Employers expect to increase the pay they offer college students for internships, according to a new study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Overall, employers taking part in NACE's 2009 Experiential Education Survey say they will offer bachelor's-degree-level interns an average hourly wage of $17.13--up 4.9 percent from the average they offered last year's interns.

Interestingly, the increase in intern salaries is paired with a 21 percent decrease in the number of internship opportunities available.

"We are seeing that intern hiring and full-time hiring are down this year due to the current economy. The increase in intern salaries may reflect a long-term strategy on the part of employers to ensure their internship programs continue to attract top students," says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.

Intern salaries are affected by the student's major and year of study as well as the location of the internship.

"There are a variety of factors that determine salary," says Mackes. "For example, in general, the further along the student is in school, the higher the salary, with sophomores earning more than freshmen, and juniors earning more than sophomores. By field, students in engineering and computer sciences earn the highest salaries on average."

The average hourly wage for engineering students is $18.26, while those studying computer sciences earn an average hourly wage of $17.20 as an intern. (See Figure 1.)

Students who have previously held an internship are also likely to get a higher salary.

"More than 60 percent of responding employers say they pay more to interns who have previous internship experience--even if the internship was with another organization. They recognize the value of internship experience," says Mackes.

Since 1956, theNational Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has been the leading source of information about the employment of college graduates. NACE maintains a virtual press room for the media at www.naceweb.org/press/.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 31, 2009 at 10:58 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Hi All,

Did you know that when a company executes a round of lay-offs, they see a drastic increase in employees who survived the lay off leave for new jobs?? The surviving employees get "paranoid" that they will be next so they start looking for new employment.

So, if you think your multigenerational workforce will stay "no matter what" because of the current job climate, you could be very wrong. Employee recognition is still critical for retaining your top talent and improving morale at work. Even in a down job market, good people still get recruited.

I came across this recent blog post that addresses this, written by an employee recognition expert whom I know, Cindy Ventrice. And, btw, for those of you who are managers and executives seeking ways to provide your employees with recognition strategies that work, I strongly recommend following Cindy's blog and/or picking up her book, Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works.

Okay, back to the topic. According to Cindy's blog post, even in this down economy, employee recognition is up. Here's what she has to say about this:

A recent CareerBuilderSurvey found that while companies are cutting down on perks, benefits, travel and incentives, employee recognition is actually up!

Create programs that drive your most important business initiatives. This helps morale and produces the results you really need right now.

Pay attention to Cindy's valuable advice. Your employees are your most valuable asset...so let them know!!

Oh, and did you know Boomers require and desire as much recognition as Millennials at work? It's true...so spread your recognition around to employees of ALL ages!

Bye for now.

Article by Lisa Orrell, Millennial & Generation Relations Expert and courtesy of Lisa's Generation Relations Blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 31, 2009 at 10:34 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In the last couple of weeks there have been some well reported cases of people losing their jobs through what they write on their Facebook profile or even being fired before they start a job through what they Tweet as was reported this week as in the case with a candidate being recruited by Cisco.

This last week, the Sunday Times has an article by journalist Gabrielle Monaghan on the more positive use of Twitter for networking when it comes to job search.

Twitter is actively being used to help people in the current economy connect to job opportunities, as is LinkedIn and Facebook.

I was fortunate to be contacted by Gabrielle and shared 5 tips for using Twitter in your job search which you can read below:

1. Create a professional profile

Twitter allows you to write a brief bio describing yourself and to link to one external website. Detail in your Twitter bio your expertise. You can link to your blog, a website or your professional profile on LinkedIn.com so people can find out more about who you are and your expertise.

2. Nurture your network by sharing knowledge and resources

Yes Twitter is used by many people to 'life stream'. However if you want to show that you have expert knowledge and skills make sure there is a balance between what you Tweet and providing tips or resources sharing your professional knowledge.

3. Listen and search for opportunities

Use the Twitter search facility to search for opportunities - type in the key words (for example 'marketing vacancy') and you will be able to see who is Tweeting about marketing opportunities. In addition you can subscribe receive updates so you can get updates of people talking about opportunities.

4. Connect direct to recruiters

Twitter is a social networking site so you can search out recruiters and 'follow' them. As an example you could follow Recruit Ireland the Irish Jobsite on Twitter

5. Let people know you are for hire

Don't be afraid to note in your bio or occasionally that you are looking for a new career or attending interviews. Your Twitter network is just like your network offline - if you make sure people know what you are looking for you'll find many people happy to help you in your job search.

And remember if you come across opportunities that are not relevant for you, be sure to share them with your network on Twitter too!

If you've used Twitter to help you in your job search do let me know and share your tips for how you made this happen.

What other tips do you have for using Twitter to find career opportunities?

Article by Krishna De and courtesy of Biz Growth News blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 31, 2009 at 10:28 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a good book.-Groucho Marx

Need Internet Access For Your Job Search? Need Help Learing How To Do an Online Job Search? Visit Your Public Library!

As we discussed in Part I of this series on how searching for a job has changed in the Internet age, the Web has become the place to begin the hunt for your next job.

However, if you've been laid off for a while -- or are having a hard time finding that first job -- you may be unable to afford the computer and/or Internet service provider fees that would allow you to conduct your online job search from home. You may also be concerned that you lack the computer skills to succeed in online job searching.

Fortunately, job-seekers have an easily accessible place to go for free Internet access -- and you don't even have to buy a cup of coffee.

That place is your local public library.

Oh -- and don't worry if you don't have a computer or don't know how to use one. Libraries let patrons use their computers for free, and will even teach people how to use them.

According to this recent article in the Huffington Post, "Three-fourths of all libraries offer information technology training to their patrons, including how to conduct online job searches and how to use standard office software applications." Continue reading ...

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 March 31, 2009 at 9:59 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Ok, for some of us, the thought of networking is just plain icky, not to mention scary. To be honest, that was how I felt, especially when I was still new to my field and did not have any work experience. I thought networking was just another work for "sucking up." And then I realized, networking is just a means of gathering and sharing information. It doesn't need to be icky. As a college student, if you have questions about an assignment, about a new concept that's been presented in class, or about an upcoming exam, I hope you feel comfortable approaching your instructor with your questions. You'd probably call or email, or you might seek out your instructor before/after class, or during his or her office hours. Likewise, if you have questions about a particular occupation or about working for a specific organization, it makes perfect sense, and is absolutely acceptable, to seek out professionals who can answer those questions during an informational interview.

Informational interviews are a form of networking and are a great starting place, especially if you have little-to-no work experience in your field. Are professionals willing to be interviewed? Many are willing, but be respectful of their time by asking smart questions. Let's return to the example of asking your instructor a question about an assignment. The conversation with your instructor is usually most effective if you have specific questions in mind. If you approached your instructor with, "Can you tell me about the assignment?" they'd probably say, "What part of the assignment?" or "Weren't you listening in class?" On the other hand, if you asked, "You mentioned we should cite at least 6 sources. May I cite blogs or should I only site academic journals?" your instructor knows what specific information to clarify for you. Likewise, when conducting informational interviews, you want to have specific questions in mind that probe deeper than any information you might read online or in a book. "From my readings, it seems that art therapy is gaining momentum and seeing some real growth. Is that consistent with what you've been seeing in the field?" If you were pursuing a career in art therapy, it would be useful to know whether or not there was demand for art therapists, so a question like the one above helps you get an answer that will assist you in your decision-making. It also gives the professional you're interviewing a specific question to address. Informational interviews can certainly vary in length and depth of conversation, but I suggest requesting 20-30 minutes of the professional's time and generating 10-15 thoughtful questions to ask. You can always ask fewer questions or add more as the conversation progresses. Can informational interviewing get you a job? Maybe, but usually not directly. (A friend of mine was offered a job at the end of an informational interview, but that was definitely an exception, not the rule!)

Let me give you another example. Let's say that a high school student were given your name by one of the admissions counselors because they were interested in majoring in the same subject as you. The high school student dutifully emails you to set up a time to for a brief conversation. She asks for only 20 minutes of your time which you appreciate because you have a lot of other things going on. In her email, she includes a list of questions she hopes to ask you, which makes you happy because you can prepare your responses in advance of the conversation. The high school student calls you on the predetermined day and your conversation goes very well. Then, at the end of the call, she asks if you can get her into your college. "Wha????" you ask. "Of course not! That's not my decision." You'd probably leave the conversation scratching your head. On the other hand, if the student asked you for advice about how to be successful at your college, you'd likely be happy to share with her what classes you thought were phenomenal, what food to avoid at the cafe, and what residence halls to steer clear of. Why would you be willing to share all of that information? Because the student was respectful of your time, asked thoughtful questions, had done some research about your school, and mostly because, you're a nice person. As nice as you are, however, you don't have the power to get her admission to your school.

Likewise, most professionals are happy to share insights, advice, and even contacts with you. Some will bend over backwards to help you out. Why? Because they are nice people. But, they might not be in a position to offer you a job. So don't make things awkward by asking for one. Of course, be honest and let them know you're looking for employment, just don't put the burden on them to find the job for you. Hopefully you can see that networking (of which, informational interviewing is a legitimate form), doesn't have to be icky. So, get out there and start networking!

Career development professional with 10 years of experience in career advising. Specializes in working with undergraduate students with little-to-no work experience. Special interests include: international students, immigrant populations, parents transitioning back into the workforce, faith in the workplace, and Christian career counseling. Grace's site, Sweet Careers, provides tips, advice, videos, and tutorials to help job seekers find meaningful careers.

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.

Article originally posted on Recruiting and Sourcing Secrets

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 31, 2009 at 6:14 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

If you use a Blackberry to stay connected during your job search, read on ...

Edgar Allan Poe wrote a short story in 1843 called The Tell-Tale Heart. If not familiar, the story is about a man who kills another man. He hides the body under the floor boards and calmly responds to police when questioned. Until, that is, the (supposed) beating of the dead man's heart causes him to experience an unquestionable madness.

Why am I forcing literature on you? Well, first of all, it's good for you. We all need some culture now and again. Second, if you are out of work, well, you have some time on your hands and reading isn't a bad way to fill your day. Third, there is some value in a lesson I picked up as a result of re-reading the story.

That lesson? Patience.

Of course, it is actually broader than that. Yes, it is about patience. But it is also about the benefits gained as a result. They include perspective, confidence, peace of mind and a calm exterior.

So, what does Edgar Allan Poe's story have to do with a modern smart phone like the Blackberry? Well, I had a thought one day during my 2007 job search. I looked back on my 2007 journal, as I often do when looking for topic ideas for this blog. I found a note that I wrote about 2 months into my job search. A time when my early expectations about how quickly I would find a new position began to meet reality. The note?

"The red light blinking on my Blackberry feels like the beating of The Tell-Tale Heart."

In my case, however, I was anticipating a blink vs. dreading its arrival or continuance. It's somewhat like waiting for a pot to boil, but there is so much more riding on it vs. a warm cup of tea. Once the light started blinking, my hopes often soared. A bit sad, really.

What happens when your plan does not happen as quickly as you hope? Well, naturally, you become impatient. Just a little bit at first. No one would ever notice it. But as the days move along, you naturally have increasingly demanding expectations. And, before long, some of that manifests into anxiety. The result of anxiety is impatience.

When we are impatient, we can act impulsively. Resulting, often, in bad decisions.

1. We can over-communicate with recruiters, companies and our own network.

2. We can apply for jobs even if not qualified.

3. We can return calls and e-mails too quickly and with too much interest.

4. We can interview with a one-sided approach - forgetting to interview the company and staff.

5. We can accept a first job offer, even if it is not a good fit or worthy of our experience.

In this case, impulsive action can damage your prospects or get you into a job that you will likely be leaving within 6-12 months.

So, back to the red blinking light. I am embarrassed to say it, but, on my worst days I would sit for a minute or two and watch for that red light (on those days where nothing was happening). And, on those days, when it started to blink, or when, after leaving the gym, I found it blinking; my heart would jump as I thought "this could be the one".

