% think they probably will not and


• 12% have been told they will not be getting a salary increase.

So with the outlook for 2009 looking uncertain people plan to take control for themselves by making a New Year's resolution. 54% said they would make a resolution, with the top resolution being to lose weight at 50% but closely followed by getting a new job at 45%. So although people are worried they are still prepared to go out and look for a new job so it's all the more important for employers to embrace the Christmas spirit and show employees their appreciation.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 22, 2008 at 6:06 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In today's challenging times, many of us are brushing up on our job interview skills, and we here at the Blawg are eager to help.

So as an aid to job seekers and a service to hiring managers and HR people everywhere, I humbly offer this post in the interests of preventing otherwise fine people like yourself from doing stupid things during your job interviews. G.L.

I'm not trying to be callous, but if you read this post and avoid these missteps, you will surely live to interview another day.

Three nuns walk into a bar . . .

Don't tell jokes. Really. Jokes are great opening lines or ice breakers at parties, but not when you're sitting across a desk from a hiring manager. The odds of you offending someone (or even worse, telling a bad joke) are too high. Don't do it.

If humor is an important part of who you are, find a way to share an interesting anecdote about a work-related event. But for everyone's sake, please don't hit them with a joke.

All kinds of #$%#@!!!!!

Whatever you do, don't swear. Can't believe anyone would do such a thing? Think again. No, really - it happens often enough that this bears saying: no matter what you know about the person with whom you're interviewing, don't drop any verbal bombs. Not even one of the smaller ones.

Besides the obvious risk of offending your interviewer, swearing during an interview can make you look smug and too comfortable. Even some folks who swear up and down in the hallway every day may not like your doing so in an interview. If you need to show your ability to adapt to the culture, there are other ways to do it.

The Long and Winding Yarn

No matter whether you're responding to a question, you feel incredibly nervous or you're eager to share, don't tell that long story about your epic request to fill your customer's order the day every printer in the office went down. Long stories are boring, obviously off topic and slow the interview down to a terrible crawl. Especially if you only have 30 minutes with an interviewer, keep your answers short, direct and full of relevant examples.

The emperor's old clothes

Stay away from your rumpled ties, the blouse with the hole in the armpit, or those ill-fitting, off-color dress pants your Aunt Esther gave you last Christmas. Maybe you haven't noticed that your clothing looks like it would be rejected by Goodwill, but the hiring manager will.

Um....isn't that a little...personal?

Whether your Aunt Esther disappeared in the Bolivian jungles last October or your cat Bunny disappeared last week, remember that your personal hardships are just that -- personal.

Whether in response to a question about a gap in your resume or explaining why your last boss didn't like you, do everything you can to keep things objective. Try to keep your emotions to a minimum and avoid personal stories.

A death in the family is painful and sounds like a reasonable thing to share. Unfortunately, such stories often make hiring managers uncomfortable or else they make a stronger impression on the hiring manager or HR person than all of your professional achievements. Be remembered as a strong contender, not an object of sympathy, after you leave your interview.

Imitation is the strongest form of flattery, yes, but...

Maybe this is just me, but the interview preparation expert who suggested many years ago that you match the body language of your interviewer was wrong. Very, very wrong.

If you have ever interviewed someone who sat up when you did, leaned back with you and otherwise repeated your every move...it's creepy. While there is a way to generally match the overall tone of the interview, you don't have to do it literally.

Second, make sure to be yourself. If the authentic you is personable and business casual, don't go out of your way to match a highly stiff interviewer's style. After all, part of vetting the company is to pick up on these cues, not match them.

Chatting...and chatting...and chatting...and...

Some people just love to talk. Are they trying to fill up time to avoid more questions? Are they just social people? Are they nervous? Or have they been stranded on a secluded island for seven years and haven't had a chance to speak with another human being for a long, long time? Honestly, I think it varies.

The point here is that some interviewers don't know how to stop you, so you have to stop yourself. There are also interviewers who will (intentionally) pause and let you keep on in the best tradition of the Energizer Bunny. So, don't feel a need to fill the void with a more detailed answer. If the interviewer appears to be lacking their next question, be ready to ask them one.

It's an interview, not a political debate -- please, answer the questions!

Sometimes I will ask a question three or four times. Why? Because the job candidate hasn't answered it yet! Whether on purpose or not, it is frustrating for the interviewer. Often I keep asking because I believe the person has the answer I want and they just need some help. Sometimes I worry that I am not being clear. Other times I just don't want the candidate to blatantly avoid the question.

So, as a job candidate, (1) be a good listener (2) answer the specific question with good, relevant examples and (3) ask for clarification if your first answer doesn't seem to deliver.

Ten o'clock shadow grown to an eleven o'clock stubble? It's time for a shave

Hollywood actors like Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp are famous for wearing thin mustaches or goatees. They get away with it because they are famous actors, and are frequently sporting the new facial hair in preparation for a new movie role.

You are not Brad Pitt and you are not preparing for a movie role.

But, you say, "This mustache is part of who I am!!" OK, if it looks good (thick and full without too much gray), no problem. If it's something you've grown over the past 3-4 weeks waiting for interviews, do us all a favor and save it for later.

It's an interview, not a triathalon

A job interview is not and should not be a physical endurance test. If you're offered a drink of water, take it. If you're offered a chance to use the rest room, take it.

These are legitimate offers, not cruel tricks to see if you'll bite. Accepting a glass of water does not make you look weak.

I say this because I have offered water to many an interview candidate who, twenty minutes into the interview, clearly needed a drink of water. Dry mouth doesn't just make you sound like an overwrought bullfrog -- it also weakens your confidence as you focus on your thirst instead of the current question.

And a strong Honorable Mention goes to . . . excessive name dropping

The hiring manager does not care if you once shook Warren Buffett's hand or sat in the same restaurant as Bill Gates. If you've been playing "who's who" during your interviews, please stop.

Hiring managers genuinely want to like you. Your resume, cover letter and/or phone interview suggested good things to come. This means they want to be impressed by you, not by the fact that you've met Britney Spears.

Article by, Tim Tyrell-Smith at Spin Strategy -Tools for an Intelligent Job Search

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 19, 2008 at 5:09 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

One of my clients recently told a story about her first day on the job as the head of HR. Before she had poured her first cup of coffee, a senior level director asked for help putting together an exit plan for a chronic under-performer.

She pulled the employee's file and found that the last 5 ratings were all "Excellent". After questioning the director about the discrepancy, this senior level manager sheepishly admitted that he had never addressed the performance issue, but regardless the employee "needed to go".

Having a good sense of humor but also wanting to make a point she said to the director, "Well, given what I've just learned I'm wondering who we should be talking about an exit plan for?"

It may be hard to believe that a senior level manager could ignore a performance issue to this degree but the fact is that managers at all levels, in all industries, avoid key performance conversations -- all the time.

Corporate Star or Slacker?

Was this employee a top performer as the consistent "Excellent" ratings would suggest? Or did the employee really "need to go"? In this case, the employee had been a strong contributor whose performance dropped after an organizational restructuring. Had the performance issues been addressed earlier, it is likely that this employee would have gotten back on track instead of being the target of an exit strategy.

It is important to recognize that effective employee performance discussions are critical to differentiating between chronic underperformers and employees who have potential to be more effective or even star performers. When managers avoid performance discussions with their teams, they risk pushing potential top talent out the door or creating a safe haven for underperformance.

Retaining Talent - It's Not the Job of HR Alone

In most organizations the job of attracting, retaining and developing corporate talent falls into Human Resource's lap. They are expected to come up with the silver bullet that will have the best and brightest banging on their corporate door, and once in, never wanting to leave.

Interestingly, the most successful talent management initiatives I have witnessed have been those where HR turns the tables and gets the entire organization - specifically people who manage employees - to take responsibility for attracting, retaining and developing people. Without this shift in ownership the most brilliant, well-funded, comprehensive talent management approaches will fall flat.

It's our managers who are in the unique position to separate the stars from the slackers. Every day they get a close up look at their employees' talents and areas that need development. They are the people who really know what is going on, but they often lack the skills and know-how to communicate the information that can help the employee to develop and improve.

When they lack these skills, critical but usually highly manageable performance issues get ignored, employees become disengaged and miserable and talent either walks out the door or incompetence finds a nice place to hide.

The Truth Will Set You Free

The key to effectively managing talent is getting those responsible for managing employees to tell the truth about performance issues. There seems to be no end to the excuses people will give for avoiding difficult performance conversations. But ignoring them is an enormous disservice to the employee, the organization and to the manager who is shirking his/her responsibilities.

While no one likes to hear how they may be falling short of the mark, the alternative - an unexpected walk to the door - is even less appealing. And what if you are actually walking strong contributors to the door because your managers don't have the skill set to address the stickier performance issues? Or, are writing people off because they haven't gotten the right feedback to get them back on track? You might even be harboring incompetence because your managers don't know how to move people up or out.

The Bad News

I have heard many creative solutions for solving performance issues:

• I won't ask her to be on a project team again.
• We'll keep our distance from Jim to minimize the amount of time we have to spend dealing with him.
• Let's just eliminate the job and the employee.
• We won't let him interact with clients anymore.
• We'll "promote" her into a job where she has minimal interaction with colleagues.
• I will call HR and ask them to fire her.

These classics and others like them are designed to avoid handling the root issue. In fact, the only thing these solutions accomplish is to allow the manager to bypass addressing the issue because they are afraid of handling it in the first place.

Often managers solve one problem only to create a bigger one. One vivid example of this involved an accounting manager who excelled at the technical side of the job but was a nightmare when it came to managing staff. After five long years in the job, his boss came up with what he thought was a creative solution. The accounting manager was "promoted" into an individual contributor role with responsibility for generating financial reports.

On the one hand this employee was removed from supervising employees but whenever an accounting operations manager position opened up this employee would apply. Each time he applied HR would cringe and have to rationalize why someone else was selected. This employee could not move past the fact that he was no longer managing people. From the employee's perspective this creative solution was a failure.

Most employees pick up on surreptitious changes to their role in the organization. As a result, these employees often disengage and under-perform to an even greater degree. There is no substitute for making the employee aware of the issue and providing the opportunity to improve.

So, the bad news is - ignoring performance issues doesn't work.

The Good News

Three truths represent the good news on why effective discussion is the key to improving employee performance.

1. For each of their employees, managers have the best perspective on the greatest opportunity for performance development. Therefore they have the best opportunity and the responsibility to communicate high value developmental feedback and provide performance coaching to their employees.
2. When performance feedback is delivered in a performance coaching manner ("I want to help you out" fashion) the employee can usually make significant progress on the issue.
3. Giving difficult feedback doesn't have to be so hard (see last month's article The Three Keys to Making Tough Performance Conversations Easy).

Most people, if they are motivated enough, can manage an area of weakness. It is the job of HR to give managers the skills and tools to effectively address employee performance issues and not push potentially good talent out the door.

Article by, Jamie Resker and courtesy of Work Systems Affiliates

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 19, 2008 at 11:17 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

U.S. employers are proceeding with caution when considering hiring for Quarter 1 2009, according to the results of the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey conducted quarterly by Manpower Inc. "A significant percentage (67%) of employers plan to hold staff levels steady for the first quarter of 2009," says Jeffrey A. Joerres, Chairman and CEO of Manpower Inc. "This may suggest that a majority of employers are carefully monitoring the uncertain economic environment prior to making any additional employment decisions." Of the employers surveyed, 16% anticipate an increase in their staff levels during Quarter 1 2009, while 13% expect a reduction in their payrolls, resulting in a Net Employment Outlook of 3%. Furthermore, 67% of employers surveyed expect no change and 5% are undecided about their January - March hiring plans. "The large number of employers that plan to sit on the sidelines in terms of hiring suggests that while they may not be adding a lot of workers, they recognize that having available talent is critical to business success," says Jonas Prising, president of Manpower North America. "Employers who are smart are preparing now to be ready when the economy recovers," he adds.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 19, 2008 at 10:00 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Nearly One in Five Companies Have No Plans to Offer Training for Accountants in Next Two Years; IT, Finance Top Educational Options

Training is taking a back seat to other priorities in some accounting departments, a new survey suggests. Nearly one in five (18 percent) chief financial officers (CFOs) interviewed said they don't expect to offer employee training in the next two years. Among companies that do have training programs planned, 30 percent of finance executives plan to invest in information technology (IT) skills development and another 26 percent foresee offering courses in accounting and finance.

The survey was developed by Accountemps and conducted by an independent research firm. It was based on telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CFOs across the United States.

CFOs were asked, "Which of the following types of skills training are you most likely to invest in for your internal accounting and finance staff in the next two years?" Their responses:

"Employers seek accountants who are able to maximize technology to reduce inefficiencies and enhance profitability," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Human Resources Kit For Dummies, 2nd Edition (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). "Industry trends such as the impending U.S. adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are driving demand for professionals with IT systems proficiency and expertise with new regulations and reporting standards."

While employers may be tempted to eliminate training budgets during lean times, investing in staff education should be an ongoing priority, according to Messmer. "Forgoing professional development programs could cause firms to fall behind, hindering their productivity as well as their retention efforts when the economy improves."

Accountemps offers the following five tips for enacting training and development initiatives that don't break the bank:

• Explore e-learning options. The Internet offers a wide variety of effective training options for professionals while also saving employers the time and expense of sending personnel off-site for instruction.
• Take advantage of trade associations. Encourage staff to join professional organizations. These groups provide opportunities for their members -- often at a substantial discount -- to update their knowledge of business and industry fundamentals and acquire new skills through seminars, workshops and online courses.
• Establish a mentoring program. Mentoring is a cost-effective, easy-to-implement method to provide hands-on training to employees and promote knowledge transfer between seasoned and less-experienced professionals.
• Organize brown-bag training sessions. Provide in-house classes that can be taught by well-respected managers from within the company or recently retired employees.
• Invite others to share. When people take an online course or attend a seminar, ask them to discuss key learnings with the rest of the department.

Accountemps has more than 360 offices worldwide and offers online job search services at www.accountemps.com.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 19, 2008 at 8:54 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

A new paper by Creelman Research finds that an increasing number of organizations are making pay-for- performance programs successful through a combination of best practices and technology. By taking a new approach to pay- for- performance that emphasizes human behavior and leverages technology to simplify administration, organizations have the power to truly drive high performance. Authored by human capital analyst, David Creelman, the paper "Why Pay for Performance Can Work at Last," identifies examples of this approach to pay-for-performance among customers of Halogen Software, a provider of web-based employee performance and talent management software. "We've had the idea of pay for performance for hundreds, or even thousands of years, but the reality is that modern organizations are still struggling with how to actually make it work," says David Creelman. "With the advent of HR software that manages the process along with a new understanding of how to actually deliver these programs in a human way, pay for performance strategies are succeeding like never before." Traditionally, pay-for-performance strategies have failed for a variety of reasons. The Creelman paper finds that trend is now changing. Through a combination of best practices and new software technology HR professionals are finally creating pay-for-performance programs that deliver a more productive, aligned and engaged workforce.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 19, 2008 at 6:03 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

With anywhere from 4% to 10% of global companies undergoing layoffs, many employees find themselves in one of two categories: survivor or laid-off employee. In a time where high performance is critical, organizations that conduct layoffs may find that the survivors are disenchanted, de-motivated, and disengaged-characteristics that can drag down the fiscal health of the entire company. Global provider of talent management and retention solutions, Kenexa Research Institute (KRI) examines what is needed to support engagement of survivors and where companies may fall short. According to the analysis from the Kenexa WorkTrends™ database, employee engagement is statistically and practically lower for employees whose organizations have conducted layoffs in the past 12 months than it is for employees working in organizations without layoffs. In addition, the survey finds that both layoff and no layoff groups of employees need to feel confident about their company and in their future. Of those employees in organizations who have experienced layoffs in the past 12 months, however, fewer employees feel confident: only 43% of employees with layoffs report confidence in the future of their company, as compared to 61% of employees with no layoffs. Further analysis reveals where survivor employees are most vulnerable. In fact, 35% of the workforce whose companies have laid-off workers in the past year feel confident in their senior leaders, as compared to 45% if no layoffs. Nearly the same percentages apply for employees who feel they have a promising future at the company (35% if layoffs and 43% if no layoffs). "The results of this analysis provide companies that are undergoing-or planning to undergo-layoffs invaluable insight into how to keep survivor employees engaged," stated Jack Wiley, executive director, Kenexa Research Institute. "After the chaos of downsizing, it is imperative that leaders work hard to re-instill confidence in the viability of the organization, as well as set up support systems for work stress. The aftermath of layoffs is messy, but unwavering leadership can heal their organization more quickly by equipping employees to do more with less in their attempts to meet and exceed customer needs." The survey also found that the percentage of companies undergoing layoffs range widely from country to country, with Brazil reducing the most (10%) and Japan and Russia, reducing the least (4%). In addition, 43% of laid off workers are 25-34 years of age, and clerical and professional workers bear the brunt of the layoffs, 29% and 22% respectively

Four key themes emerged as drivers of engagement for survivors:

• Building confidence in the organization and leaders;
• Instilling optimism for the future;
• Caring for employees (e.g., managing stress and work/life balance, ensuring safety, offering adequate pay, supporting their community); and
• Training the survivors to keep the business running and serving customers.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 18, 2008 at 6:58 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Online resume-building resource, Pongo Resume, reveals that despite the media's broadcasts on a downturn economy, the U.S. Department of Labor reports that the nation's total workforce actually increased by 2.2 million workers during the last 19 months. And although unemployment rose to a 14-year high of 6.7% in November 2008, one notable, unreported fact is that between 4 million and 5 million people have been hired each month during 2008. While the media may report that no company is hiring, the reality is that many companies are: and while many industries have shed jobs during the past 12 months, the education, healthcare, and government sectors have actually created 400,000 new jobs. "Twenty-first Century job seekers have distinct advantages because of the Internet and the job-creation initiatives articulated by President-Elect Obama," says Michael Neece, Chief Strategy Officer, PongoResume. "Today's job seekers dealing with the first major recession of this century can use the Internet to focus their efforts on industries targeted by presidential initiatives. These industries are likely to include construction, Internet infrastructure, alternative energy, education, and healthcare." The president-elect has articulated multiple initiatives to stimulate job growth and improve the nation's transportation, energy, and communication infrastructures, as well as advance healthcare and education. Obama's commitment to create 2.5 million jobs has already made a positive impact on job seekers' hopes of securing new jobs in 2009. The most recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that at the end of October 2008 there were 3.1 million job openings. Also, the unemployment rate for workers with some college education is 5.2%, but just 3.1% for workers who have at least a bachelor's degree. "The prospects for growth are improving as new presidential initiatives and economic stimulus legislation become clearer," says Neece. "The challenge for our next president is to clearly communicate priorities and economic initiatives that are simple and easy to understand. This will help reduce market fears and return the job market and stock market to a state of cautious optimism."

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 18, 2008 at 3:54 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

The impact of mass layoffs and rising unemployment goes well beyond those immediately affected. Support professionals at all levels -- from mental health providers to social workers to career coaches -- all suffer tremendous indirect stress from the economic travails of clients.

In that vein, today's guest post is a slice of life from a NYC author of career development books, [Vicky Oliver], who keenly describes the waves of bad job news she finds crashing around her everywhere she turns these days.

Every time I pick up a newspaper it seems as if the job forecast becomes more dismal. First, news pundits inform us that it's the worst market since 1991. Then, a few weeks later, that estimate is revised and we hear that it's the worst market since 1974. Soon it will look like the worst job market since the Great Depression.

The panic is palpable. Here in Manhattan it feels like every person I know was spared the ax last week, and is still reeling from the Hatchet Man's sinister specter. Continue reading Suffering From the Sidelines ...

Article courtesy of George Lenard, the originator of George's Employment Blawg, has over twenty years of experience in all aspects of labor and employment law, including preventive law as well as litigation. His special interests include employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and noncompetition agreements. He is currently a managing partner with Harris, Dowell, Fisher & Harris, L.C., in St. Louis, Missouri, and lives in the suburb of University City with his wife and family.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 18, 2008 at 2:55 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

• Wall Street is a roller coaster.


• Credit is drying up and cash will soon follow.


• Recession is on the tip of every major economist's tongue.


• Housing is in a "meltdown," according to Business Week, and the worst is yet to come.


• Consumer confidence is at an all-time low.


• Many companies are "right-sizing."


• Employees are grappling with a strong case of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt).

How do you keep your organization focused and ride out these turbulent economic times? Is a turnaround strategy necessary? Or do you simply have to manage the perceptions and fear generated by external circumstances that have little to do with your company's or your industry's reality?

While each company faces unique challenges in good or bad times, we offer 10 things to focus on when times are tough.

10 Keys to Managing in Tough Times

1) Your business is no longer simple: One upon a time, market stability existed, command-and-control management was the default model, and "change" was a buzz word. Today, virtually all organizations are part of a complex, often global, interconnected set of business affiliations and alliances.

Fluctuations and unpredictability reign. Command-and-control or impulsive, "ready-aim-fire" is no longer an acceptable mode of decision making. Complexity requires more communication and decisions have a ripple effect.

2) Knowledge is Power: Knowing your "stuff" is more critical than ever before, especially when it comes to getting your enterprise back on track. It is critical to get accurate information about the reality of your organization's position.

It is often very useful to hire outside consultants to help you view an objective "snapshot" of your organization. (This may sound slightly self-serving, but in fact it could be money well spent especially if quick and objective action is needed.) Once there is a clear understanding of the current state, what needs to be done next is often obvious.

3) Establish a "Kitchen Cabinet": Assemble a small working group of trusted advisors - people who will not only contribute to your ideas but will challenge your point of view. Conduct an initial face-to-face meeting to lay out the issues, set the tone of openness and straight talk, and build a sense of urgency.

This is not a substitute for your executive team or Board. In many situations this is a way to acknowledge and leverage the expertise of the few, trusted individuals you find yourself always turning to in a crisis! Formalizing this is not new: it has been done by a variety of people in complex situations, including Andrew Jackson, John F. Kennedy and Tony Blair. You are in good company

4) Declare Your Intentions & Act Swiftly: You don't have time to pour over old data. However, as outlined above, snap decisions will not necessarily produce the positive impact you need. Quickly formulate and communicate your plan internally first. Take small steps, test your instincts, put mechanisms in place to get accurate feedback on results and refine your direction accordingly.

5) Wants vs. Must Haves: Cut back on everything that is not directly related to generating revenue. No exceptions!

6) Make One Cut: If personnel reductions are necessary, cut deep. The alternative is setting your organization up for a slow, painful decline rather than positioning it for a remarkable turnaround.

Ask anyone who has tried to sell their house in this declining market how this mistake feels! Wanting to get the most for their houses, those owners who have cut too little too late find themselves chasing the market downward. Plus, if you have communicated your intentions clearly, people will put in the extra effort to save the company - and their jobs!