I never faulted myself for the emotion. It's natural to be excited about things that are important in life. The key, I think, is in planning your reaction to the message. The psychology management says:

• If it was junk mail, forget it ever blinked.
• If it was a note from a friend, focus on that person and let the anxiety of "who it could have been" fade away.
• If it was a negative response on a resume or interview, be objective and thankful for a response.
• If it was a positive response, give it a couple hours to follow-up. But allow yourself a pat on the back and focus on what you did differently this time to get that response.

Because ...

The waiting and anticipating can break you. It can put you in a defensive position and mindset. Instead of waiting, you should be acting; Networking to create more opportunities instead of waiting for the light to blink.

It can drive you mad.

Article by, Tim Tyrell-Smith, Spin Strategy

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.

Article originally posted on The Daily Recruiter

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 30, 2009 at 10:27 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Senior Managers Can be Unemployed Nine Months Before It Adversely Affects Career Prospects

In the current economy, being out of a job for an extended period no longer carries the stigma it once did for top managers, according to a new survey. Executives polled felt that, on average, a senior manager could be out of work nine months before his or her career prospects were adversely affected.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Management Resources and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on telephone interviews with 150 senior executives from the nation's 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked, "How long, in months, can a top manager remain unemployed before it hurts his or her career?" The mean response was nine months.

"Despite pockets of opportunity, the job market remains challenging, and extended searches aren't unusual," said Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources. "Most hiring managers recognize the economy has sidelined many outstanding people. In fact, some companies are taking advantage of the current employment environment to hire experienced workers who would not have been available one year ago."

To take advantage of these job opportunities and stay marketable, McDonald advises management-level candidates to remain active professionally through project work, volunteering in an area of interest or by taking classes to keep their skills current.

These five additional tips also benefit the senior-level job-seeker:

1. Be flexible. You may not find a job that is an exact match with the one you held before. Explore ways to apply your expertise in new areas and highlight your transferable skills.

2. Network effectively. Make sure your network includes people at varying experience levels as well as those outside your industry. Use social networking websites such as LinkedIn to extend your reach.

3. Know the company. The more you can uncover about a business' strengths and weaknesses as well as its corporate culture, the better you can tailor your application materials to the firm's exact needs.

4. Consider relocating. Be open to opportunities in other cities or states, particularly if your skills are highly specialized or few job openings exist locally.

5. Stay positive. Finding a management position can take longer simply because there are fewer positions available at any given time. Try not to become discouraged or it will undermine your confidence.

Robert Half Management Resources 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 .

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 27, 2009 at 11:06 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The U.S. Department of Labor recently issued policy guidance to States and outlying areas for the implementation of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) investments in core employment and training programs. This critical investment of $3,514,500,000 in the nation's workforce system and network of One-Stop Career Centers is intended to help unemployed Americans upgrade their skills and get back to work. "One-Stop Career Centers have a wide array of services and resources to help workers and youth who are unemployed or underemployed," says Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Through the One-Stops, the workforce system will play a vital role in America's economic recovery by assisting workers who are facing unprecedented challenges to retool their skills and re-establish themselves in viable career paths." The training and employment guidance letter provides policy and direction regarding activities authorized under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and the Wagner Peyser Act, as funded through ARRA. The letter also provides specific instructions to States on how they can use funding under the Recovery Act to serve adults, dislocated workers and youth, and provide labor exchange services to all who need them. The workforce investment system will use Recovery Act funds to increase service levels, address immediate employment needs and spur future economic growth to advance shared prosperity for all Americans.

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 25, 2009 at 1:06 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

A recent online survey taken by the employment professionals of TRS of Oakbrook Terrace shows that many executives feel that their jobs or their companies' positions are at risk or that they have limited advancement opportunities. The TRS Oakbrook Terrace survey of over 100 executives who are in an active job search, shows that

• 17% are "uneasy about the future",
• 17% say that their "job is in jeopardy," and
• 18% feel they have "limited advancement opportunities."

TRS says that this means 34% feel that their jobs are at risk. The most staggering statistic, according to TRS, however, is that 40% of the job seekers say they are "unemployed with no luck in their searches." One other category shows that 8% are consultants looking for the "security of a real job." "The fact that 74% of executives and professionals who are currently in active search mode are either unemployed or fear that unemployment may be forthcoming is quite a surprise," says the Oakbrook spokesperson for TRS.

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 25, 2009 at 8:59 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Are you still using the big job boards to find potential employees? How is that working for you?

While some passive job seekers have anonymous CVs and resumes uploaded on Internet job sites the majority of talented people passively seeking a better job do not.
In addition to purchasing geographically targeted web banners and buttons social media websites provide a great platform for reaching these candidates. Let's take a look at a few:

Facebook

Facebook has a section for jobs listings and give users the option of sending job ads it to friends or posting them to your Facebook profile.

Linkedin

Linkedin lists the companies that are in your network, the number of people who have viewed your profile, and the how many times your profile has showed up in search results.

XING

XING's marketplace shows offers that match your profile, let you see who you know at the company and has a button to recommend the job to friends.

Jobshouts

Jobshouts is a newly launched free job board that uses Twitter, the popular micro-blogging tool, to announce new job listings.

These are just a few examples of how social media is changing the search for job candidates as well as the search for jobs. A multi-pronged approach will prove to be the most effective way to attract top talent.

Article by, AG Communications Group

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.

Article originally posted on Boston Technical Recruiter

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 24, 2009 at 1:55 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Severance packages right now for most employees dealing with a layoff at a large U.S. company have remained unchanged, finds a survey by Hewitt Associates of 228 large U.S. companies representing 4.5 million employees. However, as companies continue to look for additional ways to lower costs, those benefits--like many others--are at risk of being cut back.

More than 80% of employers made layoffs in the past 24 months, and 45% intend to make further reductions in the next 12 months, finds Hewitt's survey, which is a bit at odds with other recent research. For instance, 46% of firms were not in a hiring freeze in January, according to Time to Upgrade Your B Talent to the A Talent, according to TalentDrive, whose survey of 8,000 firms goes on to note that 68% of respondents expect normal hiring to return by Q3 of this year.
Conflicting projections aside, the good news for employees affected is that severance programs have remained essentially the same despite the economic downturn. Fifty-one percent of companies offer a standard one-to-two weeks of pay for every year of service, and another third (33%) vary their payouts based on a formula that typically combines years of service, salary level, and/or grade, according to Hewitt's findings.

In addition to cash payments, most companies provide at least one benefit after separation, which may include health care coverage, retirement benefits, disability, financial assistance or life insurance. Not surprisingly, health care coverage is the most prevalent benefit offered. Thirty percent of companies provide full health care coverage during the severance period and then offer COBRA at the end of the severance period. More than one quarter (26%) provide COBRA coverage immediately, with the employee paying the full premium. Most companies (72%) also provide outplacement assistance to severed employees.

But as companies look to make additional cost reductions in response to ongoing economic conditions, many say they will take a closer look at their severance packages. One in five companies (20 percent), Hewitt finds, plan to make changes to their severance plans and 31% are unsure. Of those making changes, 43% plan to reduce cash payments, and 21% plan to reduce benefits.

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 24, 2009 at 11:58 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Being in transition is tough so advice is often offered with a spoonful of sugar. While well intentioned, however, I think that approach sends the wrong signal to those most in need of candor.

So, being as frank (and respectful) as I can, here's the unvarnished truth. This job market is filled with "irrational expectations." You cannot find a job today using job search strategies and techniques that were devised for yesterday's workplace. To put it more bluntly, you won't find work--any work--in such a tough environment with a wimpy career.

And sadly, that's what a lot of people are bringing to their job search. They haven't kept their skills up-to-date. Their ability to make a contribution commensurate with their experience has atrophied. Even their network of contacts has all but withered away.

Historically, all of that didn't matter much. You could be laid off and, with little or no change in your credentials, hit the job search trail and in relatively short order, find another, similar (or even better) position. Basically, we had a come-as-you-are job market.

Well, that experience is now gone and it's gone forever. Why is that? Remember the jobless recovery of the 2001 recession? Well, this recession built on that development to create the "less jobs" recovery. When things start to get better, there will be fewer jobs--not more or even the same number--as there were in the recession. Jobs aren't being left open until things get better. They're being destroyed.

What does that mean for people in transition?

Now, you have to enter the job market in a very different way. If you want to find employment in the new world of work, you have to fix your career first. Or, at a minimum, you must be fixing it while you're searching for a job. But, the point is that Step 1 in a job search today--not step 2 or 3 or 4--is to upgrade your capabilities and your credentials. Whether you have 20 years in the workplace or 20 minutes. From now on, you have to have a strong career if you want to conduct a strong job search.

I know you don't want to hear this. I understand that you will probably want to shoot the messenger. But, I'm trying to be as straight as I can with you. You can no longer achieve success by looking for a job the old fashioned way. That's simply an "irrational expectation" in this recession, in the recovery that will follow it and beyond. The world of work has changed. Permanently. And so must you.

This is a guest post by Peter Weddle of Weddles's Job Search, Recruiting, and Employment Resources. You can also follow him on Twitter.

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.

Article originally posted on HRM Business Practices and Notes

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 24, 2009 at 10:59 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Hiring Manager Alert: If you have a problem with candidates taking other positions during your interview and hiring process, it's likely that you've gotten your candidates from job boards, newspaper ads, and so on...which means that it's also likely that you've contacted them late in the job search cycle.

To avoid this problem, the solution is simple: work with a recruiter. A recruiter prescreens candidates for you, eliminating the waste of your time and productivity on a candidate who ultimately won't be available.

Advantages of working with a recruiter:

• You won't waste time reading through resumes of unqualified candidates
• You won't waste time on phone interviews with clueless candidates
• You won't waste time interviewing candidates who don't "fit"
• You will only interview candidates who are qualified, informed of the position and the pay scale, and interested in the job
• You will maximize your productivity
• You will stand out as someone who finds quality hires

I advise small companies especially to move quickly through the interviewing and hiring process - don't take shortcuts, but do be quick. This can be a competitive advantage in the "war for talent". A recruiter will be an efficient resource for hiring managers to use to find the best candidates in the shortest time possible.

Bottom line: As in all things, if you want something done quickly and well, hire an expert. Use a recruiter...hopefully, a recruiter who specializes in your industry. For instance, a medical sales recruiter will know what you need for specific positions in medical sales, laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics sales, medical equipment sales, medical device sales, DNA products sales, imaging sales, pathology sales, hospital equipment sales, surgical supply sales, or any specialized area of healthcare sales. Take advantage of your recruiter's experience, industry knowledge, and network, and reap the rewards of a job well done.

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.

Article originally posted on Daily Biz Solutions

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 24, 2009 at 10:39 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Yes, even HR professionals need help in tracking down job search resources. HR is a difficult job in the best of times, but in an environment where layoffs have become an everyday occurrence, HR has become a very stressful profession. That being said, there are opportunities for HR professionals, you just need to look in the right places.

• HRJobs.com - Sounds like a logical place to start. This job search board, as I'm sure you've guessed, is focused on Human Resources. Their main page has a simple interface, their tag line is "No Banners. No Pop-ups. Just HR Jobs" and that seems to be the case. There are just four links on their main page: Find HR Jobs, HR Job Map and HR Connections (the last link is for employers to post HR jobs). HR Connections allows resume posting and displays a few examples of available jobs. HR Maps shows where jobs are located in the US. The "Find HR Jobs" did not return too many opportunities when I checked it.
• HumanResourcesJobs.com - Another job search board dedicated to HR jobs. The main page of this site lists the total number of posted jobs (969 when I checked), along with the number of positions added in the last 14 days (496). The site offers registration, job alerts, resume posting and career resources. There is a basic search function on the main page, along with a short listing of the most recent job postings. The Career Resources page offers a number of career resources.
• HR Personnel Services - This recruiting firm specializes in HR positions. They offer temp to perm, temporary and full time positions. Their site has a number of links down the left-hand side of the page with links to job listings, apply online, a list of offices and background on the firm. Clicking on "contact us" leads to a page with contact info (including email account) and a form where you can submit a question or request online. The "HR websites" link leads to a page that provides a number of links for additional services.
• Human Resources International - "Your Partner in Human Resource Executive Search and Contract Staffing" is the tag line for this recruiting firm. With 10 locations across the US, HRI is a national recruiter covering the full range of HR job functions. From their site you can search for jobs, post your resume or have them contact you directly. You can also click "contact us" for a full listing of their locations, email addresses and telephone numbers.