7) Communicate Your Strategy to the Outside World: Counteract the doom and gloom of the media with a clear message that positions your company for success because it will satisfy the customers' "need to know" in today's market.

8) Focus on Customers and Prospects: This is the time for your team at the top to be visiting and talking to your customers and prospects. They are the ones who buy your product and generate the revenue, not the pundits and economic gurus.

9) Revise Your Product/Service Strategy: Once you have listened to your clients and prospects, take their feedback and revise your strategy to match their needs with your organization's strengths.

10) Tell the Truth and Keep Your Promises: This is no time to put on rose-color glasses and ignore whatever difficulties and challenges your company is facing.

Be honest. Keep your promises. And do not disrespect the intelligence of your people. They know that "We'll be all right" and "nothing will change" are empty phrases at best. When people find your message credible, you not only increase their commitment, but you will maintain your integrity.

Article by, Paul Plotczyk and courtesy of Work Systems Affiliates

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 18, 2008 at 2:07 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Earlier this week, we shared our patented Top 5 Holiday Party Tips. As a follow-up, here's some interesting data from BNA's annual Year-end Holiday Practices Survey:

• Party on. 64% of employers will throw a holiday bash this year (down only slightly from last year's record of 67%), with more employers than ever before (92%) picking up the entire tab.
• More booze? Not sure what this says about the mental state of corporate America, but more employers plan to serve alcohol this year -- 65% compared to last year's 59%.
• More safeguards? Of the employers serving alcohol, 75% monitor consumption, 58% limit serving times, 46% provide taxis, 32% offer discount hotel rates to encourage overnight stays and 12% arrange for designated drivers.
• No spouses. Fewer employers allow non-employees to attend the festivities. Only 55% will allow spouses or other guests, continuing a decline from 2004's high of 63%.
• Less charity. Only 61% of employers will participate in charitable activities this year, up 3% from last year but down considerably from prior years when more than 70% of employers participated. The most frequent activities include gifts to needy children (41%) and food drives (39%).
• Scrooge-ish gifts and bonuses. Only 40% of employers will give gifts or bonuses this year, down from 44% last year and 49% the previous year.
• What if Santa brings gifts from vendors? 18% prohibit outside gifts entirely, while 51% allow gifts of nominal value and 14% set limits on value (typically somewhere between $25 and $100). 15% have no outside gift policy.

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 December 17, 2008 at 10:06 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

A study called when When giants fall released by the Washington, D.C. based nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank Economic Policy Institute shows that as many as 3.3 million US jobs are tied to the auto industry and as many as 51,500 in Minnesota.

The Economic Policy Institute has a good reputation of putting out fair numbers so until I come across another survey I will be quoting from this one.

Top 5 states hit hardest by total shutdown: Michigan, California, Ohio, Texas and Illinois

Top 5 states in terms of employment: Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee

Minnesota ranks #21 if just GM were to close. An estimated 14,200 jobs would be lost and if a total shutdown 51,500 jobs.

As a percentage of the work force the .5% to 1.9% of state employment ranks Minnesota #28

Included in the survey are the recently announced sales figures for November:

Domestics sales -40%
GM -41%
Ford -30%

Not widely carried are the equally bad sales figures from foreign auto makers:

Asian sales in US -35%
Nissan -42%
Hyundai -40%
Honda -32%

I am sure it would be hard to quantify but I am wondering if the auto makers closed, what would pop up in their place? I find it hard to believe that the US would produce no cars or that other industries would not evolve from the carnage. That 3.3 million jobs would be lost and nothing to take their place.

I am not suggesting we let the auto makers go quiet but just thinking about all the what if's.

I am also wondering how current plants could be retooled to take on things like electric cars, batteries, green technologies, etc.

Lots of wondering and thinking on my part. The problem for me I am not seeing much more out of Capitol Hill or Michigan for answers. I would hope and expect they would be much further along in their thought process and have an answer or two.

So far I am disappointed.

As Usual.

Article by Paul DeBettignies and courtesy of MN Headhunter -- where they "play with their cards face up."

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 16, 2008 at 1:35 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

It's probably no surprise to anyone that internal employee theft is up sharply this year as the economy continues to decline. A recent Wall Street Journal/MSN article cited a study that found that 20% of polled employers said that workplace theft has become "a moderate to very big problem" in recent months.

Read the full WSJ article here . . .

Clearly, the workplace is the most obvious target for theft by employees. It creates the easiest and probably most lucrative opportunity. Employees know the inner workings of their company. They know who's watching what and also what isn't being watched. Some might actually feel justified in stealing because they fear being laid off or are upset that a raise or Christmas bonus wasn't in the cards this year.

So, how can background checks help? We'll start with the easiest scenario. If a criminal background check revealed past convictions for theft or theft-related crimes then you know you might have a problem. A credit report can also help you assess risk. If for instance, the person has no available credit left and has monthly payment responsibilities that are greater than the amount you are offering, that can be a predictor of future behavior. Perhaps, the individual stole from a past employer, but was never prosecuted, an reference interview with a past employer could reveal something of value.

But not everyone who steals from their employer has something on their background check at the time of their hiring that would cause you pause for concern. That is a very good point. Many employers are now conducting recurring background checks on their employees. These checks are conducted throughout an employee's tenure with an organization and can reveal if the person has been convicted of any crimes since the time of the initial background check or if their credit situation has changed.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed, but I guarantee if these concerns would have come up on a background check and you didn't conduct one, that you put yourself at considerable risk.

Article by, Nick Fishman and courtesy of EmployeescreenIQ

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 16, 2008 at 1:24 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

It's always important to hire the best possible people for the jobs being offered. The hiring process is expensive and time consuming. Because funds are low during a recession, companies are less able to absorb the expense of having to replace poorly chosen employees.

Author/speaker, Bob Beck, explained the importance of hiring great people this way: "In a down economy, there is less room for error. Many organizations have tight budgets and every person they bring in has to make a measurable and consistent contribution," he said.

"In a 'down economy,'"said Dwain Celistan, managing director of Gundersen Partners, LLC, "employers will typically have fewer resources - human and capital. Each employee will have broader responsibility. Since each employee is more important under the current environment," Celistan concluded, "there is less room for error."

There are many ways to go about finding stand out candidates. Business coach, Yoon S. Cannon, offers these two methods to get started:

• "Identify Your Company's Ideology - Before you start looking outside for who you need, you have to first look inside at who you are.
• Dream Plan Your Trophy Employee Profile - Most hiring managers and business owners are not specific enough as to who they are looking for to fill needed roles in the company."

Maryann Karinch, author of "How to Become an Expert on Anything in 2 Hours," said, "It's important that hiring managers avoid being victims or hiring victims." Savvy interviewing questions, she said, can help a hiring manager detect which candidates exhibit victim characteristics.

"In difficult times," said Dr. Robert Orndorff, associate director of recruiting and employer relations for Penn State University, " employers need people who are 'big' people - people who won't make waves, who can admit to making a mistake, and who are unselfish team players."

According to Beck, companies that are "open minded, and encourage their people to participate in the future growth of the company and foster a 'success environment,' are the ones that will thrive regardless of market conditions."

Celistan is in agreement with Cannon that the job on offer is clearly defined. In addition, Celistan notes that hiring a candidate who will fit in with the company's culture is critical. "Regardless of their talent," Celistan said, "a good organizational and/or cultural fit increases the likelihood of peak performance."

For Jeffrey Klawsky, president of Klawsky Consulting, Inc., great candidates are comprised of 75 percent good attitude and 25 percent ability. "Attitude," he said, "is typically comprised of competencies/characteristics such as dependability, flexibility, teamwork, energy, quality orientation, and communication/interpersonal skills."

Finally, Christine Richardson, director of the Career Services Office at Cazenovia College said, "Great employees have many traits in common. They have demonstrated that they:

• Are hard workers and will go above and beyond what is expected of them
• Have positive attitudes even when experiencing unemployment
• Speak positively about their past employers and experiences
• Can identify personal and professional qualities to a potential employer and can describe how they have used these qualities in previous situations
• Have up-to-date information about your company and can tell you how their skills and abilities fit your needs
• Are personable and can speak to business and professional relationships they have built
• Have made thoughtful decisions in the past and can describe to the employer how this employment opportunity is another good decision for both the candidate and the employer.
"

Just as it is difficult for recent college graduates to find just the right entry level jobs, so is it difficult for employers to find great people to fill the positions they have available. The economy is down, but standards are still high. Now is actually a great time for college students to begin getting their feet in the door with desired employers through internships. Employers remember interns who excelled and, whether the economy is down or not, will be more likely to offer available jobs to former interns before offering them to the general public.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 16, 2008 at 7:26 AM | Leave a Comment (2)

How much time will your employees spend shopping online at work this holiday season? Here are some interesting statistics from the Information Systems and Audit Control Association (ISACA):

• 63% of employees shop online using their work computers
• 55% of employers allow online shopping but don't educate employees about potential risks
• 26% of employees shop online without adequately checking web site security
• employees between the ages of 18-24 spend the most time shopping online and take the most risks
• employers lose an average of $3,000+ in productivity per employee due to online shopping

Almost all companies have implemented computer usage policies to deal with these issues. But many of them are ridiculously overbroad and inconsistently enforced, which can result in morale issues and discrimination lawsuits.

So, what should employers do?

1. Implement a reasonable computer usage policy and consistently enforce it.
2. Train employees on appropriate computer usage before the holidays and follow up with reminders.
3. Implement basic security measures such as spam filters, patches, firewalls and intrusion detection systems and update them regularly.
4. Monitor networks for suspicious activity, respond quickly to threats and remind employees to notify management of potential problems.
5. Conduct periodic risk assessments and update the usage policy and security measures accordingly.

For more from ISACA on this topic, click here.

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 December 15, 2008 at 9:51 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In case you haven't noticed, the holiday season is upon us. Every year, we get questions about what employers should (and shouldn't) do when it comes to holiday parties to avoid winding up in court (or in jail).

Let's start with some interesting statistics:

• one in five employers say they won't have a party at all this year -- the highest degree of humbuggery on record
• of those having parties, six in ten are scaling back the festivities
• more than half of the parties will be alcohol-free
• more than a third of employers reported employee misconduct at their last party

So, what are the latest and greatest tips for avoiding legal liability without being too much of a Scrooge? Ask and you will receive . . .

1. Have a party. Employees need one this year more than ever.
2. Set expectations. Tell employees in advance what will and won't be allowed. Remind managers to act like managers and to be on the lookout for potential misconduct.
3. Don't serve alcohol. If you do: (a) use tickets or some other system to limit the number of drinks; (b) use professional bartenders -- not managers -- to serve drinks, check IDs and monitor consumption; (c) offer lots of non-alcoholic beverages; and (d) provide taxis, hotel rooms and/or designated drivers for employees who over-indulge.
4. Consider inviting spouses. Doing so can help discourage bad behavior and has the side benefit of boosting good feelings about the company at home (unless the party's a total dud).
5. Watch The Office. Rent Season 2, watch the episode entitled "Christmas Party" and do the exact opposite of everything you see. Then, tune in this Thursday for a new holiday-party-themed episode and visit the Blawg on Friday for my lawyerly review of everything that went wrong.

MSNBC has an interesting article this morning about what employers are (and aren't) doing for employees this holiday season. Click here to check it out.

Enjoy!