Good luck in your search.

Article by Career Alley

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.

Article originally posted on Confessions of an Executive Restaurant Recruiter

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 24, 2009 at 10:31 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Building talent communities now, delivers a competitive advantage later

Why should organizations pay attention to their recruiting strategy now when many are faced with hiring freezes, reduced HR budgets and other challenges as a result of the turbulent economy? Because what they do today will determine their success in the future.

When the economy starts to rebound, organizations will begin to hire again and those that have planned for their future talent needs will gain a significant competitive advantage. By having a recruiting strategy that focuses on building talent communities - organized groups of people with the right skills and attributes that can be placed in the right position quickly- they will have access to higher quality candidates when and where they need them. However, with an eye on the future, one thing everyone should be asking themselves is how can we do this better?

One way organizations can get better at finding talent is by using technology to build their own talent communities. That requires understanding how the majority of candidates look for jobs, ensuring job seekers can find available positions in a way they're likely to search, developing ongoing relationships with passive and active candidates and consistently delivering compelling content that gives them a reason to apply to open jobs.

According to a report from comScore, an organization that measures the digital world, nearly 19 million people went online seeking new employment opportunities last year. However, unless they're searching by company name, or the corporate career site has been optimized for search engines to find, the chances of candidates finding your career site first is slim. To attract candidates before the job boards and other employers, organizations need to establish a stronger Web presence to catch the attention of quality talent.

An interactive recruiting strategy that includes search engine optimization (SEO) will lead passive and active job seekers directly to your online career site, producing better quality candidates and decreased dependency on online job boards.

Build it, but they won't come unless they can find it
One reason organizations need to refocus their recruiting efforts is because technology is changing the way people look for jobs. Less than 15 years ago classified advertising was the ruler of the recruiting strategy, but the focus has since shifted online - and that is continuing to evolve. Initially, candidates relied on the online job boards as their main resource for employment opportunities, but today's job seeker explores a range of options including Craigslist, social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, job aggregators like Indeed.com and search engines like Google and Yahoo.

In fact, the majority of candidates begin their job search on the major search engines, not on the job boards, using a variety of search terms. Therefore, companies need to think about how they can incorporate new technology into their recruiting strategy to attract candidates and build talent communities. Savvy employers will increasingly deploy an SEO recruiting strategy that helps them compete directly with the job boards for candidates so they can acquire them before they join any job board to build their talent communities.

SEO recruiting considers how search engines work, what terms people search for and improves the volume and quality of traffic to the company career center. By taking an optimized approach to recruiting, organizations can enhance their employment brand, make it easier for job seekers to find open positions, and get to the most qualified candidates before the competition. Plus, once a strategy is established it will continue attracting talent over time.

Knowing how candidates search for jobs is a key to attracting them to the corporate career site, but if the site isn't optimized it can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. That's because having a great career site isn't what lands a company's career center on the first page of the search results on Google. Being on the first page of search results has more advantages because the majority of search engine users don't look beyond the first page. However, while most career sites are designed to be appealing to users, they're not optimized for search engine users to find and if they don't show up on the first page of results users will likely abandon their search.

Many employers have an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that powers the search-and-apply process on their career site, but while those are great at helping job seekers find open positions once they're on the site, they are not built well for search engine spiders to index job content, which is why they don't show up on the first page of Google or other search engines. In other words, even though users can use keywords once on the site to search for available positions, the spiders cannot. As a result, the jobs are hidden from search engines. This is because Google indexes individual pages, not sites as a whole. And, just because jobs are indexed on Google, it does not mean they're optimized for meaningful keyword searches and generating any traffic.

Getting indexed on Google (or any search engine) means that your job content is visible to Google and listed somewhere in the search engine. But, they are not "ranked," which typically means the jobs are not keyword-optimized for logical searches that will drive meaningful results for recruiting efforts. Even if the search engines could find job content, the ATS systems don't perform basic SEO tasks such as submitting daily site maps, which is required to help job content show up in the search results on Google or other major search engines.

When career sites are optimized and highly ranked on Google, organizations can begin driving candidates directly to their site to apply into the ATS and compete directly with the job boards. This is why organizations need to have an interactive recruiting strategy that includes SEO to build their own talent communities to create a robust candidate pipeline.

Get found!
In order to make a career site come up in the top suggestions of a search, organizations need to focus on correct key word optimization, submitting their sites and updates to the search engines and link building. Partnering with someone with significant SEO expertise can facilitate this process and make the difference between the career site that is found first and one that is hidden.

Part of a successful strategy requires understanding what people search for - and then making sure they can find it. One way to do this is by creating talent landing pages for every job. A talent landing page provides a substantial competitive advantage because it delivers information relevant to what candidates have searched for and provides a page that can be online for months at a time, which helps organizations rise in and maintain their search rankings, even when they don't have positions available.

In contrast, the reason why specific jobs rarely get high ranking in the search engines is because jobs go online and offline in a matter of days, which doesn't give them enough time to rise in the search rankings. Talent landing pages, however, stay online and change daily as jobs go in and out of them. Organizations are then able to capture interested candidates who email or RSS subscribe to their jobs of interest. This enables companies to build a pipeline of talent who will receive auto generated emails with new matching jobs when they are posted into the ATS system. Instead of starting from scratch to market each job by posting into the paid jobs boards, organizations can leverage their own growing talent community database, and as a result, fill more jobs directly and faster than ever before.

By having an interactive recruiting strategy that embraces SEO, candidates are more easily able to find jobs and the organization experiences a better return on investment on their recruiting efforts. A higher Google ranking translates to more candidates looking at a company's open positions and custom landing pages create the opportunity for passive and active job seekers to maintain contact with the organization and interact with your brand.

SEO is an important element for any company's talent acquisition strategy. By leading candidates to the career center before they hit the job boards, organizations can build their own talent communities and reduce dependency on high cost job boards and the time to fill open positions. A strategy that uses enhanced automated technology increases both the employers' ability to find and fill opportunities with the best possible candidate while helping candidates become more aware of the best opportunities to maximize their careers.

Article by, Doug Berg and courtesy of Kenndy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 24, 2009 at 10:18 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Ethics are the values that guide us to do the "right thing" even when no one is looking.

We think it ought to be fairly easy to choose between right and wrong by relying on our principles, but business activity often requires that we select from alternative actions that are neither wholly right nor wholly wrong.

This reality and the fact that individuals typically bring to the workplace an already-established code of ethics which may not completely align with the organization's ethical standard, raises many questions about ethics in business.

This article explores these key questions and provides insight based on our real-world experience helping organizations grapple with this important issue.

Ethics in the workplace is about knowing what is right or wrong and acting on it in regard to customers, other employees and stakeholders. We talk about two categories of ethics:

1. Compliance Ethics: The black-and-white legal issues that, when violated, make newspaper headlines: Fraud, Bribery, Stealing, Harassment.

2. Interpersonal Ethics: The issues that determine how we work together and how we treat each other. These are not necessarily illegal, but are the types of things you wouldn't want your family to see you do: Abusive behavior, Lying to employees, Putting one's interests ahead of the organization.

Attention to both types of business ethics is critical during times of fundamental change and upheaval, as with our current economic crisis.

Business Case for Compliance Ethics

During times of change and disruption, values that were previously taken for granted may be questioned and no longer followed. Shortcuts, "getting away with it when no one's looking," or not noticing problems or defects that might further slow down work, can become more prevalent and can even replace what was considered the norm and become accepted.

Additionally, the risk of litigation increases dramatically when previously tested and useful standards or rules are not followed. The potential damage to an organization's reputation can be financially destructive for years to come. Customers tend to have a long memory!

Business Case for Interpersonal Ethics

There is hardly a person above the age the age of 12 who isn't experiencing some level of stress about our current economic state. People are bringing this fear, doubt and uncertainty to the workplace. Anything that organizations can do to avoid adding to stress levels is critical.

One clear way to avoid adding more weight to already over-burdened shoulders is to model and reward strong interpersonal ethics. Insist that people treat each other with respect and dignity. Create a safe, ethical environment for your staff - the entire organization will benefit - now and in the long run.

5 Keys to Establishing an Ethical Culture

Many organizations erroneously think that establishing a code of ethics is all it takes to create an ethical culture. Corporations and government agencies write codes of ethics and conduct that tend to be no more than a piece of paper that employees may or may not read.

If having something written somewhere was all it took to change or teach behavior then our education system would be quite different - and many consultants would be doing something else!

At WSA, we often say that it is not in the "knowing" but in the "doing" - which is consultant-speak for, "Don't just talk about it -DO IT!"

Establishing a culture in which doing the right thing is expected helps to ensure that a set of beliefs, ideologies, or standards becomes ingrained and helps to guide the actions of employees - regardless if anyone is watching or not.

To successfully create an ethical culture remember these 5 things:

1. Create a Code of Conduct that is practical and enforceable.
2. Communicate regularly about the organization's ethics. This is a dynamic issue for a dynamic society. (Who would have thought of the problems associated with photos sent from cell phones even 5 years ago?)
3. Model the Desired Behavior - If leaders don't walk the talk, then no one will.
4. Enforce the Code. Do it clearly and publicly. (Are you hesitant? Remember Enron?)
5. Reward employees who "live the culture." Especially in this economic crisis, positive reinforcement may be in the form of public praise. Positive attention still has value - it always will.

Leadership's Role in Ethics

Leaders play a pivotal role in imbedding ethics into the culture of an organization. People look to them to define what the organization really believes about ethics. Actions speak louder than words.

Unfortunately, much of today's literature and training about business ethics is not geared toward the practical needs of leaders and managers. This is mainly a result of the fact that the field of business ethics, as well as most ethics training in organizations, has traditionally been the domain of philosophers, academics and social critics. Or the lawyers.

While it might be daunting to think of yourself as the moral compass for your organization, we suggest you focus on the key activities identified by the 2005 National Business Ethics Survey, conducted by Ethics Resource Center as having the greatest impact on employee ethics and compliance:

1. Set a good example
2. Keep promises and commitments
3. Support others in adhering to ethics standards
4. We would like to add one more - 'Fess up if you mess up.

If you fall short of the ethical code or fail to keep a promise, quickly and honestly own your mistake. People will understand and accept imperfection but they have little tolerance for hypocrisy.

Ethics Training Works

Given that the foundation for ethical behavior starts in early childhood, many people wonder whether you can truly have any impact on ethical behavior in the adult workplace. We offer two data points that suggest ethical training in the workplace can be highly effective:

1. In a comparison of 2000 and 2005 results of the National Business Ethics Survey ethical misconduct dropped by 60 percent in organizations with well-implemented ethics programs and strong ethical cultures.
2. Results from our recently launched, Ethics in Leadership Workshop indicate that even a 1-Day program can produce significant positive results if it is embraced by top leadership.

Ethics Training Tips

Here are a few elements of WSA's Ethics in Leadership program which participants found most helpful. You may want to incorporate them into your ethics initiatives:

1. Provide practical examples drawn from the full range of daily work situations.
2. Don't attempt to teach "correct" morals rather, allow participants to examine their assumptions and the process they use for making ethical leadership decisions in complex and ambiguous work situations.
3. Provide ideas and tools that are easy to use on the job when faced with an ethical dilemma.
4. Include a self-assessment tool which allows participants to explore what they think is ethical and unethical. Then provide a safe discussion format to increase their awareness of the "slippery slope" of ethics.
5. Create a structured open dialogue among participants about specific work-related ethical dilemmas - this activity consistently rates as the most helpful part of our Ethics in Action Workshop.