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 December 15, 2008 at 9:37 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Are you re-entering the professional world as a Physical Therapist Assistant? Are you getting ready to begin your career as a PTA? What better way to jump start things than with a refresher course offered online through Lake Superior College. Not only will this class give you the basic knowledge needed as a PTA but you will also be able to communicate with teachers and other students via email. Need something flexible? Check out what Lake Superior has to offer at http://blog.lsc.edu/ptarefresher. Next class starts in January 2009 so make sure you sign up soon!

Article courtesy of RehabCare Student blog. RehabCare provides college recruiting for Physical Therapists, Physical Therapy Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants and Speech Language Pathologists.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 12, 2008 at 9:17 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article originally posted on George's Employment Blawg

Networking to Find a Job: It's All About Connecting With People

If you've ever been offered a job without first meeting someone face to face, open your window and scream "Yes!"

Hear anything?

Neither do I.

Until more scientific proof turns up, just agree with me here: You can't get hired by a computer or over the phone.

Before you can work for people, you have to meet people.

And the more people you meet, the faster you'll get hired.

Here are three ways to do so, using technology to humanize your job-search networking efforts ...

Job Search Networking Tip #1 -- Meet the Bloggers.
First of all, you need to recognize the value of blogs as a way to connect with employers.

"Educating yourself by reading blogs can help you do better interviews, write a better cover letter, and stand out as a well-informed candidate," according to Willy Franzen, founder of OneDayOneJob.com.

By reading and posting comments on the leading blogs in your industry, "you can connect with bloggers and build a relationship with them, which can lead to a job," says Franzen, who has met people for coffee who contacted him after reading his blog.

Before asking to meet anyone, however, ask yourself this: What value can I provide in exchange for their time?

Franzen offers the following ideas:

• Pay for coffee
• Share a news item or relevant story,
• Bring business leads,
• Give feedback to help them in their job.

If you're always asking and never giving, you'll rarely get people to meet with you or return your calls.

Remember: The more personal connections you make, the faster you can meet your next employer.

So try reading blogs with the goal of building relationships with -- and, ideally, meeting -- the bloggers who write them.

What if you can't meet top bloggers in your industry? At the very least, post helpful comments on their blogs, with links to your web site or LinkedIn profile. Reason? Smart recruiters regularly scan blogs looking for smart comments from smart people -- like you.

Job Search Networking Tip #2 -- Connect with Your Future Coworkers.

Businesses are increasingly relying on current employees to reach new hires, according to Phil Gardner, Director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University.

"It's clear that companies are looking for a lot more referrals to cut their hiring costs. For example, instead of coming to campus on multiple recruiting trips, they're coming once and then trying to get referrals after that," says Gardner.

Anything you can do to meet and build relations with people at your target employer can produce referrals that lead to a job.

Start by showing your friends a list of the 20 companies where want to work. You can even post this list on your blog, or your profiles on Facebook or LinkedIn.

And again, offer value first to anyone with whom you want a relationship later. This can be anything from your time, your expertise, a link to an article they wrote -- use your imagination.

Job Search Networking Tip #3 -- To Really Ramp Up Your Online Job Search Networking, Humanize Your LinkedIn Profile.

The recommendations people post on your LinkedIn profile carry a lot of weight. They serve as powerful testimonials, proving the claims you make about yourself.

And hiring managers read them closely to make sure they call the best candidates.

"A long list of LinkedIn recommendations can be a valuable trump card -- the difference between landing a position in a glutted job market, or not," says publicity expert Joan Stewart (PublicityHound.com).

Here are four ideal times to ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn, according to Stewart:

• Someone calls or emails to compliment you on your blog, newsletter, an article you've written, a story about you in the newspaper, or any other facet of your work.
• A past or current client tells you how much they enjoy working with you.
• You make contact with a former co-worker you haven't seen in awhile. If you like and trust each other, ask!
• You give free professional advice to someone who asks for help and they reply, "How can I return the favor?"

Note: It's not enough to ask for recommendations. Successful people are busy people, often too busy to write exactly what you'd like them to say. So, it's fine to email "talking points" to people you want recommendations from.

In effect, you write the recommendation, then ask them to modify as needed. In most cases, they'll use your wording.

Now, go out and make your own luck!

Kevin Donlin is Creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996, he has provided job-search help to more than 20,000 people. Author of 3 books, Kevin has been interviewed by The New York Times, Fox News, CBS Radio and others.  His latest product, The Simple Job Search System, is available at http://www.collegerecruiter.com/guaranteed-resumes.php

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 12, 2008 at 7:01 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Guest post by Dawn Wolfe

Human Capital -- Truly Your Company's Greatest Asset

In this economy, measuring your bottom line or your company's success on Wall Street isn't enough.

Instead, says Denise Kingsmill, deputy chair of the United Kingdom's Monopolies and Mergers Commission, "Directors need to transform the airy cliche about people being their greatest asset into a guiding principle of business strategy."

Yes, hiring and retaining employees costs money -- and money may be in short supply in your company right now.

But do you know:

• How much it costs you to lose an employee?
• If your compensation structure helps you keep the people you want to keep?
• How engaged your employees are with their work, with each other and with the company -- and thus how well employees who survive any layoffs will be able to cope with the associated changes and new demands?
• How long you need to retain an employee before she or he becomes a net asset?

Give them the tools and set the right metrics, and your Human Resources Department can tell you all of the above -- and much more. Such information can then be used in human resource planning -- for setting goals and objectives and then measuring progress towards them.
Continue reading about hr metrics and human capital ...

Article courtesy of George Lenard, the originator of George's Employment Blawg, has over twenty years of experience in all aspects of labor and employment law, including preventive law as well as litigation. His special interests include employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and noncompetition agreements. He is currently a managing partner with Harris, Dowell, Fisher & Harris, L.C., in St. Louis, Missouri, and lives in the suburb of University City with his wife and family.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 12, 2008 at 6:54 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In today's "perp-walk" twenty Hewitt & Associates employees were arraigned on theft and forgery charges for scamming the company for several hundred thousand dollars. How did they do it? They took advantage of a tuition reimbursement program that the company extended as a benefit and claimed that they were attended classes that they never took.

Read the full story

Many of you recall that we highlighted this practice earlier in the year when Chicago-area police officers were accused of purchasing fake degrees from a diploma mill for the same purpose. This is clearly an emerging problem. It just goes to show that no good deed goes unpunished.

Must be something in the water in the state of Illinois. Just ask Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Article by, Nick Fishman and courtesy of EmployeescreenIQ

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 12, 2008 at 6:49 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Survey Finds Most Active Hiring Projected at Largest Companies

The job market in accounting and finance is holding steady, suggests a new survey. Nine percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) interviewed plan to add full-time employees and 8 percent expect to decrease the size of their staff, according to the Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index. Eighty-two percent of executives said they would make no changes to the size of their teams.

In a sign of the current economic climate, the percentage of firms anticipating personnel reductions is at its highest point in the past three years. However, the number of companies expecting to hire is above the average over that same period, reflecting an ongoing need for skilled professionals.

Large companies, in particular, plan to add staff in key specialty areas. Eighteen percent of respondents at firms with 1,000 or more employees expect to hire in the first quarter, compared to 8 percent who anticipate decreasing staff levels.

The Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CFOs across the United States. It was conducted from Sept. 23 to Oct. 15, 2008, by an independent research firm and developed by Robert Half International. Robert Half has been tracking financial hiring activity in the United States since 1992.

"Even though weakness in the economy is affecting hiring in many fields, accounting and finance expertise in key functional areas remains in demand," said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International. "While no job category is completely immune to economic changes, professionals skilled at identifying cost efficiencies and enhancing profitability are a perennial need for firms of all sizes."

Financial executives continue to report difficulty finding highly skilled professionals for certain functional areas. Twenty-eight percent of CFOs said accounting positions are the most difficult to fill, and 20 percent said they experience the greatest challenges hiring for finance roles.

Messmer added, "Positions in demand include credit and collections specialists, who help firms manage credit risk and collect outstanding receivables; public accountants, who assist clients with their accounting, tax and audit needs; and staff and senior accountants, whom companies depend on to oversee fundamental -- and indispensable -- accounting functions."

Accounting and Finance Hiring -- By Region

The Middle Atlantic1 states are projected to experience the most active hiring in the first quarter. A net 9 percent of CFOs in this region anticipate adding full-time accounting and finance staff.

"In the Middle Atlantic states, there is demand for experienced accounting and finance talent to help balance workloads, handle year-end audits and prepare for next year's tax season," Messmer said.

Firms in the Mountain2 and West South Central3 states also project notable hiring activity. A net 7 percent of executives in both of these sections of the country said they plan to boost staff levels in the coming quarter.

Robert Half has conducted additional CFO interviews in more than 40 major metropolitan areas to provide snapshots of financial hiring trends in these markets. The local results are available at www.roberthalf.com/PressRoom.

Accounting and Finance Hiring -- By Industry

Among industries, executives in the manufacturing and professional services sectors are most optimistic about hiring in the first three months of 2009. Nine percent of manufacturing CFOs expect to increase personnel levels in the first quarter while 3 percent foresee a reduction in staff, a net 6 percent increase. Within professional services, a net 5 percent of financial executives forecast greater hiring activity.

Robert Half International was founded in 1948 and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Its financial staffing divisions include Accountemps, Robert Half Finance & Accounting and Robert Half Management Resources, for temporary, full-time and senior-level project professionals, respectively. The company has more than 360 staffing locations worldwide and offers online job search services on its divisional websites, all of which can be accessed at www.rhi.com.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 11, 2008 at 3:01 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Philip Gardner of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute and Georgia Chao of the Eli Broad School of Business at Michigan State University collaborated on a white paper, "Important Characteristics of Early Career Jobs," in an effort to determine what today's young entry-level job seekers really want when they conduct their job searches. Because the job market is so competitive, employers have to be able to offer more than an enticing salary. Instead, Gardner and Chao suggest, offering young candidates strategic presentations of the companies they represent might prove more effective with this generation than "throwing money at them."

A survey of more than 9,000 young men and women between the ages of 18 and 25 found that the things young job seekers deemed most important were fairly consistent, regardless of ethnicity, gender or academic major. The overall results were as follows:

1. Interesting and engaging work                     88%
2. Good benefits - including health insurance         84%
3. Secure job                                                      82%
4. Opportunities for promotion                              81%
5. Opportunities to learn new skills                       77%
6. Location                                                         63%

The study broke the results down into comparisons between genders, among races, major courses of study, and socioeconomic background. What they found was that Caucasians tended to worry less about job security than did minorities, particularly African-Americans, who ranked flexibility and job security as very important. Asian-Americans ranked working for a prestigious company high on their lists. They also discovered that men ranked "chance for promotion" higher than job security or good benefits. The opposite was true for women, ranking good benefits and job security second and third, respectively, with "chance for promotion" fourth.

The survey participants' majors were Business, Engineering, Communications, Health, Computer Science, Physical/Bioscience, Liberal Arts, and "Undecided." Interesting work, benefits and security were among the top 5 concerns for all majors. Based on the findings of this study, employers who can offer top entry level job candidates work environments that are mentally stimulating stand a better chance of hiring those candidates than employers who can't.

The survey went into even deeper detail with breakdowns of socioeconomic backgrounds and age as factors determining the importance of geographic location, travel, promotions, and many other considerations. Two things stood out. Regardless of age, interesting work once again topped the list of incentives that participants found most important, and regardless of socioeconomic background, job security took precedence over working for a prestigious company as a possible inducement.

Finally, Gardner and Chao compared what young job seekers said were the most important job characteristics with what recruiters thought were most important. Interestingly, recruiters ranked "chance for promotion" and "opportunity to learn new skills" higher than good benefits and job security, which were the second and third most important characteristics, respectively, on the young adults' list.

Gardner and Chao suggest the best ways to recruit and retain young adult candidates are:

1. Promote and manage interesting work projects for new hires that maximize the value these people bringto the organization.
2. Recognize that subjective factors may play a more dominant role in a young adult's decision to work for a company than salary. Income is important; yet the restrictive range of starting salaries shifts the decision to less objective characteristics, such as vacation, location, and opportunities.
3. Be aware that benefits and job security are salient job features that employers need to focus on early in the recruiting process. Benefits, a central concern for parents, will be a deciding factor for many in the choice of a first job.
4. In dealing with men and women, realize that there are subtle differences in what they are seeking. Men will respond to salary discussions and are less restrictive in the locations they will consider; women are more focused on job security, benefits, and location.
5. Understand that socioeconomic status enters significantly into the job decision. Young adults from families with low income are concerned about the level of income they receive, the prestige of the company they join, and the flexibility of the position. Young adults from high income families are also interested in high income and company prestige. These ends of the income scale are operating from very different perspectives and need to be approached differently during the recruiting process.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 11, 2008 at 9:05 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In a recent white paper, ''How Central Is Work to Young Adults?" written by Phil Gardner of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute (CERI) at Michigan State University and Georgia Chao of the Eli Broad College of Business also at Michigan State University, research was cited in support of the theory that today's young adults don't view their jobs as the primary focus of their lives, the way earlier generations did. Although work is important to them, they also care about having time to spend with family and friends, and doing things they enjoy like hobbies and/or volunteering.

Ten thousand young adults between the ages of 18 and 28 were surveyed. The results of the survey - done in 2005 - were compared to one done in 1982, offering these three statements:

• Life is worth living only when people get absorbed in work.
• Work should be considered central to life.
• The most important things that happen in live involve work.

Young adults in 2005 were more likely to disagree - either moderately or strongly - with these opinions than were their counterparts in 1982. The survey went on to break the results down into differences between genders and found that women were more likely to disagree with the above statements than were men - probably, they surmised, because women usually have other concerns like children and taking care of their homes.

In addition, the survey results showed that young adult workers with high or medium work centrality were less concerned with having entry level jobs with "low stress characteristics" like regular hours (no nights/weekends), and annual vacations of a week or more than they were with having jobs that were secure, provided interesting work for them to do, or had "success factors" like high income and opportunities for promotion.

Conversely, young adults with low work centrality were as concerned with having jobs with low stress characteristics as they were with secruity, interesting work, and success factors.

"Organizations that hire these young adults may benefit from a better understanding of this new generation of workers," they concluded. Jus as employers are looking for entry level employees who are good fits, so are young job seekers looking for companies that are good fits for them, in terms of how what they want - but can't articulate - compares to what employers provide.

Finally, Gardner and Chao say it's necessary to do further research in order to fully understand the new generation of workers and effectively integrate them into the workforce.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 11, 2008 at 8:44 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

While the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Consumer Confidence Index have been on a dramatic downward spiral the past few months, an interesting counter-trend has been taking place inside many FORTUNE 500 companies with employee recognition and peer-to-peer awards skyrocketing through the roof. According to Globoforce's Employee Recognition Index, employee recognition has been on a steady upward climb that began in the September 7, 2008 timeframe - when the government seized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - and has continued through the most recent automotive industry collapse and Citigroup crisis that took place the week of November 17, 2008. In fact, during the week of November 17, record levels of peer-to-peer employee awards were issued in FORTUNE 500 companies. These companies currently operate global strategic employee recognition programs built and powered by Globoforce and are collectively used by nearly 500,000 employees. It was the highest week ever for peer-to-peer recognition this year. "While no one can control this highly volatile global economy, many found a way to reach out and support their fellow co-workers within their own smaller worlds. Caring and concerned people turned to their company's peer-to-peer recognition program as a way to make a connection and appreciate someone around them for their efforts. It's an example of human nature at its best - recognizing and rewarding the good in others and creating powerful and personally meaningful thank-you moments while the world around them seems to be caving in," states Globoforce CEO, Eric Mosley.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 10, 2008 at 2:48 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

As companies begin to feel the effects of the economic downturn, many are ramping up their workforce planning activities, according to a survey by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a global consulting firm. Survey findings reveal that 40% of companies believe workforce planning has become more important to their organization's business success since the economic slowdown, and that 31% are already increasing activity around it. Workforce planning is the process by which an organization aligns its workforce requirements to the business strategy using business analytics. The most prevalent concern among employers is the scarcity of critical talent. In fact, 71% of those surveyed are taking action to address this concern. Other workforce planning challenges that employers are taking action around include those arising from restructuring (42%) and layoffs or hiring freezes (20%). "The current environment is bringing several workforce planning challenges to the surface," says Jamie Hale, national practice leader of workforce planning at Watson Wyatt. "While companies are under enormous pressure to cut short-term costs, it's important to consider the implications their actions will have on a firm's future workforce needs as well." Although the scarcity of critical talent is seen as a major challenge, 50% of employers surveyed say they will respond by maintaining their status quo in terms of replacing talent, while 33% are scaling back replacing talent across the organization. Replacing talent is further hindered by the difficulty of attracting the required employees: 77% of respondents claim attracting critical-skill employees is currently a challenge, and 60% believe attracting top performers is a challenge. Retaining workers is less of a problem with 49% and 34% of employers, respectively, say they were experiencing challenges retaining critical-skill employees and top performers. Furthermore, 85% of companies also report that their chief executive officer and senior managers (74%) are concerned about workforce planning issues. "Workforce planning activities will clearly get more attention as employers look for ways to perform during this weakened economy. Having the right numbers of people performing in the right roles will be crucial for companies to position themselves strongly for when the economy recovers," says Hale.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 9, 2008 at 2:41 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

America continues to reel as reports of layoffs, financial woes, and foreclosures dominate the mass media. The current employment situation, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), reinforces this trend reporting a 0.2% rise in the unemployment rate to 6.7% in November, marking a loss of 533,000 jobs over the month and the largest monthly job cut in 34 years. Furthermore, November's drop in payroll employment follows declines of 403,000 in September and 320,000 in October. Job losses were extensive and widespread across the major industry sectors in November. Since the start of the recession in December 2007, as recently announced by the National Bureau of Economic Research, the number of unemployed persons increased by 2.7 million, and the unemployment rate rose by 1.7 percentage points. Among the unemployed, the number of persons who lost their job and did not expect to be recalled to work increased by 298,000 to 4.7 million in November: the size of this group has increased by 2.0 million over the past 12 months. While BLS reports a job loss of 533,000 in November, this reduction in the workforce actually brings job losses to 1.9 million since the start of the recession in December 2007. Two-thirds of these losses occurred in the last 3 months. In November, employment declined in nearly all major industries, although health care continued to add jobs. Furthermore, during the month of November, employment continued to decline in manufacturing with a loss of 85,000 jobs. Widespread job losses are reported to have occurred among the component industries. Manufacturing employment also shows a decline of 604,000 jobs since December 2007. Within professional and business services, the employment services industry lost 101,000 jobs during November, bringing total job losses since December 2007 to 495,000. Conversely, health care paints a rosier picture as it reports employment growing by 34,000 in November: over the past 12 months, health care has added 369,000 jobs.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 9, 2008 at 2:39 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Guest post by, Dawn Wolfe

Most Small Business Owners Can Afford Holiday Celebrations

According to a survey conducted this month by online payroll service SurePayroll, most small business owners will end 2008 in celebration. The survey found that despite recent economic challenges, 6 of 10 small business owners are planning to hold a holiday party and 8 of 10 of those are confident they can afford it.

Party Spending Level Maintained

Not only are they going ahead with holiday parties, they aren't cutting back on the scope of the events. Seven of 10 business owners planning parties said they are spending as much or more money this year as in the past.

"It's been a tough year for the business world, but most small business owners realize how essential it is to thank their employees for their hard work," says SurePayroll President Michael Alter. "A holiday party is the perfect opportunity. Business owners might cut other costs during tough times, but most budget for end-of-year celebrations because they are a much-needed spirit-lifter for everyone in the company." Continue reading about small businesses' holiday parties ...

Article courtesy of George Lenard, the originator of George's Employment Blawg, has over twenty years of experience in all aspects of labor and employment law, including preventive law as well as litigation. His special interests include employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and noncompetition agreements. He is currently a managing partner with Harris, Dowell, Fisher & Harris, L.C., in St. Louis, Missouri, and lives in the suburb of University City with his wife and family.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 9, 2008 at 12:07 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

What do a couple billionaires, a former President Clinton confidant, a retired appeals court justice, Las Vegas casinos and five NFL quarterbacks have in common? They all invested in a company called "Pay By Touch" led by a man named John P. Rogers. The company was supposedly developing biometric authentication technology that could be used to generate financial transactions through thumb print identification.

Now, all of these people have another thing in common: their millions of investment dollars have been squandered away by the company and its top executive. What's worse, it's not the first time John Rogers has done this. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that he did the same thing with a company in Minneapolis several years earlier. They also documented a laundry list of illegal, unethical and irresponsible behavior perpetrated by Rogers since 1999.

According to the report, "Rogers 'had a common name, and he never claimed to have done anything special before,' the former insider said. Only 'minimal' background checks were performed, he said."

Read the Full Story

Sounds like quite a few people need a refresher course on how to conduct a proper employment background check.

So exactly what could the company and its investor have found out about Rogers from a simple background check?

• A Criminal Record Search would have revealed convictions for disorderly conduct, physically abusing his girlfriend, trashing another girlfriend's house
• A Civil Record Search would have at least revealed a $35,000 civil judgment against him for failing to repay a loan
• A Credit Report would have at least revealed $30,000 in liens for failure to by state income taxes in 1996.
• A Substance Abuse Test might have revealed a dependence on alcohol and drugs.

If I were an employer or investor of this companys', each of these items might have given me pause for concern. When grouped together, there is no way I would have gotten involved. And if someone would have been willing to spring for the $100 background check, perhaps that company wouldn't have lost more than $340 million in venture capital.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 9, 2008 at 6:22 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Recruiters are considered experts in hiring by most candidates. Even the least successful of us have a load of knowledge on the employment processs that a lot of candidates will never have, and so when it comes to asking about the local job market, our opinion tends to carry a lot of weight.

Unfortunately, most candidates we talk to aren't hired. It's a function of the system. If we had 100% contact to hire ratios we'd all retire after a month, or if we worked inside, would be let go because of full employment.

So what do we do? Far too many recruiters talk down the economy or the hiring prospects as a defense against job-seekers who want to know why they weren't chosen by us or our client. And that's the charitable explanation. We're also prone to making warnings about the recession to depress salaries, a tactic that would never fly internally, but third party firms find it creeping up whenever we get a good person on the phone who wants to know why we couldn't perform.

Look, I know it's tough to tell someone that they weren't selected, or that we chose to submit someone else. The easy route is to blame malevolent forces outside of our control, and even if we do want to help, telling someone the truth about why we they weren't hired it liable to earn you an ungrateful earful, and no doubt some nasty words to friends and family.

I know full well that there are crazy people out there, and there are also a whole lot of unrealistic yahoos who think it's our job to map out their careers. They expect us to be career counselors, even though they're not the ones paying us, and they're just as likely to try to go around us as work honestly with us. So is a white lie really the best answer?