Article by, Paul Plotczyk, President, WSA and courtesy of Work Systems Affiliates

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 24, 2009 at 9:43 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Facebook. MySpace. LinkedIn. Twitter.

It seems like every day there's a new social networking site that becomes all the rage. Some employers hate 'em. Others love 'em. We wanted to see what you think, so we asked:

How does your company deal with social networking sites like Facebook?

Based on the results, things are pretty much all or nothing out there.

The top vote-getter was "We have no official policy," with 46% of the votes. Next was "Our policy prohibits accessing such sites," with 34%.
Only 19% have a policy that "allows reasonable access." 1% were completely confused by the question and responded: "What's Facebook?"

As always, thanks for your participation! Stay tuned for our patented sure-fire tips on how to deal with social networking in the workplace without winding up in court.

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 March 23, 2009 at 2:25 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

The legendary H-1 lottery deadline is fast approaching and candidates are scrambling for job offers and immigration lawyers. With less than two weeks to go, people are rushing to get their cases prepared in time for April 1st, 2009, the day of the H-1 lottery for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010: winners of the lottery will be able to work as of October 1st, 2009. The US immigration system is composed of visas and Green Cards: one of the best known is the H-1 visa, also called the H-1B visa and is for people with a 4-year degree or equivalent. There are 65,000 H-1 visas available for issuance annually; in FY 2001 through 2003, that number was 195,000. Excluded from the count are people who work at universities and non-profit organizations. Of the 65,000 H-1 visas, 1400 are reserved for Chilean nationals, and 5400 are reserved for nationals of Singapore. Renewals are not counted against the cap. The H-1B visa requires a Specialty Occupation, defined as a field requiring theoretical or technical expertise in a specialized field. The only exception to the rule is that it also allows for fashion models.

In the past, people could apply on or after the first of April, and there was no rush past a couple of months. Recently, however, the first day of April has caused such a rush of applications that the annual quota is exceeded on the first day of applications. The H-1 visa is one of the few visas that allows for dual intent and people with this visa may apply for a Green Card while being on this visa.

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 23, 2009 at 1:51 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Hi All!

In these challenging job market times filled with lay-offs and companies closing, people from all generations, are trying to determine "What's next?" for their careers. Economic downturns like these get people seriously considering what other types of jobs they can be doing to make a living. Millions of Boomers, Gen Xers, Generation Jonesers, and even Millennials, are currently trying to answer this question as they search for new employment.

I came across this article written by Alison Doyle today, About.com Guide to Job Searching since 1998. Her advice might be able to help you on your quest to answer "What's next???":

The article starts with:

The perennial question regarding career options used to be "What do you want to do when you grow up?" Today, the question has changed. Instead of figuring out what we want to do once, then being locked into a career for the rest of our lives, we're now asking the question "What do you want to do next?"
Sometimes, that's by choice. You hate your job and you want to do something, anything, else. In other cases, your job is gone, your industry is in disarray, and there are no jobs to apply for. What to do next?

Click here to read her entire article and find out about a new website designed to help you make a plan!

And, you can also get on-going career and job seeking advice for better interviewing techniques, resume writing, and more, by following Alison on Twitter...I do!

Bye for now.

Article by Lisa Orrell, Millennial & Generation Relations Expert and courtesy of Lisa's Generation Relations Blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 23, 2009 at 1:05 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I got an email this week that was written something like this:

Dear Peggy,

I need to get a job asap.

Hmmm...Does this person understand the role of the third party contingency recruiter? I don't think so.

While some searches involve marketing efforts, they are more the exception than the rule. Sometimes, recruiters will market a candidate to a new client to entice that client to do business with them. As in: "Look at the quality of this candidate. If you worked with me, all of your candidates would be this great!"

Here are the basics of how recruiters work:

All contingency recruiters are paid for by the client. Therefore, they work for the client.

The recruiter's mission is to provide the client with the type of candidates that the client specifies. Sometimes candidates confuse the client's requests/demands with those of the recruiters, but the recruiter doesn't make the rules, the client does.

If a client specifies they want a specific skill set and background; that is usually the only kind of candidate they will look at. However, if the recruiter has a good relationship with the client, they may entertain input from the recruiter and expand their pool of candidates.

When a recruiter says, "You aren't a good fit for this opportunity", they aren't telling you that you aren't good at what you do. They are telling you that their customer (the client) has specified who they will look at and consider as a qualified candidate and you don't meet the client's requirements.

(The irony here is that many recruiters will tell you that skill sets are transferable, to a point, and that clients would be better served if they looked at candidates with similar skill sets. For example, selling an executive jet is very different from selling laboratory capital equipment, but they are both complex sales with long sales cycles. Someone with a record of success selling jets might do very well selling capital equipment in the lab because the sales process is very similar. In this case, though, the deal-breaker might be that the jet salesperson doesn't have a science degree and the client may have reservations about the jet salesperson being able to grasp the science of their products and environment.)

Good recruiters try to add value to the hiring process and can be a valuable asset to hiring managers beyond just providing candidates. The level of partnership and input is directly related to the relationship the client has with the recruiter.

Did you know that less than 30% of recruiters are in business more than 3 years? Many try and many fail. To ensure a positive result, look for a recruiter who has chosen recruiting as her profession and has been doing it a while.

A proven track record is your assurance, whether you're a candidate or a client, that the recruiter you choose is going to deliver what you need.
These guidelines apply to any industry, not just medical sales, laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics sales, pharmaceutical sales, DNA products sales, biotechnology sales, cellular/molecular products sales, hospital equipment sales, medical imaging sales, pathology sales, surgical instruments sales, or any healthcare sales.

Article by, Peggy McKee - The 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.

Article originally posted on Confessions of an Executive Restaurant Recruiter

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 23, 2009 at 10:24 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

While today's business environment may not be very desirable for growth, it does offer opportunities that would be difficult to take of advantage of in more robust economic times.

After months of helping client companies strategize on how to survive this economic crisis, we have unearthed some genuine opportunities that many organizations are successfully leveraging to make significant positive changes.

In the spirit of looking for the silver lining in every cloud or making lemonade when life gives you lemons, consider whether your organization could capitalize on any of our Top 10 Opportunities that this crushing economic crisis has made available. We offer a collection here for you to consider.

Top 10 Opportunities in Today's Business Environment

1. Bring out Your Dead(wood)
To parody the famous line from Monty Python's Holy Grail, the need to cut costs provides an opportunity, perhaps even a mandate to, Bring out the Deadwood that has been hiding out in your organization for some time. Not only do these under-performers not deliver the results that you need, they also cause a huge morale hit for the employees who are busting their butts to deliver the goods.

Click here for the Monty Python "Bring out the Dead" scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grbSQ6O6kbs

2. Enforce the "No Asshole" Rule
Robert Sutton's famous book The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't discusses the organizational impact of employees who don't play well with others - the corporate bullies; the mean spirited; the socially inept who just don't get it, and those who would step on their grandmother to get ahead.

These individuals often survive because they cloak themselves in "hitting the numbers". People excuse their behavioral shortcomings because they don't think these producers would be easy to replace and fear a significant performance hit if they let them go. This is fear is particularly strong when times are good and the labor pool is tight.

So, the good news about the bad times is you don't have to settle for someone who can do the job well but makes everyone around him/her miserable. You can probably get a great skill and behavioral fit for your organization by enforcing the "No Asshole Rule" company-wide.

3. Build Loyalty - Become the Employee of Choice
It is often said that the true character of a person is based on what they do when no one is looking. I think the true character of an organization can be judged by what they do for employees when there is no direct or immediate business imperative requiring the action.

There may be a temptation to do less for employees in the current environment because: 1) everyone is under pressure to cut costs 2) there is an abundance of qualified prospects that would be very grateful to have almost any job.

We strongly urge you to resist that temptation. Here are 3 solid business reasons to think long and hard about abandoning programs that build loyalty and position your organization as an employer of choice:

1. Times will get better and you do not want to create a reputation that will make you less competitive in the future.
2. Doing less because "you can" will have a significant impact on staff morale and productivity - especially in times of high personal insecurity. The resulting cost savings could net little financial advantage.
3. Don't forget that you are still competing for customers and building employee loyalty has been shown to spill over to customer loyalty - it's kind of a Corporate Karma.

If you do need to scale back or abandoned programs for employees, over-communicate the rationale for the changes. Everyone understands that these are difficult times and is willing do what is necessary to survive - but they don't want to be taken advantage of!

4. Job Enrichment
One of the positive outcomes of having to do more with less is the opportunity for people do expand their contribution in a way that makes their job richer and more purposeful. Tap into the passions of your staff and ask them to do more in those areas that are meaningful to them. You may be surprised at the fresh burst of energy you unleash.

5. Job Advancement
Corporate belt tightening could open job advancement possibilities for the best and brightest in 2 ways:

1. Many organizations are asking people to step up and take on more responsibility and expand their roles. This is good news for people who may have felt underutilized and are capable of a much larger contribution.
2. Most companies are clearing out the deadwood to cut costs but this will also provide new opportunities for advancement for medium and high performers.

6. Invest for Better Times
With all the budget slashing going on it might seem crazy to be thinking of investing for the future. Many companies are just trying to stay afloat. However many of our clients are still doing training and development. They are only spending money on programs that are VERY pragmatic and targeted on core skills and competencies that are producing immediate results.

All that being said, this really is a good time to assess what you could do today to make your organization more competitive tomorrow.

• Brainstorm what steps you might take towards creating a more competitive tomorrow*
• Prioritize those ideas against a couple of key criteria, such as cost, time and/or available resources.
• Act on those steps you can take today. (A major impediment to progress is lack of follow-through!)
• Constantly evaluate progress on your current actions, as well as how you could act on the other steps as we move through this crisis.

*Ask us about our popular, fun and effective team-based exercise in our Leadership Development programs and strategy consulting called, "Competitive Destruction." It helps organization's rapidly identify gaps and opportunities in markets, structure and processes - and stay ahead of the competition!

7. Change Your Staffing Strategy
Most managers would agree that is much easier to manage skills than behaviors, yet we tend to hire based on how closely a resume matches a job description. We want someone who can hit the ground running, needs little hand-holding and will quickly produce. This is particularly desirable during boom times when it feels like you can't hire people fast enough.

The problem with that strategy is that you can end up with people who are a terrible cultural fit and who negatively impact the performance and job satisfaction of others (refer to Top Opp #2: the No Asshole Rule).

During this downturn you might consider flipping things around: hire first for cultural fit and second for skills/competencies match. Our experience has shown that this is a winning strategy regardless of where we are in an economic cycle as long as you have strong managers who know how to bring someone up the learning curve.

8. Get Back to Your Core
If the boom times of the previous decades enticed your organization to expand and take on ventures that where perhaps a little too far afield from your core competencies, now is the time to get back to basics.

Times like this call for laser focus on what works, what you are good at and what the market wants today. You need to jettison anything that dilutes your key strengths and provides a distraction from what you need to do to succeed.

9. Become a Culture Vulture
When you answer the questions, "Who are we?" and "How do we do things around here?" you are providing a quick overview of your organization's culture. Are you happy with your organization's answers to those questions? Has your culture evolved into something you don't recognize or want? Is there pressure to do things differently because times are tough?

Individuals, communities, organizations, countries around the globe are using this crisis to reconnect with the core values and guiding principals they want in place to guide day-to-day activities. This is a perfect time to examine the current culture of the organization and determine if it supports or hinders your success. If it isn't working for you, start laying the groundwork for change.