Show some spine people. Candidates worth working for and with respect competence and professionalism. Those who don't, aren't your concern. If you can be honest and upfront with candidates from the beginning, you can demand professional conduct as a condition of working with you. Sometimes things don't work out. That's life. The correct response is not to say "it's tough all over," but instead to exhort the candidate to put real time and energy into their job search. Tell them to buy books, attend networking functions, and practice interviewing.

Whatever you do, don't submarine someone looking for work with dark thoughts about the economy. 6.9% unemployment is bad, but it's not 10%, or 25%. There are jobs to be had, but pessimistic whiners aren't the ones getting them. And if you actually like the candidate, you're not doing them any favors telling them it's hopeless.

For more from people tired of hearing the economic bluebirds, check out YourHRGuy and Maren Hogan (and her Dr Seuss reference) .

Article by Jim Durbin and courtesy of StlRecruiting.com

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 8, 2008 at 3:52 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Last night I read a list of the top 10 personal qualities/skills employers seek, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers'(NACE) Job Outlook 2008 Survey and I thought the list was interesting...

• Communication skills (verbal and written)
• Strong work ethic and Honesty/Integrity
• Teamwork skills (works well with others)
• Motivation/Initiative
• Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)
• Problem-solving skills
• Analytical skills
• Flexibility/Adaptability/Self Confidence
• Computer skills
• Technical skills

Yes, computer and technical skills are on this list but many of the skills are commonly called "soft skills." We are not born with these skills but they can be taught through coaching and mentoring. I know from personal experience (we all make mistakes, right?) that at age 38 years old I (now) know what it takes to be a "team player" and the value of flexibility, tactfulness, and honesty. Communication skills and other "soft" skills are critical and the sooner you can develop these skills the more successful and fulfilled you will be in your career. It is kind of like that Kenny Roger's song...

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em.
Know when to walk away, and know when to run.
You never count your money, when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done.

In most cases success is going to take hard work and experience. Trust me, you will need to know when to be persistent and when to go with the flow. I think it's safe to say we all know people who have not mastered these skills yet. Right? Knowing when to choose your battles is most certainly an important learned skill as are leadership, problem solving and communication skills. Sodexo's mentoring programs bring employees together to promote professional growth and success from within and help develop these skills and more.

I am curious.

What do you think?

Do you think being able to work well with others is as important as being computer and technically savvy? And are you prepared to talk about these skills in an interview?

Courtesy of Sodexo Careers Blog Making every day a better day.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 8, 2008 at 3:47 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

"The unrelenting, month-by-month loss of American jobs throughout 2008 provides a revealing snapshot of our path into this recession," says University of Maryland economist Peter Morici, a professor in the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Morici predicted the recession early on - late last year when holiday sales proved disappointing.

Morici predicts the trend to continue with this today's release of November employment figures, forecasting the loss of nearly 300,000 more jobs. Based on U.S. government statistics, the nation has lost more than one million jobs since December of 2007. The number of month to month jobs lost has doubled three times in the last six months: from May to June, from July to August, and again it more than doubled from August to September.

A separate indicator of the health of the job market is The Conference Board's Help-Wanted Online Data Series (HWOL™). Online advertised vacancies were essentially unchanged at 4,439,000 in October, following a large loss in September. Large losses continued in major financial sector States (New York, New Jersey, California and Illinois) while other States were little changed. New ads in October (those listed for the first time) dropped by 34,000, continuing their downward trend.

"The October labor demand data show losses in the financial sector but the greater impact will likely be in the November numbers," says Gad Levanon, Senior Economist at The Conference Board. "Demand was also down for workers in other areas of the economy, like sales, maintenance and repair, and construction. Based on the all-time low reading in The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index, we are likely to see more widespread deterioration in labor demand over the coming months."

Reports in the last week showed that home building has contracted sharply, even after more than two full years of a decline. And the number of people signing up for unemployment checks (which are being extended from a max of 26 weeks to 39 weeks) climbed above a half million for a second straight week. The stock market fell to a level that, on an adjusted basis, is beginning to match lows not seen in more than half a century.

The domestic economy is not the only one that's contracting. This past week, the EU was shown to be in recession, as is Korea and Japan. And The Conference Board's global Leading Economic Indicators suggest no quick end in sight. To be sure, these economies (and these stock markets) will recover (and credit markets will get back to usual business). But it will not be quick. It will not be easy. It will be anything but painless. Finally, the economy is not just going through a cyclical turn. The events of the past year will change the fundamentals of doing business. Exactly how and how much are questions to be addressed as all these countries move through and finally emerge from this contraction.

But the worst news came from The Conference Board Leading Economic Indicators, which pointed to continued (perhaps intensifying) economic contraction over the next few months. Is there any good news?

Actually, yes. Energy and other commodity prices are down sharply. Could the drop in costs, for households or businesses, relieve some pressure on squeezed budgets and start the long climb out from this contraction? There is light at the end of this tunnel.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 8, 2008 at 2:55 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

One of the most under used marketing tactics and sources of revenue in Europe has to be the use of teleseminars.

All of us have a phone - be that a regular landline, a VOIP service such as Skype or even a mobile phone. Yet how many are using it to automatically generate leads and as a source of income? I would suggest less a 1% of businesses - and I'm not talking about using the phone for one to one mentoring or cold calling.

For almost 4 years I have been hosting teleseminars for lead generation and delivery of workshops. I've hosted teleseminars from car parks, hotel bedrooms, when on vacation, airports and the office.

I know that many people are finding it difficult to generate leads at the moment and the idea of cold calling turns most of us off.

That's where being an educational marketer comes into play.

With a phone in hand and great content at the ready, you can share your expertise and build your list of potential clients, preview your forthcoming conferences and events, deliver content for paid workshops without the hassle and cost of travel, and even use teleseminars to continue to provide content to your clients and customers AFTER they have purchased or invested in your products and services perhaps to invite them to continue to invest in your services or for customer service.

You can repurpose your teleseminars into podcasts, white papers, ecourses, home study programme's, articles, blog posts, ebooks and traditional books.

And with the continued interest in online video, you could even repurpose your teleseminar into a video.

That's what Penny Haynes has done with a teleseminar she invited me onto earlier this week as a guest to talk about social networking for business success.

No Penny did not have over 2000 people attend her programme this week unlike my mentor Alex did on his preview call for his forthcoming programme. But watch the video below that Penny created with a short segment from our 60 minute teleseminar and consider how you could apply this to your business to generate more leads and attract more clients.

Could you integrate an offline marketing programme such as teleseminars into an online digital marketing programme like this? It's easier than you might think.

Article by Krishna De and courtesy of Biz Growth News blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 8, 2008 at 12:30 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Guest post by, Dawn Wolfe

After the Layoffs, the Intra-Company Depression

Lower productivity. An atmosphere of guilt, anxiety, and anger. The air filled with gossip. A breakdown of relationships and teamwork.

This isn't exactly the scenario you need to see in your company during an economic downturn. But if your company doesn't handle layoffs well, it's exactly what you're going to get. Fortunately, experts say that a disciplined leadership approach that values employees as human beings can help your company become lean while remaining competitively mean and productive.

Articles in the New York Times and USA Today detail how layoffs can affect the emotional climate at work:

New York Times: "Dealing With Low Morale After Others Are Laid Off "

USA Today: Layoff Survivors Face New Challenges, Complex Emotions

USA Today describes the common post-layoff morale problem:

Instead of getting pumped up, many find surviving layoffs leaves them feeling like someone's let the air out of their tires.

Other side-effects: increased office gossip and a drop in company loyalty.
Increased stress, guilt, gossip and overall lower morale are among the topics covered in these articles. They both offer solid advice to workers about ways to stay ahead of the depressive curve.

Continue reading about layoff survivors ...

Article courtesy of George Lenard, the originator of George's Employment Blawg, has over twenty years of experience in all aspects of labor and employment law, including preventive law as well as litigation. His special interests include employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and noncompetition agreements. He is currently a managing partner with Harris, Dowell, Fisher & Harris, L.C., in St. Louis, Missouri, and lives in the suburb of University City with his wife and family.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 8, 2008 at 12:00 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Employees at larger companies are generally happier about their jobs than those at smaller organizations suggest findings of a recent study by HR advisement and services firm, The Beacon Group. In fact, companies with more than 1,000 people scored marginally better than smaller corporations in the category of 750 employees or 500 employees or less. "The prevailing assumption is that smaller companies can generate more employee satisfaction with smaller communities and more direct involvement," says Shannon Couch, Vice President Product Planning & Development at The Beacon Group. Large companies scored 2.67 points in satisfaction compared to 2.64 points for companies below the 1000 employee mark. The Employee Survey measured satisfaction based on 4 key categories, including management support & quality, future career development, compensation and work environment & co-workers. Large companies scored equal or higher in every category of the Employee Survey, particularly in compensation and future career development. "Teamwork & Collaboration" and "Value, Recognition & Appreciation" are cited as the best advantages of large corporations over small companies. Interestingly, the results of the Employee Survey may not tell the whole story. "Employees at smaller companies may feel they have greater control over their role in the organization and workplace environment," says Couch. "This can translate into more critical scores in employee surveys, where employees at larger companies may have become complacent about their ability to shape their workplace environment."

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 5, 2008 at 10:47 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

Displaced workers with no paychecks or prospects could add a potentially catastrophic drag to a U.S. economy already facing its worst downturn in decades, says Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, the dean of the School of Labor and Employment Relations. But he says businesses can cushion the blow of layoffs that are inevitable in the months ahead as companies align labor supply with sagging demand.

Cutcher-Gershenfeld urges employers to provide a softer landing for both workers and the economy through programs ranging from severance packages to retraining benefits. "We're not asking businesses to do this out of charity," he said. "There are ways to approach layoffs that maintain options with the displaced workers, deepen loyalty with remaining workers, give meaning to stated corporate values, and help avoid an accelerated collapse in the economy. Instead of knee-jerk, across-the-board job cuts that will have a contagion effect on the economy, respond with programs that mitigate the harm to workers, while leaving businesses and society better situated to recover when there is an upturn."

Alone, each company's decision to scale back workers makes sense in a sour economy, Cutcher-Gershenfeld said. But collectively, a flurry of layoffs will accelerate a downward spiral if employees are simply cut loose, he said. Providing safety nets may seem more costly than just letting workers go, but could save money in the long run, said Cutcher-Gershenfeld, whose research includes labor-management relations, public policy and economic development. "I think what's at stake is a slow, lingering, deep recession versus a somewhat faster, somewhat less deep recession," he said. "You'll be able to gauge it in human lives."

Labor's links to the economy are only now being considered after a more than yearlong financial meltdown, but companies can learn from the lessons of past recessions, Cutcher-Gershenfeld said. During the 1980s recession, for example, the auto industry partnered with unemployment offices, community colleges and others to achieve a nearly 90% placement rate for more than 200,000 displaced auto workers, he said.

Retraining is just one of the options, Cutcher-Gershenfeld said. Employers also can help workers and minimize economic damage through separation payments, extended health-care benefits, investing in start-up businesses launched by displaced workers and a host of other workforce-friendly programs.

He said a proactive approach to layoffs is good for workers who remain, as well as for those who were cut loose and for the overall economy. "When an employer pays to help a displaced employee find work or retrains them, the workers who are left have a much higher level of motivation and commitment," Cutcher-Gershenfeld said. "They don't have what we call 'survivor guilt,' and instead think their employer treated people fairly, so they can expect fair treatment if it happens again."

Many of the nation's largest corporations take the high road to help employees land on their feet during economic downturns, he said. Ford and the United Auto Workers, for example, have agreed to give displaced workers either a separation payment or a deal that includes half pay, benefits and four years of college tuition.

"The other side is there are plenty of employers who see layoffs as the first thought rather than the last alternative if you can't do anything else," Cutcher-Gershenfeld said. Even smaller firms with less wealth can do their part through creative programs, such as creating a regional consortium of companies whose economic fortunes are counter-cyclical that could essentially share a common workforce, he said.

More than 1.2 million Americans have lost their jobs this year, and Cutcher-Gershenfeld fears even more lost jobs ahead with the nation's economy caught in a downward spiral that has crushed consumer confidence. If displaced employees suffer, the crisis will worsen, he said. But companies can ease the slide by taking care of workers, and accelerate the rebound following the downturn. "What could be more worthy as a goal?" he said.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 5, 2008 at 10:42 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Staffing industry employment slipped in the third quarter of this year, according to survey data by the American Staffing Association (ASA). In fact, America's staffing companies employed an average of 2.7 million temporary and contract workers per day from July through September, down 2.8% from the second quarter this year. Normally staffing employment grows during the course of the year but not this year. Third-quarter staffing employment was 11.8% lower than in the same period last year, ASA data show. It was the sharpest drop since the 2001-02 recessionary period. "This is no surprise. While staffing employment held steady in the first half of the year, the ASA Staffing Index began to slide in July." says Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. "In the current economy, staffing firms play an even more important role in helping their clients achieve the right levels of work force flexibility." This was the fourth consecutive quarter of year-to-year staffing employment declines, according to the ASA survey. Six of the last eight quarters showed year-to-year reductions in the number of temporary and contract employees. Furthermore, U.S. sales of temporary and contract staffing totaled $18 billion in the third quarter of this year, a decline of 1.2% over the second quarter and 4.7% lower than in the same period last year, according to the ASA survey.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 4, 2008 at 10:39 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

While the economic slowdown may be making it easier for employers to attract and retain workers, many companies remain concerned about losing their top talent. A new survey by Watson Wyatt, a global consulting firm, and WorldatWork, an international association of HR professionals, finds that employers can help prevent the untimely exodus of top workers by taking an integrated approach to reward and talent management. In fact, companies that take an integrated approach are 20% less likely than other companies to experience problems attracting critical-skill employees and 25% less likely to have problems attracting top-performing employees, suggests the Watson Wyatt/WorldatWork 2008/2009 Global Strategic Rewards Report. Additionally, those companies that take an integrated approach to reward and talent management are 33% less likely to have trouble retaining critical-skill employees and 18% less likely to have difficulty keeping top-performing employees. They are also 18% more likely to be financially high-performing organizations. "No single reward or talent management program by itself effectively links individual performance to an organization's larger business goals," says Watson Wyatt's Laura Sejen, global director of strategic rewards consulting. "The answer lies in integration." While employees may be more risk averse under current economic conditions, and less likely to change jobs, challenges will remain in the long run for many employers. Integrated reward and talent management puts into place long-term provisions for the entire organization, helping to combat short-term uncertainties. "Companies taking an integrated approach conduct formal analyses of their workforce needs and supply of talent, and adopt a total rewards philosophy for their entire organization," says Ryan Johnson, director of public affairs for WorldatWork. "One of the keys to this approach is a focus on communication, which continues to play a large role in employee engagement and productivity -- particularly in these stressful times, when workers are looking for reassurance and constancy." Of the employers surveyed, 48% cite improved communication as one of the three most effective options to reduce employee stress. Reinforcing communication through performance management reduces stress by providing clarity around an employee's role and goal measurement: 76% of top-performing employees felt they understood their performance measures as opposed to 62% of the entire employee group.

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 4, 2008 at 10:34 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Previously here on the Blawg, we reported on a case in which a black employee was awarded $120,000 after he proved that his firing for setting off a firecracker in the workplace was discriminatory. Yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld the award.

The case offers several valuable lessons for employers. Here are the highlights.

The Facts

Ronald Madden was fired in 2006 by the Chattanooga Public Works Department for setting off a firecracker at work. Company representatives testified that they were unaware of any similar incidents at the time of Madden's firing and that they would have taken the same action against any other employee who had done the same thing.

However, Madden and several of his co-workers provided evidence that white employees had set off firecrackers at least twice in the past without incurring any discipline. In one incident, the employee -- who had the same supervisor as Madden -- set off firecrackers at work less than a year before Madden's firing. Unlike Madden, the only response to that employee's conduct was an informal admonition that he should "knock off the horseplay." There was also evidence that the supervisor himself had set off firecrackers at work and was never disciplined.

In a separate incident, a white employee threw a firecracker into a city truck carrying black employees, causing some of the employees to jump out of the truck while it was still moving. Again, no discipline was issued and the situation was treated as "humorous and not one warranting discipline."

The Trial

Despite the employer's protestations that it was unaware of the prior incidents, the district court found that setting off firecrackers at work was "not uncommon" and that "there was no effort to conceal their use." Based on the employer's disparate treatment of Madden and its willful ignorance of prior incidents, the court found the city liable for race discrimination under Title VII and awarded Madden $52,765 in front pay, $36,935 in back pay and $30,300 for emotional distress.

The Appeal

The employer appealed on the basis that the evidence supported a finding that Madden's firing was indeed nondiscriminatory. Among other things, the city argued that all employees were treated equally and that Madden's conduct posed a greater safety risk than the conduct of the non-terminated employees. In addition, the city argued that Madden failed to mitigate his damages by rejecting its "unconditional" offer of reinstatement.

The appeals court rejected the employer's arguments. First, it found that the reasons offered for Madden's firing were insufficient to "motivate" the termination. It pointed to the wealth of evidence that "white employees were not fired -- or disciplined whatsoever -- despite engaging in substantially identical conduct."

As for the "greater safety risk" argument, the court found "substantial evidence that the other incidents involved comparable or even more serious misconduct." It pointed particularly to the incident in which the white employee threw a firecracker into the moving vehicle carrying black employees.

The court also found that "discriminatory animus" motivated the white supervisor to turn in Madden but not white employees who engaged in similar conduct. "By relying on this discriminatory information flow, the ultimate decisionmakers 'acted as the conduit of . . . prejudice,'" the court stated.

Last, the court rejected the "failure to mitigate" argument. The court found that the city's offer of reinstatement was not truly "unconditional" because it required Madden to dismiss his discrimination claims.

The Lessons

This case graphically illustrates what can happen if an employer applies its discipline policies inconsistently. Prior to any termination, it's absolutely critical to conduct a good-faith investigation to ensure that (1) you have all the relevant facts, (2) the penalty fits the "crime" and (3) the decision is consistent with past practice. Witnesses should be carefully examined to ferret out any potentially discriminatory motives. It's never a good idea to go to trial relying on the testimony of a potentially prejudiced witness.

Also, employers should think twice about offering reinstatement conditioned on dropping claims. Such offers may be found "conditional" and thus insufficient to cut off the employee's damages.

Tools and Tips
We're here to help. For our handy investigation checklist, click here. For our termination tools, click here.

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 December 4, 2008 at 8:21 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I have the honour of working with really tremendous people and a couple of years ago one of the people I met is Lauren Hasson. Since then Lauren has grown in stature and ability and it's exciting to see how she has been adopting social media to help her with her resume business - 'The Resume Girl'.

Lauren helps college students and recent graduates all over the nation land their dream job or internship.

I asked Lauren if she's like to share her personal experience of using Facebook; here is her guest article.

Facebook: Advertising Has Never Been More Effective Or Affordable

"As a new, or even seasoned, business owner, marketing your business can seem like a 'chicken and egg' situation. You need to advertise your business in order to make money, but you need money to fund your advertising efforts. It's a vicious cycle.

Most business owners don't have thousands of dollars in capital to spend on an aggressive advertising campaign. I know I didn't. But, on a shoe string advertising budget, my business exploded after using social media marketing tools--specifically, Facebook--to get the word out about my business. Advertising has never been more effective or affordable.

I joined Facebook long before it became a cultural phenomenon. In its early stages as a social directory at Harvard University, no one could have expected how powerful it could be. I became a Facebooker only two months after the network expanded to include a few other universities--one of them was Duke University, my alma mater.

For several years, Facebook served as a tool for keeping in touch with friends and family. However, in January of this year, it became a valuable business tool that revolutionized my business.

I was ready to take my business to the next level. However, I had very little time and money. Literally, my advertising budget maxed out at $25. I needed a creative and affordable advertising alternative for reaching out to my target Generation Y market of college students and recent graduates.

Instead of investing thousands to launch a traditional marketing campaign, I established a Facebook-based word-of-mouth marketing program. I established a 'Fan Page' for my company, The Resume Girl. On Facebook, users can display their preference for various things such as music groups, products, people, and yes, companies by way of the fan page application.

By setting up a fan page for The Resume Girl, my clients could become fans of my service. I also designed a reward system for clients who wrote post-service reviews on my fan page. To date, I've received over 55 five-star reviews on my fan page! Now when clients become a 'fan' of The Resume Girl, their friends can see my logo on their profile as well as the positive feedback from other users via Facebook's daily news feeds.

The results from this campaign have been nothing short of amazing. In no time, the number of daily hits to my website went from less than ten to over 200! My Facebook word-of-mouth campaign also brought an international following to my website. These results completely surpassed those from my Facebook CPM advertising that cost $25. My word-of-mouth campaign was absolutely free.

Leveraging Facebook as a marketing tool created an exponential increase in traffic to my website. On top of all of that, it was easy and it was free. You can't beat that!

Best of all, anyone can implement an advertising strategy like this one. Social media marketing has definitely changed the face of advertising for the better and any business owner can use it to take their business to the next level."

Article by Krishna De and courtesy of Biz Growth News blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 4, 2008 at 8:10 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

An interview by Jim Durbin

I use Joe from Guardian Testing for my background checks. He was recommended to me on Twitter, and he's exactly what you need if you're doing checks on your candidates or employees. This is an unpaid endorsement.

1) Joe, can you tell me a little bit about your company and what you do? No marketing speak is allowed for this question.

Guardian Testing Services is a full service drug testing and background check company specializing in pre-employment screening of candidates in both regulated and non regulated industries.

2) Background checks used to take me a week and cost $100 ? Is that still the case? And does it matter based on how many counties they lived in?

Generally, background check results will be available within 24-48 hours unless there are charges that are uncovered which were not disclosed during the application process requiring verification for accuracy. The cost can range anywhere from $19 - $150 based on the level of checks required, but 90% of the searches we conduct for our clients range between $49 -$69.

3) What kind of tests do you do? What kind should I be doing on a candidate? And when should I do a check?

Guardian Testing Services conducts pre-employment drug and alcohol testing, as well as, background checks for our nationwide clients. There are many different pre-employment screening packages spanning every price point for clients of all sizes. We've done drug testing and background checks for clients ranging from $60 all the way up to $200 for very senior executive placements in sensitive positions, requiring extremely thorough screening.

The list of our services is very extensive, but the most common searches include: SSN # verification, criminal records; sexual offender search; civil records; motor vehicle reports; credit reports; eviction reports; education verification, and employment verification.