10. Create Change that Will Last
Shortly after the election, President Obama was asked if he had any regrets about winning, given the crises he had to deal on nearly every front. He essentially said that without pain there is little opportunity for real change. The President was excited about the possibilities for change that these difficult times were providing.

Well, given the amount of collective pain we are all feeling, it is clear that leaders have a unique opportunity to shake things up and lead from their vision of how things should be, rather than continue to carry bulky old legacy ideas. Don't squander what we hope is only a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Article by, Dr. Paul Stimson, Managing Partner and courtesy of Work Systems Affiliates

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 23, 2009 at 9:33 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

We've all seen billboards, television shows, print ads, and online ads urging us to use our cell phones to text a keyword such as "college" to a cell phone short code number, such as 876289.

In fact, give it a try. Text the word "college" (without the quotes) to 876289. You'll instantly receive an automated response from CollegeRecruiter.com and we'll instantly receive an emailed notification of your request to learn more about our offer.

Consider how to engage with your target market as you add this incredibly compelling response option to some or even all of your ad campaigns. You begin by choosing a keyword that best identifies the opportunity you wish to promote. Each ad becomes interactive, and tracking responses to them is automatic. Put your chosen keyword and our short code, 876289, on your brochures, business cards, web site, billboards, emails, print ads, and job postings. Anywhere you're currently putting your web address can feature your keyword and our short code, as well.

When people respond to your ad by texting your keyword to our short code, 876289, we'll automatically send, on your behalf, a brief text message - no more than 145 characters or about two sentences long - to their cell phones. In the message you may include a phone number link to your web site, or other instructions for how they can learn more about your exciting offer. And if you wish, we'll send you an email or SMS alert every time someone responds so that you can follow up, add them to your database, or both.

The best news is that cell phone text messaging is as inexpensive as it is efficient. The price for our no-contract (cancel at anytime) service is $40 per keyword per month plus $0.25 per response. But if you really want to save, sign up for one of our three-month plans:

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 23, 2009 at 8:51 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Employers are cutting the number of college students they will offer internship opportunities to by nearly 21 percent, according to a new study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Employers taking part in NACE's 2009 Experiential Education Survey cited budget cuts, decreased workloads, and company downsizing and restructuring as among the top reasons for bringing in 20.7 percent fewer interns this year than last year.

"The drop-off in internship opportunities mirrors what we're seeing in terms of full-time hiring for new college graduates," says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.

In February, NACE released a report showing employers expected to cut new college graduate hires by nearly 22 percent compared to last year.

Despite the cutbacks in internship opportunities, the new NACE report includes some positive news, says Mackes.

"Most of the employers responding to our survey say they are committed to their internship programs and plan to continue with them," she says. "They report that they are reducing--not eliminating--their internship opportunities."

That commitment, says Mackes, is a reflection of the strategic importance of internship programs: For many organizations, the internship program is a key "feeder" for full-time hiring.

"Employers tell us that these programs are an effective means for identifying potential employees. Many organizations look first to their interns when they have full-time openings," says Mackes.

In fact, responding employers reported that more than one-third of the new college graduates they hired in 2008 came from their internship programs.

In addition, the report shows that salaries for interns at the undergraduate level will increase. Employers expect to offer their 2008-09 undergraduate interns an average hourly wage of $17.13, a 4.9 percent increase over the average $16.33 hourly wage earned by 2007-08 interns.

"Nearly all of the organizations that took part in our survey pay their interns, and the increase is perhaps another indication of the value employers see in these programs," says Mackes.

Since 1956, theNational Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has been the leading source of information about the employment of college graduates. NACE maintains a virtual press room for the media at www.naceweb.org/press/.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 20, 2009 at 2:00 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Entrepreneurs have always driven the American economy. They always will.

The following are a few tips from experienced entrepreneurs to help new startup "bootstrappers" avoid some common pitfalls and keep them from joining the ranks of the many new businesses that fail in their early months and years.

Startup Pitfall #1 -- Inadequate Awareness; Employee Talent Is the Best Competitive Advantage You Have

Of course, a new business must have a unique selling proposition and marketing strategy. The business also needs and a product or service that better meets a need or does so at lower price or with better quality or customer attention.

But no matter what a startup sells, established or new competitors can easily overtake it. Success may ultimately depend on outworking and outmaneuvering everyone else.

This means your most important competitive advantage may ultimately be the talent you attract and retain.

Make sure employees know how grateful you are to have them. Invest in employee training, create a superior work environment, provide competitive benefits, and pay your employees as well as you can -- given the constraints of your bootstrapping finances, of course. Continue reading ...

Article by 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 March 20, 2009 at 11:39 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Survey Shows the Boss's Assistant Can Influence the Hiring Decision

Hiring managers aren't the only ones applicants need to impress when they arrive for a job interview. Candidates also should be on their toes when greeting the boss's right-hand person, a new survey shows. Six out of 10 (61 percent) executives polled said they consider their assistant's opinion important when evaluating potential new hires.

The survey was developed by OfficeTeam and conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 senior executives at the nation's 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked, "How important is your assistant's opinion about the job candidates you interview for positions at all levels?" Their responses:

"As soon as they enter the parking lot, job seekers should be on their best behavior. Everyone they encounter, from the person in the elevator to the receptionist, is someone who could potentially weigh in on the hiring decision," said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. "Just as treating the waiter rudely at a restaurant creates a bad impression, being discourteous or abrupt with a company's receptionist or office staff can reveal character -- or lack of it -- in job applicants."

Hosking added, "Administrative professionals know their boss's management style and understand the work environment, which makes them adept at identifying people who are a good fit and is why executives value their opinions."

OfficeTeam offers the following tips for making a positive impression before and after the job interview:

- Mind your phone etiquette. Be friendly and professional with the "gatekeeper" when phoning the hiring manager. He or she controls access to this person and could someday be your colleague. Also, learn the assistant's name and address him or her properly on calls or in person during the interview process. This increases the likelihood that you'll be put through to the hiring manager.

- Make a memorable introduction. When checking in with the receptionist or assistant prior to an interview, start a light conversation if it appears he or she isn't too busy. Ask for materials or brochures about the company, or inquire about news you uncovered while researching the organization. The discussion could leave a positive lasting impression with the assistant, and the information you learn might prove helpful when meeting with the hiring manager.

- Be engaged. After checking in, don't act as if you're the only person in the room. Avoid snacking, chewing gum, talking on your cell phone or listening to your headphones.

- Positively part ways. When the interview ends, say goodbye to those you've met and thank those who have assisted you.

OfficeTeam provides businesses with the highly skilled administrative professionals they need to maximize productivity, achieve cost efficiency and support full-time staff. The staffing firm has more than 325 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 20, 2009 at 10:37 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I say this all the time because it's true. And if you are the "Chief Laundry Officer" in your house you will concur - just when you think you've washed the last dirty sock you turn around and the dirty clothes basket if full again. Same goes for email. Just when think you've answered your last outstanding email you turn around and you get hit with more.

My husband and I both work from home and sometimes we email each other because we are too lazy to walk down (or up) one flight o f stairs to actually talk to each other. I don't think you can deny the fact that email has become the primary form of communication throughout the business world and maybe even in our personal lives.

If you're like me, you get a lot of email every day. And managing it is essential to managing your career. With our department being mostly virtual we rely heavily on email to communicate because we can't just get up and walk down the hall to ask a question or even just say good morning. Some of us carry a Blackberry, the iPhone, or some other smart phone with instant and constant access to everything and everyone every minute of the day - weekends included. It can easily get overwhelming if you let it. Sometimes we are copied on chains of emails that do not require a response at all but the FYI nature of them is appreciated. What do you do with these emails? And sometimes we'd rather not be CC'd at all because we aren't sure how we fit in and trying to figure out how we fit in is more stressful than dealing with the issue itself.

Thankfully I am not alone in my pursuit of "taming my inbox." Our team offers training on this subject matter and there is plenty of help on the internet. Last year, Chris Brogan blogged about this very subject -- I wonder if his success has continued nearly a year later? And, at our National Meeting in November, Shally Steckerl, a talent acquisition consultant, shared his secrets with us. I'm on a mission to not be a slave to my inbox and further honing my inbox system. After reading about how this can be done I've pulled together my Top 10 List of how to become the master of my inbox.

1. Sort your inbox by subject and create folders by subject or person.

2. Color code messages from known senders.

3. Unsubscribe from some of your mailing lists - you can't read them all, right?

4. As an alternative to #3 create a "to read" folder and at the same time create a "waiting for" folder for emails that you are waiting for some sort of follow up and a "to do" folder for emails that require your follow up.

5. Use the rules and filters to help organize your emails and your time. Here is an online tutorial that might be helpful.

6. Establish the day's top priorities before ever opening your inbox.

7. Turn off the alert sound. This one is going to be hard for me.

8. Wait to respond, especially to mass emails. Ask yourself, "Does everyone really need to weigh in?"

9. Avoid multi tasking to avoid mistakes and give your full attention to incoming and outgoing messages.

10. Do an annual spring cleaning and permanently delete what you don't need to keep.

Do you have some favorite ways of taming your inbox? What works for you and why?

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 20, 2009 at 10:21 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In my role as Chief Human Resources Officer I am often asked "What should I do to best manage my career?" I think this is an ongoing question for everyone. After all, a career, in today's perspective could span over 50 years. Given this length of time I like to view a career as a journey versus a specific destination. So let me share "what's in my career" at this stage of the journey.

So far, I've had 28 years of post college experience. My college education includes Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Business Administration. The jobs I have had include being a Registered Dietitian in a Hospital/Nursing Home, General Management of a Hospital Nutrition Department, Regional Human Resources Manager, District Manager, Operations Vice President and more. The job titles may be interesting but when I think about my career so far it is not the jobs themselves that come to mind. Instead, it is the experiences, challenges, successes, failures that really count.

Here are some highlights of what's "really" in my career:

• Learning how the science of nutrition impacts well being and that taking care of yourself is the most important job we have
• Managing a staff of 80 diverse individuals and being responsible for business profit and loss at age 23 will provide learnings that you will use every day for the rest of your life
• Treating everyone with respect, fairness and a strong dose of encouragement really does produce strong financial results
• A productive, busy work environment is really the most fun and energizing
• Taking a lateral move to learn a new skill set is as powerful as taking a promotion
• Accepting failure with accountability and learning from it is as powerful as success
• Taking risks is essential to learning and professional growth

I believe how we manage a career is best done through planning a path that ensures learning, risk, new experiences, success, failure, accountability and personal well-being. It is not the destination but the richness of the journey that really measures a career.

I wish you well with your career and as it is National Women's History Month take some time to read about what's in the career of some famous women.

Article by, Peri Bridger, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
and courtesy of Sodexo Careers Blog Making every day a better day.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 19, 2009 at 3:15 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I'm willing to bet that most people love it when one of their favorite stores offers coupons, like when JC Penney offers coupons that come wrapped around chocolate bars. But what if the sale was only advertised on television, radio and the retailer's Web site? Would that be enough? Possibly. Planet Funk wasn't taking any chances. To ensure they reached as many of their target - Gen Y - audience as possible, they launched a major SMS marketing campaign, using a mobileStorm platform.

Mobile coupons were the answer to Planet Funk's slump going into the 2008 holiday season. With the help of mobileStorm, which had already been managing their email marketing for some time, Planet Funk set up a mobile coupon program based on their customers usual spending habits. The campaign involved advertising their coupon offer in their twelve stores, located in California, Texas and Colorado, on their own Web site, and on the Web sites of malls where their stores are located.

The savings could only be received via the mobile coupons. By texting PFUNK to short code 38714, customers received one of three offers based on their spending habits:

• $100-$249.99 = $10
• $250 - $399.99 = $30
• $400 - or more = $60

To say that Planet Funk's campaign worked would be an understatement. According to Giselle Abramovich in her article, Retailer Planet Funk Sees 377 percent ROI from mobile coupons, Planet Funk achieved a 91 percent redemption rate on the mobile coupons, and 20 percent of their December 2008 revenue was generated by customers redeeming nearly 2,000 of them.

Research conducted by Juniper Research revealed that "consumers are most likely to respond to mobile marketing offers that result in clear personal benefits."

The benefits of mobile marketing are apparent. And Planet Funk's example illustrates perfectly how mobile marketing can be used in conjunction with more traditional forms of marketing to help companies more effectively reach out to potential customers and clients.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 19, 2009 at 1:17 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Survey finds that most executives are OK with applicants discussing salary by the second interview.

Job interviewees, reluctant to discuss compensation with hiring managers during tough times, are getting a green light from employers, a new survey shows. More than half of senior executives (56 percent) surveyed said they are comfortable with applicants broaching the subject in the first or second interview. In fact, approximately two-thirds (66 percent) of executives indicated they most commonly discuss the subject by the second interview, with 19 percent saying it usually comes up during the first interview.

The survey was developed by Accountemps and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on telephone interviews with 150 senior executives from the nation's 1,000 largest companies.

Senior executives were asked, "When is it appropriate for job candidates to ask about compensation and benefits during the hiring process?" Their responses:

Respondents also were asked, "When is it most common for you to discuss compensation and benefits with a potential hire?" Their responses:

"While employers and job applicants don't have to agree on a final figure right away, general salary requirements should be discussed early in the hiring process to avoid surprises later on," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Job Hunting For Dummies®, 2nd Edition (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). "When inquiring about salary for the first time, job seekers should be prepared to hear a broad range -- employers want to get a sense of their qualifications and fit for the position before extending a formal offer."

Messmer added, "The most successful candidates will focus on highlighting their accomplishments and value they can bring to the employer before discussing compensation."

To ensure job seekers negotiate the best compensation package possible, Accountemps advises candidates to watch out for the following five pitfalls:

1. Going in unprepared. Base your request on strong supporting evidence, which you can obtain by reviewing professional journals and industry publications, searching online salary sources and consulting with members of your professional network.

2. Over- or underestimating your leverage. Consider the current job market, the unique expertise you offer and your experience level when establishing a desired salary range.

3. Being inflexible. While there may be some aspects of an offer you'll be unwilling to negotiate, be prepared to compromise on items that are less critical.

4. Fixating on base salary. Look at the total compensation package, including nonmonetary, but highly desirable components such as healthcare benefits, paid time off and flexible scheduling.

5. Failing to get it in writing. Once you've agreed on terms, ask the employer to draw up a letter of agreement that outlines the specifics of the offer, such as the position's key responsibilities, salary and any special arrangements that resulted from the negotiations.

Accountemps has more than 360 offices worldwide and offers online job search services.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 19, 2009 at 7:53 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

No one likes to receive unsolicited emails, that's why double opt-in policies are so great. Marketers know that everyone on their mailing lists is open to receiving their sales or campaign messages. That takes care of step one.

Step two, which is probably the toughest, involves motivating the recipients to buy a particular company's products or use its services. And that means knowing how to grab their attention from the moment they open the message until they get to the call to action. One way of getting marketing emails noticed is through personalization.

According to a post on eMarketing.com, there are six ways to gain the desired response to marketing emails:

"Mix up your campaign styles and methods. Include messages sent from a specific sales representative in addition to those sent generally from the marketing department.
Segment based on behaviors. Combining 'standard' segmentation methods with behavioral data can dramatically increase conversion rates, according to Jupiter Research.
An email message is called a "message" for a reason. Use A/B testing in your e-mails to see which messages resonate with your audience.
Use "check-in" emails to build your relationships. Periodic surveys or questionnaires that ask customers or clients what they liked or didn't like will make them feel valued and appreciated.
Move beyond open and click-through rates. Track how often prospective customers or clients visit your site and what pages they visit most.
Automate what you can, and leave more time for creativity and strategy. Allow marketing automation to determine which emails to send when and to who."

Emma - a site that helps companies "manage their email and marketing communications" - has a list of "4 Ways to Personalize Your Email Campaigns," as detailed in a response to a questions form "Mr. Personality" on the Ask Emma page:

1. Try personalizing with another field.

What do you know about your audience members besides their first names? The same trick behind first name personalization works for any other information you're storing about your audience. If you know your subscribers' city, company name or purchase history, consider making generic sentences a bit more personal:

-> We hope to see you soon at our store in [member city].

-> We're looking forward to doing business with you and all the fine folks at [member company name].

-> Thanks for joining our customer loyalty program in [month joined].

-> Hey, I see that you're wearing that [color of shirt] shirt again today!

Okay, so perhaps the last one is *too* personal. But whatever field you decide on, be sure and assign backup placeholder text for anybody whose information you may have missed along the way.

2. Create personalized content for special segments of your audience.

The most effective personalization doesn't stop at a word or a phrase. Try crafting unique messages to appeal to different segments of your audience.

Let's say you've got a big list of customers who've made a prior purchase. It'll include both loyal shoppers and people who've only bought once. It'll have both men and women. It may even include domestic customers as well as some who live in another country. Like Nebraska.

Those segments are vastly different, so shouldn't the campaign content reflect those differences, too? Whether you vary the offer, the product or just the wording, personalize the content to connect with each segment of your subscribers. They'll appreciate a message that's meant for them, and you'll appreciate the results - recent research by the Aberdeen Group shows that organizations that implemented this style of segmentation saw both their click-through and conversation rates increase by an average of 9%.

3. Use trigger emails to personalize the delivery.

Personalizing *what* people read in your emails is important, but you can also create a personal connection based on *when* your emails arrive using Emma's trigger email feature. They let you reach your recipients on their individual schedules, and they do it all automatically. In a word, they're neat.

For example, try setting up a welcome email that's triggered whenever someone new joins your list. Your subscriber gets the joy of immediate gratification, and you get the benefit of sending an email the moment someone expressed interest in receiving it.

You can also base that personalized delivery on dates you're storing about your members, simplifying how you communicate with your customers about birthdays, membership renewals, and surveys after a purchase. Oh, and the customized delivery of these tips is all thanks to the type of trigger that personalizes delivery around clicking a link in a previous email.

4. Personalize, but keep it personal.

Above all, remember that personalization isn't only a matter of using these nifty database and segmentation tricks. Creating a personal connection with your customers can be as simple as keeping a natural, conversational tone in your email and finding warm, complementary images. It's all about recognizing that your subscribers are more than just names you're emailing - they're people you're having a conversation with.

Giving one or more of these helpful hints a try could make all the difference in the world. And in this economy, anything that can stimulate consumers to start buying again is worth a try.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 19, 2009 at 7:41 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

If you've been job hunting for any length of time, then you've probably received a call from a headhunter asking for a revised resume with a few "tweaks" (and he/she needs it within the hour). The requested revision is usually to highlight some experience or skill that is not clearly (or prominently) presented in your resume.

It's not unusual to have several resume versions, each of which is targeted to specific job functions (but all of which should be accurate representations of your experience). While it is unusual to have resumes with completely different skill sets (it's doubtful that you will have a Doctor's resume and a Chef's resume), it is not unusual to have resumes that highlight different skill sets. To avoid the pressure of having to revise your resume "on the fly", it makes sense to create your resume versions at the start of your search process.

Today's post provides some links to resume resources.

http://content.northbay.monster.com/resume-writing-basics/Resume-Tips-for-Job-Fair-Success/home.aspx

This article, from Monster.com, provides some tips on multiple resume versions and job fairs. The article stresses that, no matter how many versions you have, your resume must include only skills/experience that you have.

http://susanireland.com

Susan Ireland's resume site provides a wealth of information on resume writing. The site includes 90 resume samples (arranged by occupation, format and "problem"), working with a "certified resume writer", resume guide and resume software.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4487528_write-multiple-resumes.html

This article specifically covers the use of more than one resume. The article gives a brief overview, followed by instructions (7 steps) to writing your resume.

http://www.bestsampleresume.com

Thanks to a reader for bringing this website to my attention. The site has some basic information, followed by a very long list of resume samples by profession. There are links to a resume writing guide, resume tips and a resume blog.

http://rileyguide.com/letters.html

This topic can't be covered without mentioning the Riley Guide. Their Resume Preparation and Posting section provides a number of links, including: help with your resume, preparing your resume for emailing or posting, resume databases and much more.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/jobs/content/jobs/resources/stories/jobs120503_main.html

This post was published by the www.palmbeachpost.com and provides some real life examples of multiple resume use.

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.

Article originally posted on The Daily Recruiter

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 19, 2009 at 7:24 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article originally posted on Confessions of an Executive Restaurant Recruiter

Are you planning a career in an IT occupation? If you want to be successful in the information technology field, it's very important to earn one or more professional certifications relevant to the type of job that you hope to get. Whether you want to work in technical support, networking, hardware installation, or in any other type of IT position, getting certified before you start looking for a job is a good career advancement strategy.

Which Certification is Right for Me?

When hiring entry-level IT workers, employers tend to look for individuals with either CompTIA A+ or Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) credentials. Many hiring managers feel that these types of certifications provide important third party validation that candidates with little or no work experience actually have the skills they need to perform the essential functions of the jobs for which they are applying.

There is no hard and fast rule about which type of certification is best for every person seeking an entry level IT job. Different types of certifications provide validations for different skills, so preferences may vary from one employer and type of job to another. It's a good idea to contact human resources representatives from companies that you are interested in working for to inquire about their certification preferences for entry-level IT workers.

The Path to Certification

The reason that employers value professional certifications is that these credentials are believed to be an accurate indicator of skills. Before you concern yourself with passing a certification exam, the first thing you need to do is focus on getting the skills necessary to perform entry-level work. It's a good idea to select a training program or training materials that follow a certification track. That way, you'll be getting the skills you need and preparing for your certification exam at the same time.

Sitting for Your Certification Exam

When you have finished your training, it's time to register for your certification exam. Depending on the exam that you plan to take, you'll need to locate a PearsonVUE or Prometric testing center in your area. When you register for your exam, you'll be able to select a date and time that works well with your schedule. Be sure to show up a few minutes early so you'll have plenty of time to check in and get settled before you start testing.

Randall Olson is the Director of Information Technology for Mobile Technical Institute & MTI Business Solutions. He oversees the firm's high stakes certification testing center, conducts computer application training, and manages MTI's online learning programs. MTI is a full service training and consulting firm, providing open enrollment and on-site employee development training, database development, and website solutions. For free career and business development tips and advice, see http://www.DailyCareerConnection.com and http://www.DailyBizSolutions.com.

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 March 18, 2009 at 2:56 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

In a survey released by human resource and benefits consulting firm, Buck Consultants, most companies report that they will not be delivering the same equity values to their executives in 2009, a consequence of decreasing stock prices resulting from the current economic downturn.

The survey, "Taking the Pulse of Equity Compensation," examines measures companies have recently taken or are planning to implement in 2009, with respect to equity compensation programs and executive pay.

"These reductions in value at the time of the grant are occurring because it is very difficult for most companies to increase the number of options or shares granted to offset the decline in each share's value," says Buck Consultants compensation principal, Larry Schumer. "However, if a company's share price were to eventually rebound to levels experienced prior to the economic downturn, the gains realized by the executives may actually be greater than the grants given in previous years. This is a complex issue, and companies need to carefully examine the value of equity compensation and how to best deliver it."

The survey results also indicate that 52% of respondents say there was potential for no increases in executive base salary in 2009. Other significant findings include 43% of respondents expecting to decrease participation in stock grant programs; more than half of companies cite significant drop in share price as their reason for this change.

Furthermore, 31% of respondents expect to somewhat increase the number of options or shares to those receiving grants in 2009, although very few plan to fully restore last year's value. Changes vary significantly based on equity compensation practices. For those issuing equity compensation based on number of shares, 60% anticipate no change in awards. For those issuing equity compensation on a dollar-value basis, only 30% expect no changes in awards.