It's important when deciding to use background checks as part of a pre-employment screening process, to clarify exactly what the intent of the checks are "up front"? If a company only wants to verify that an applicant is not a "wanted" criminal or convicted sex offender and will not pose a threat or liability if they extend a formal offer of employment, there are many ways to conduct these checks using a multitude of sources including, local, county, state and national crime databases, FBI databases and many more sources where conviction records are maintained. However, if the position you are hiring for is a critical position requiring "absolute accuracy" and a complete exhaustive search of every city, county, state and federal district of the applicant, this will obviously take much longer and increase in cost, requiring investigators to physically travel to each geographic location and conduct personal interviews and screenings of court records. Again, this all needs to be determined "up front" when deciding to use background checks as part of the employment screening process.

The same applies to pre-employment drug testing. If the intent is to verify that the candidate is "drug free" before extending an official offer of employment, there are many methods to conduct drug testing at very reasonable price points; as low as $10.00. Based on the level of candidates being screened, drug testing can increase in both cost and accuracy, testing for drug use as far back as 90 days and increasing in cost up to $140.00. This method completely eliminates the possibility of adulterating any drug samples or having the applicant attempt to "clean their system"; it is literally 100% accurate.

Overall, drug testing and background checks are an excellent method of protecting a company and the liability they accept when hiring candidates. For an average of $75 per candidate to conduct pre-employment drug testing and background checks, the payback or return on investment is enormous. In many cases, companies can realize a significant reduction in workman's compensation as a result of implementing a "drug free workplace" program. The program will literally pay for itself.

4) Tell me a little bit about the process in getting this done. How much work do I have to do?

Every company is different in how they set up their processes. With Guardian Testing Services, we strive to simplify this process and reduce the administrative burden from our clients. Once an applicant has been identified as a strong candidate for employment and a decision has been made to screen this applicant, whether drug testing, background checks, or both; all we need if the candidates contact information; name, phone number and e-mail address and the type of screening you want conducted. That's it....we take it from there and initiate all screening processes sending the results directly back to our client. Our results are verified by licensed private investigators and maintained on file with Guardian Testing Services for a period of two years.

5) Anything you want to pitch?

Many organizations currently have "Drug Free Workplace" programs in place and/or are conducting individual drug testing on their employees. With the financial crisis our nation's economy is going through, every organization is seeking methods of reducing costs. Guardian Testing Services has the ability to reduce the amount that these companies are currently spending on their drug testing by 50-70%, without compromising quality or accuracy......guaranteed! Imagine being the HR manager that can propose a 50% reduction in drug screening costs to their senior management without decreasing quality, accuracy and still protect the liability of the company.

To contact Joe, head on over to his background check vendor website and give him a call. I use him for background checks for candidates prior to the job offer, and it's a lot cheaper and just as effective as other firms.

Article by Jim Durbin and courtesy of StlRecruiting.com

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 3, 2008 at 10:57 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In a nationwide poll conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 70% of HR professionals feel budget cuts across entire organizations are likely if current challenges to the U.S economy continue. More than half (55%) of the respondents said hiring freezes are also likely under those same circumstances. The poll, Changes Organizations Have Made in Light of 2008 Financial Challenges to the U.S. Economy, is the second to be released in a series of new SHRM Polls being conducted in response to the downturn in the economy. "Today's ever-changing and competitive business environment is placing unprecedented responsibilities on HR professionals," says Steve Williams, director of research for SHRM. "The 2008 hiring landscape has been weak, yet it's more important than ever for organizations to compete for and retain the best talent. It's HR who's going to tell them what workers want today, what keeps them happy, and what makes them stay." The poll asked nearly 450 HR professionals what actions related to employee investments and retirement planning their organizations are most likely to take in the coming months if there are no reversals in the current downward economic trends.

• Eighty-three percent said they would consider providing employees with financial educational literature and/or workshops by investment specialists. Another 21 percent said they might revise investment policies for 401(k) plans and other savings programs.
• Only 11 percent said they might change investment management companies, and seven percent said they would consider offering employees investment options other than 401(k) plans.
• Six percent said they might suspend investments in mutual funds that are deemed risky.


In addition to organization-wide budget cuts and hiring freezes, HR professionals said cutting bonuses (50 percent), freezing wage increases (45 percent), and layoffs (39 percent) are "likely" actions that might be taken should economic conditions worsen.

On the flip side, respondents said restructuring executive compensation and/or severance packages (82 percent), and outsourcing some business functions (79 percent) were only "somewhat" or "not as likely" to be taken under the same circumstances.


Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional


Posted by Candice Arnold on December 3, 2008 at 10:21 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Veterans returning to the U.S. after active duty may now be facing a different battle: finding a job. Nearly one-in-five (17 percent) veterans looking for a job said it took more than six months to secure one after leaving active duty; nearly one-in-ten said it took one year or more. This is according to a CareerBuilder.com survey conducted among more than 750 U.S. veterans between August 21 and September 9, 2008. Clearly, if asked today, that percentage would have only increased. One-in-five veterans believe that the biggest challenge to getting hired for a civilian position is employers' inability to understand how military skills can fulfill qualifications for civilian positions. Veterans also point to a lack of a college degree, a low number of jobs in their area and an inexperience with civilian job interviewing as other reasons they feel they aren't finding employment. Even though veterans may feel disconnected from employers, nearly 20 percent of employers said that they will be actively recruiting veterans over the next 12 months.

When asked what are the most important qualities that veterans can bring to their organizations, employers said:

• The ability to be part of a team (74%)
• Disciplined approach to work (73%)
• Leadership skills (66%)
• Respect and integrity (64%)
• Ability to perform under pressure (62%)

Article courtesy of Kennedy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 3, 2008 at 10:17 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

An interview by Krishna De

I'm continuing to see the interest in online video growing - just today I was speaking to one of my clients and they were mentioning how they use the video's at YouTube for personal development.

I've been editing some of my video's that I've recorded in the last couple of months and have added them to my own YouTube channel and syndicated them across into Facebook and also added them to my blogsite as resources for my readers.

I've also been exploring some alternative easy ways to edit video so that I can share my tips with my clients who want to create and produce their own short online video's.

But what if you want to have someone else create your online video for you?

Recently I was contacted about Sizzle It! who create sizzle reels and promotional videos. Their clients include several high profile organizations such as Blue Man Group, NBC Universal, CBS, Hewlett-Packard, the Eric Trump Foundation and many top public relations, marketing and advertising firms.

I asked Scott Gerber of Sizzle It! to tell me more about their business.

Krishna: What gave you the idea to establish Sizzle It!?

Scott: Sizzle It! was founded on one key principal. We do one thing and we are the best at that one thing. There are thousands of video production companies in the world that offer sizzle reels as one of their many product offerings, but how does a potential customer know which one will deliver the results they are looking for when it comes to their most valuable communications tool? Sizzle It! lives and breathes sizzles everyday and we've got the best team in place to handle any sizzle that comes our way.

Krishna: What makes your service different?

Scott: We only produce sizzle reels. Every other competitor will include the sizzle reel as one of their many other service offerings. Unlike our competitors, we treat sizzle reels with the respect they deserve and require. One-stop-shop video production companies are not the answer. After all, do you really think a client should trust a vendor who claims that they are the expert in everything from duplicating DVDs and directing music videos to staffing video shoots and creating sizzle reels? We think not.

Krishna: How have Sizzle reels been used by your clients in the whole of the sales cycle - from attracting attention to conversion?

Scott: Our clients have used our sizzles for everything - from fundraising to client sales to public relations campaigns. Like an iPod in a way, the concept of sizzle is universal, but its application into the sales and marketing process is unique. We've heard nothing but good things from clients since we started Sizzle It! and that's a tradition we are looking to continue.

Krishna: Can you share a case study of one of your clients and the outcomes they found in terms of lead generation/client attraction and visitor conversion?

Scott: I'll let one of my clients speak for me on this one. Here is an example of a client with an unbelievable concept that raised millions of dollars:

"The videos that Sizzle It! produced for us were instrumental in getting our financing secured at several stages. Sizzle It's creativity, speed, professionalism and ability to work on a budget are unrivaled, in my experience. In short, they are effective and a joy to work with." Michael Counts, Founder of Counts Media & Co-creator of Blue Man Group's The Ride New York.

Krishna: What kind of companies benefit the most from Sizzle reels?

Scott: Every company has a message. Whether that is B2B or B2C - companies (and individuals) need to get their message out in a fun, exciting and engaging way. I would say that most of our clients fall into one these categories: public relations firms, marketing and advertising agencies, convention and conference organizers, charities, entrepreneurs and small and large businesses.

Krishna: Why is this product effective for companies given a challenging economy?

Scott: Sizzle reels are an easy way to expand a brand's reach in a very cost-effective way. They are effective tools that can be used for a long period of time and across multiple platforms. In short, if a sizzle is done right once, it can be one of the best investments a company can make when it comes to getting the word out.

Krishna: Do you also enable to video's to be distributed through video sharing sites and which are the three sites you recommend?

Scott: We custom fit the final sizzle deliverable to the clients specifications. YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook are my personal favourites.

Krishna: Where are you based and where can you serve clients?

Scott: We are based in NYC, but can service clients anywhere in the world. We are about to put the finishing touches on our Web 2.0 client portal which will offer clients an interactive project management solution that is accessible anywhere in the world.

If you want to find out more about Sizzle It! you can contact Scott at ezsizzle@sizzleit.com.

Article by Krishna De and courtesy of Biz Growth News blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 3, 2008 at 8:01 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Originally posted on George's Employment Blawg

There are plenty of reasons a particular job ad may not work well. Sometimes these mistakes are tough to recognize and even harder to learn to avoid.

Here are seven mistakes that can cause an ad to provide less bang for the buck than desired:

Not writing good ad copy

The key to writing good ad copy is to grab the job seeker's attention, give enough details about the position to make it clear what the candidate will be doing, keep job requirements brief, outline what makes the position and/or company special, make sure the ad is keyword rich, and make the application process simple.

Why would you use just one advertising vehicle -- and always the same one? Monster & CareerBuilder are both great sites, but neither is ideal for all positions. Too often companies pick one job board and that is all they use -- regardless of the position.
Bad idea, for many reasons. Often the position would receive a much better, more qualified response on a niche board. Or the position is such that a lot less money spent on a regional board would have gotten an equally good response.

What's working? What's not? You don't need the latest applicant tracking system to track where responses are coming from. A simple job code, unique to each position and advertising medium, will allow you to track the source.

Waiting for an employee to quit is the worst time to start an advertising and recruiting plan. Developing a comprehensive recruitment strategy before the need is urgent is the best way to effectively source and evaluate various avenues.

Where are they looking for jobs -- or are they even looking for jobs at all?
This is an important question to answer in evaluating what advertising sites and/or publications make the most sense, as well as in deciding whether the extent to which a particular campaign should be focused on active or passive job seekers.
(The term "passive job seeker" is an oxymoron -- it refers to a person who is not a job seeker, but could be persuaded to consider making a change.)

Job boards want you to be happy with the responses to your postings and hope you make good hires. They want your money, so they want you to use them again.
The major sites are constantly offering new products or enhancements. This presents a problem, as you need to keep up your knowledge of how they work to use them most effectively.

For example, on CareerBuilder you are allowed up to three job classifications. If three are relevant, use them. Hotjobs uses a "short description" field that, when used properly, greatly enhances the search results placement of a posting, getting it in front of more eyes. Monster now offers auto-refresh postings to better increase the number of people that will see an ad.

With an online posting, you have the ability to evaluate the early applications and massage the wording of the ad to better attract qualified candidates.

Don't wait until the posting has expired and then say, "that didn't work." Figure out why something is not working early on in the process and adjust the ad copy accordingly.

Article by, Thomas Torresson

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Candice Arnold on December 2, 2008 at 7:57 AM | Leave a Comment (2)