Finally, 45% of respondents are considering a change in equity compensation mix, 29% plan to increase their use of shares, and decrease use of options, likely due to negative employee perceptions of options since a large majority of existing grants are underwater. In addition, 16% of respondents claim they will increase their use of options, and decrease use of shares, thus creating the possibility of delivering more future value from the increased number of options granted.

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 18, 2009 at 2:44 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Are you prepared to lose control of your brand? Well that's the question I put to the Association of Advertisers in Ireland last week at a workshop that I facilitated.

We had a great debate and there were some great case studies in the room of businesses using social media and achieving a real return on investment, from Cadbury to Coke.

One story caught my attention this week was the face that interactive marketing agency POKE had developed a project which was an online tool that people could use to 'customise' the Snickers logo - the project launched on 3 March 2009 and was live just 8 days.

MediaBistro.com report that:

Snickers and their parent company, Mars, have sent a cease and desist. On one hand you get it, right? Snickers didn't authorize POKE to do anything with/for their brand at all. In fact, the brand recently dropped way too much on a complicated website of their own.

What would you do as the owner of the brand?

On the one hand you want would love to encourage word of mouth marketing and have loyal fans of your brand sharing information about your products.

However you never briefed the agency who developed this.

And if you don't take a stand in terms of copyright infringement where do you draw the line?

Should you engage with the agency and come to an agreement where you give them credit, potentially reward them financially and then develop the idea yourselves?

I definitely recommend that you make sure that your Trademark Licensing team has made sure that you own the domain names for alter ego's of your brand?

What would you advise? Did Snickers take the appropriate action in your opinion?

Article by Krishna De and courtesy of Biz Growth News blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 18, 2009 at 1:40 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

A recent survey by recruitment software company Standout Jobs and HRMorning.com reveals that 43% of the companies polled are pulling their spending from Internet job boards and re-directing those resources to better showcase their brand to potential employment candidates.

The shift away from job boards is a response to current market conditions, which have made more high-value candidates available to companies looking to capitalize on the market's turnaround with strategic hires, reveals the survey. And while the current market remains grim, optimism still dictates many of the respondents' near term hiring plans, with more than 30% planning to increase hiring during the second and third quarter of 2009: adding the fourth quarter raises that number to 41%.

Referrals are still the most popular avenue for sourcing jobs, but the companies polled indicate their Web site or career page as being the next most valuable vehicle for finding candidates. Job boards, while useful for generating a higher volume of resumes, are being criticized for not delivering qualified candidates, which are seen as the key for surviving the tough current economic climate and building future organizational strength.

"We decided to create this poll to get a sense of how bad or good the market for hiring really was at the organizational level, rather than continuing to rely on media reports which have been overwhelmingly negative," says Benjamin Yoskovitz, Standout Jobs CEO and founder. "With the help of our poll partner, HRMorning.com, we asked 450 internal company recruiters a number of questions having to do with their hiring practices and plans for the immediate future. The results showed cautious optimism, with many expecting to start hiring again in the third quarter. We also learned their standards and processes have changed, and now strategic hiring is the name of the game."

Companies are putting more emphasis on engaging quality talent in an effort to show they're a 'great place to work' for the right candidates. Creating a better fit between employer and employee is seen as a key to hiring success, and employment branding attracts the right type of candidates through more open, regular and interactive communication with applicants. This trend was evident in the poll question "Which recruiting trends do you think could improve your recruiting efforts?"

Of the respondents, 239 claim "social networks," while 187 respondents indicate candidate relationship management was high on their list of priorities. The survey further indicates that search engine optimization was also a favorite followed by "other," blogs, online video, and Twitter. Companies are clearly interested in re-marketing to job seekers, treating people well in addition to delivering a strong candidate experience.

Even though the companies polled indicated they were increasing their dependence on their sites and social tools to engage candidates, the majority of them had no specific strategies for recruiting Generation X and Y applicants, which have grown up with the web and are more likely than their older colleagues to use it for job hunting, socializing and networking.

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 17, 2009 at 2:37 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

How many times have you left the office without your business card? I also meet many people who have not yet invested in a business card despite the low cost options available toady through digital printing.

When it comes to low cost marketing, if you only had one piece of marketing literature, it has to be a business card. Yes a website is invaluable, a blog can be terrific and podcast can be a lead generator.

However a business card that generates leads is something I recommend to everyone - where on the reverse of the card you can put details of your free report, white paper, podcast or ezine.

I often get people asking for my business card, but if I worked for Lego I could be the talk of the town. You see Lego presents it's executives and it's PR team with Lego figures as their business card according to Alex. It provides the people they meet with a sample of their product, their contact details, will certainly get you talked about, help you be remembered, and I think is unlikely to be thrown in the bin!

It's a shame that Lego only provide the card to a few members of staff. Given that brand evangelism starts with our employees all of whom can market our business, no matter what role they are in, what better way than to leave a little bit of the Lego company in the hands of the people they meet.

What could you do to make sure your business card stands out from the crowd? And if you have a great example do share it with us here at Biz Growth News to inspire others won't you?

Article by Krishna De and courtesy of Biz Growth News blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 17, 2009 at 12:42 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

News of layoffs has been rampant since our economy began lagging in 2007. Recently, it seems impossible to turn on the news without hearing about more people losing their jobs.

Not necessarily. At least that's the word from sources ranging from Furniture World Magazine to the New York Times. Those publications, the Wall Street Journal, and others have all published articles on cost-cutting alternatives to layoffs. (For balance: the WSJ also published an article on February 23 talking about companies that are both laying off staff and instituting other cuts.)

Reasons to Seek Cost-Cutting Alternatives to Layoffs

Avoiding layoffs while cutting other business costs makes sense, according to many writers and business leaders, because excessive, poorly thought-out layoffs have the following disadvantages:

• You risk being short-staffed -- and facing considerable expenses to hire and train new people -- when business picks up.
• Excessive cuts may put productive workers with important skills on the cutting board, leaving costly gaps in the work force -- both immediately and long-term after the economy recovers.
• Layoffs lead to a loss of valuable institutional memory.
• You may have already cut back so much that few slackers remain on the payroll.
• Avoiding layoffs builds loyalty among workers.
• Layoffs decrease productivity among surviving workers.
• Avoiding layoffs also means avoiding the potential costs of severance packages, outplacement, redistributing work, and even perhaps lawsuits.

Continue reading ...

Article 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 March 17, 2009 at 12:33 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I've been saying for months that we have entered the final chapter of the daily newspaper story, and if there was any doubt as to the validity of that proclamation, those doubts were erased today when the Seattle Post-Intelligencer announced today that it will be abandoning its printed publication and moving entirely online. It is the first major metro daily newspaper to make such a move, and the floodgates are now officially open. Moving entirely to the web is the only viable option for most dailies, and there will be at least a dozen major U.S. metro markets with no printed daily newspaper by the end of the year.

Article by, Toby Dayton and courtesy of Diggings, a blog about recruitment advertising, media, publishing, HR, work, & technology, among other things.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 17, 2009 at 11:33 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Some employers balk at the idea of laying off employees. But their companies have to cut costs or sustain losses substantial enough to put them out of business, so they chose to cut employees' hours rather than lay anyone off. In a previous post, I listed Dr. John Sullivan's reasons against this practice of shortened work weeks, also known as furloughs.

It's true that working only three or four days a week creates a financial hardship for employees, but it also allows a company to maintain a full workforce and save money at the same time. The benefit of this practice, according to Hannah Seligson, in her article, An Alternative to Layoffs: A Shorter Workweek, is that when the economy starts to improve, those employers who maintained full workforces won't have to scramble - and spend extra money - trying to fill positions left vacant by layoffs. Instead, they will only have to return their employees to five-day work weeks. Or if they had employees working five half days each week, they will only have to return their employees to eight-hour workdays. Some furloughed employees, who meet certain requirements in their home states, may qualify for unemployment benefits, easing some of their burden. The employees Seligson interviewed remarked that they were grateful to still have jobs, even if it meant staying home two days a week.

No system is perfect. There are flaws in laying employees off just as their are flaws in putting employees on furloughs. Another positive aspect of furloughs is that furloughed employees feel more valued than those who are laid off. Employers who are able to furlough employees rather than lay them off will earn their employees' loyalty and will most likely have a dedicated workforce once the economy recovers.

Source:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/jobs/01workweek.html?_r=1

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 17, 2009 at 5:57 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Barry Nixon, Executive Director of the National Institute for Prevention of Workplace Violence, Inc. was kind enough to author a guest article for employeescreen University on how employers can assess their risk to workplace violence. Of course, employment background checks can help on the front end, but check out Barry's advice and how employers can take steps to evaluate their workplace and prevent such incidents.

Workplace Violence Prevention: Assessing the Risk to Your Business

Over the last two decades, the Department of Labor and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have provided insightful information on workplace violence fatalities and non-fatal incidents. While these statistical reports have provided essential details, in most cases businesses have not been able to translate them into cogent plans to address this ever-present problem. This article will focus on helping those charged with the responsibility for addressing workplace violence to understand the potential business and financial impact of violence on their work environment.

The impact can be analyzed in four steps:

1. Assessing the risk to the business
2. Identifying the business and financial impact of workplace violence
3. Mitigation approaches to avoid or reduce the risk of incidents occurring
4. Dealing with the aftermath of an incident

This discussion addresses the first step. Let's start out with a definition of workplace violence:

"Acts of aggression or violence including assaults, threats, disruptive, aggressive, hostile, verbal or emotionally abusive behaviors that generate fear that occur in, or are related to the workplace and entail a real or perceived risk of physical, emotional and/or psychological harm to individuals, or damage to an organization's resources or capabilities."

Starting from this definition, let's turn our attention to the core focus of this article - the financial impact that violence can have on an organization.

Historical data reveals the daunting costs of workplace violence.

• According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, about 500,000 victims of violent crime in the workplace lose an estimated 1.8 million workdays each year. This represents a $55 million impact as a result of loss of productivity and increased healthcare expenses.(1)
• Domestic violence costs businesses approximately $6 billion annually in healthcare costs, lost productivity, and missed work time.(2)
• The average out-of-court settlement for 'negligence' litigation is approximately $500,000 and the average jury award is around $3 million.(3)
• For 6 to 18 weeks after an incident, there is a 50% decrease in productivity and a 20% to 40% turnover in employees.(4)

Specific cost figures for a specific workplace violence incident are very tough to get because companies are reluctant to reveal proprietary information and potentially expose imperfections in their operations, safety procedures, and employee practices. Most firms that experience a serious incident will move quickly to minimize the negative publicity and the impact on their business. Their actual costs are likely to be buried in various innocuous-sounding budget entries so that the business can project the image that 'all is well' to avoid spooking their customers and shareholders. However, as the historical data indicates, the costs are not small.

More

You might also be interested in a podcast interview we did with Barry last year. Check it out.

Article by, Nick Fishman and courtesy of EmployeescreenIQ

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 16, 2009 at 9:15 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

The following is a guest post from Jeff DiPaolo, vice-president of PrincetonOne Search, based in Cleveland, OH, an executive recruiting firm and part of the MRINetwork

There is no denying that the current job market for the upcoming graduating class is a challenging one. However, there are still jobs out there and qualified, proactive, well-trained candidates will be able to snag good ones.

Many career counselors are urging students to skip today's job market and go directly to graduate school but that's really the wrong idea right now. Rather than piling on more debt to get a graduate degree before they have any real industry experience, they need to do what ever it takes to find a position, any position in their industry. As the economy starts to recover they will have extra experience and contacts needed to build their careers more quickly.

If all you can do is get an unpaid internship for a few hours a week and support yourself with a part-time job, do it. Make the sacrifices while you are still young in order to advance faster once the economy has turned around.

The most important thing college grads can do is NOT PUSH THE PANIC BUTTON. If job seekers get into the mindset that they will not get a job, that there is nothing out there and they have done all the could, they never will get a job. Graduates can't get sucked in to all the negative media coverage. When they do get interviews and have the attitude that nothing can ever go right, nothing will.

Those who have solid and specialized degrees, good internship experiences and are aggressive in their job searches, are ahead of the curve. If candidates have engineering or accounting degrees, for example, 3.5 GPAs or above and great internship experience, they will be more likely to get the best jobs the quickest. Grads with specialization provide companies that were forced into lay offs, with a bright, young, and cheap talent pool - something many employers are looking to take advantage of.

Also, it is more important now than ever for job seekers to pick up the phone and talk directly to the hiring authorities within their targeted job searches. Persistence, but not annoyance, is key.

While they are entering one of the most depressed labor forces in decades, recent grads are at somewhat of an advantage. They represent the best and brightest of the new generation and will be able to help ailing companies that need new workers at a cheaper cost. While my office is not actively looking to hire, if a persistent and talented entry-level worker sought me out and showed me his/her interest in recruiting, I would create a position for him/her. It is to [every] company's advantage to have the creme de la creme of the upcoming graduating class working for them. When the economy gets better, they are going to want to have the most talented, young people in their workforces.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 13, 2009 at 3:11 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Nick wrote about a similar topic earlier this week! In Nick's posting he references an Ohio "hold harmless" law that allows employers to give thorough references on past employees.

I recently found this posting on HR Recruiting Alert that lends the same message. In it the author sites the case 'Luttmann V. Tiffany and Co.'

What should companies say when they get reference calls about a former employee who was fired for misconduct? Here's some help from a recent court ruling.

An employee's boss caught him tampering with the company payroll system to lower his federal tax withholding. His actions were against company policy, and he was fired.

Eventually, the manager got a call from another employer asking for a reference for the former employee. He told the caller the man had been fired for misconduct.

The prospective employer asked the employee to sign a release so it could get more information about his termination. He refused and didn't get the job.

I am happy to see more of these cases come out. Employers should always tell the truth when a fellow employer is conducting a background check. Even though this was a 'victimless crime' imagine if he did something more serious. One small incident can cripple a small business. Not sharing this type of information could put another company at risk! Always consult with your labor attorney first but creating a good reference policy and telling the truth is always a good practice!

Read the full blog here!

Article by, Jason Morris and courtesy of EmployeescreenIQ

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 13, 2009 at 9:08 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Almost every business segment is feeling some sort of economic pressure in the workplace: layoffs, cutbacks, reduction in orders, and the need to lower operating costs. This situation is causing all of us to think what we can do to "survive" and "thrive."

To "survive" most companies are managing costs, increasing input, eliminating waste in all parts of their business, and trying to focus on their key performance drivers. In order to "thrive," a company must be able to execute with discipline, build the right capabilities to serve their marketplace, create a powerful customer experience, and innovate to meet the changing needs of the marketplace.

What actions, strategies, and initiatives companies implement to "survive" will determine how well they will "thrive" in the future. This is why managers must use talent at all levels to identify and implement "survive" and "thrive" changes. Everyone (the receptionist, each sales associate, a process technician, third shift supervisor, and director of R&D) plays a critical role in executing the changes. This is the core reason that when the going gets tough ---managers make a difference.

Best manager's approach
The best managers are clear on what needs to be achieved by the organization to be successful in the customer's eyes, to create the right business results, and to execute the changes outlined within the organization's plan to "survive" and "thrive." Managers take this direction and clearly outline what people must do and achieve to deliver results and support the changes. Next, managers look at their talent and ask for each person do they: 1) know what to do; 2) can do; and 3) want to do? The answers to these questions help identify where to "take action" with each person to ensure they perform, engage, and want to stay.

The best managers understand that they have to get each person to perform and engage at their best. Knowing that there are similarities and differences between people, managers must focus in on the drivers that make a difference for each person to perform, engage, and want to stay. Specifically, managers need to make the time to understand what is "most critical" to cause talent to engage at his or her best. Once the individual's most critical needs are understood by both the employee and the manager, together they need to talk about how it is really going "right now" in order to pinpoint where to take action to make changes which will make a difference on performance today and performance in the future.

Critical manager actions to implement with speed
There are four critical actions that every manager must do during tough times:

Action 1: One-to-One Dialogue
As stated earlier it is essential that managers connect with each person they are managing to focus on the drivers of performance and engagement. By establishing an ongoing one-to-one dialogue with each employee, they make the time monthly to understand the answers to the following questions:

What is "most critical" to engage each person to perform at his or her best and create a place he or she wants to stay?
Why is it "most critical" and how does it impact the employee's performance?
How well does the current work situation meet these most critical needs?
What actions can the manager take to make a positive impact on the situation and what actions can the individual take to make a positive impact?

Action 2: Create an "In the Know" Environment
This is all about real-time, authentic communication with each individual, not a blast email sent to everyone. Information is used to drive a strong desire for talent to contribute. Managers must communicate with high frequency and share what they know, even if they don't have all the details. By saying, "I don't know," rather than avoiding the subject when asked, more trust, openness, and willingness to do what it takes to contribute to the changes is created. Managers need to shape the actions of talent by talking about what needs to be done versus creating inaction by talking about what is going on around them.

Action 3: Connect Talent to the Organization's Success
Due to the number of changes and potential shifts in focus areas and what has to be delivered, managers must connect or reconnect talent to the current priorities. Managers need to create a line-of-sight between individual contribution and the organization's goals, changes, and initiatives. The tough economic situation causes job insecurity which creates pressure to be seen as "busy." No one in an organization wants to look like they don't have enough to do. Great managers get people to work on the right things rather than work on "stuff." Managers outline what people need to do (more of, less of, or differently) to be sure they have a full plate of deliverables required to support the changes. There is a huge difference between being "productive" and being "active."

Action 4: Deliver the Message.
Talent is watching what leaders do and don't do in order to understand "how bad it really is," or "will we be successful," and "what will happen to me?" They are paying attention to what managers say and don't say ---actions speak 1000 times louder than words.

The best managers use their actions and interactions to deliver the message. They take time to stop and listen to what people are saying. Managers create interaction with questions and are tapping into ideas from their people to address the tough changes that must be implemented. The manager's personal engagement causes others to engage at a higher level.

The economic pressure is real and requires every manager to make a difference. Managers must "know" their people; make sure they are "in the know"; create a strong line-of-sight to the organization's success; and use their actions to "deliver" the message. Once again, managers make a difference ---especially during the tough times.

Article by, Derrick Barton and courtesy of Kenndy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 13, 2009 at 6:27 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

When considering social media as a way to enhance your digital marketing and communications programmes, I always suggest in my workshops and to my clients that they might want to start with sharing assets they already have.

Two guidelines I encourage you to think about for your business are:

1. how can we share the back story of our brand

2. are we prepared to make our 'story 'shareable so that customers or clients who are brand ambassadors can access our collateral across the web.

Many people get concerned about sharing information 'for free' rather than a 'fee', and that was one of the conversations we had on the 'Biz Growth Live' show today.

Often assets we have about our business are photographs and we can share our photo's on social networking sites such as Flickr or the Irish photo sharing site Pix.ie.

I was therefore delighted to see that Puddleducks the waterproof and outdoor clothing store for all the family have started to do this and they recently created a page on Pix.ie to share images of their gift wrapping service. (The generously credit the idea to having heard me speak about this at a workshop they attended last Fall).

What images and visual 'real estate' do you have in your business that you could share through photo sharing social networking sites and support your brand in being talked about?

Article by Krishna De and courtesy of Biz Growth News blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 13, 2009 at 6:20 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article originally posted on Recruiting Tools for Hiring Managers

Every time that your business telephone rings, there is an opportunity to build or damage a customer relationship. When an existing or prospective customer calls your company, the way that you address him or her plays a major role in whether or not the outcome of the conversation will be positive or negative.

No matter who answers the telephone in your business, that person's words and actions form the basis of your company's image among people who call your company. Regardless of the type of business you have, it's important that you and every member of your team observe these basic telephone etiquette tips for professionals at all times.

1. Use The Equipment Properly
Don't let new employees work the phones without first training with you or other experienced employees. Even if you've hired someone with years of multi-line telephone experience, you need to spend some time making sure that your new hire knows the ins and outs of how your system works. If not, you may end up with agitated customers and lost business from calls that get cut off accidentally, or that get transferred to the wrong extensions.

It's important to keep in mind that new employees aren't the only ones who can benefit from training on how to use the telephone equipment. It's not uncommon for employees who work in a company for years to have very little practical knowledge of using any functions on the company telephones beyond simply taking calls. At a minimum, all employees should know the proper procedures for placing callers on hold and transferring calls to other extensions.

2. Answer Promptly
If the telephone rings so long that the customer on the other end wonders if he or she has dialed the wrong number, you are not practicing proper telephone etiquette. As a general rule of thumb, a business telephone should be answered by the fourth ring, preferably sooner.

3. Greet Callers Professionally
Answering the telephone in a professional environment is very different from answering personal calls. If your employees seem to have trouble greeting customers promptly, give them a script to use when answering calls. This can eliminate the possibility of inappropriate greetings, and can ensure uniformity in how your company's calls are handled initially.

4. Keep a Smile on Your Face
Your voice changes based on the expression on your face. It's a fact that the human voice takes on a pleasant quality when the person speaking is smiling. Encourage your employees to smile when they greet customers on the telephone, and do the same thing yourself.

Telephone Etiquette Matters
Following these simple telephone etiquette tips can have a positive impact on how customers see your organization. No company has ever lost business as a direct result of proper telephone usage and etiquette. However, any company who has had problems getting employees to greet customers promptly and properly has likely missed out on what could have been excellent business development opportunities.

Randall Olson is the Director of Information Technology for Mobile Technical Institute & MTI Business Solutions (http://www.mobiletechwebsite.com). He oversees the firm's high stakes certification testing center, conducts computer application training, and manages MTI's online learning programs. MTI is a full service training and consulting firm, providing open enrollment and on-site employee development training, database development, and website solutions. For free career and business development tips and advice, see http://www.DailyCareerConnection.com

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 March 12, 2009 at 5:15 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article originally posted on The Orrell Group

Hi All,

I've been reviewing the Best Companies across a series of posts (and we are only through 30% of those companies), but what about the largest companies? Many people feel better about being in a large organization, but who are they and are they hiring? Let's cover a few (excluding any that have been covered in previous posts).

Randstad Holding - Randstad is one of the largest temporary and contract staffing companies in the world. They are an international company and emply several hundred thousand people a year via their temp and contract staffing divisions. Since hiring is what they do for a living, their career site is robust with Job Search, Locations, Career Tools and about Randstad. Job search allows registration and a search engine as well as "Top Jobs". Clicking Jobs (mid right side of page) provides two choices, job search for other companies or working at Randstad.

Kroger - Kroger is a retailer with over 2,400 supermarkets and department stores in the United States. Their career site has a wide range of search opportunities - Hourly Store, Manufacturing, Shared Services and Distribution Center. You can also review company background and register from this page. Clicking on Opportunities provides an advanced search function. A simple search returned 146 job opportunities across the United States.

Coca-Cola - I think we all know what Coca-Cola does, but just in case, they are a manufacturer, distributor and marketer of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates. Their careers page offers information on the company with an inter-active map that allows you to select your country for job search. The North America link has job search as well as Internships. Clicking on search for North America links to an advanced search page with the ability to register on the site. There were 91 job opportunities in North America (with a simple search).

Oracle - Employs more than 68,000 in over 100 countries around the world and is a software developer. Their career site has a full range of company information, special sites for college recruiting and professional development. Clicking on Open Positions at Oracle where you can register, job search, create a profile and look for opportunities in other countries. You must select specific criteria to search for jobs.

I hope you found this guest blog post helpful and good luck!

Bye for now.

Article by, Career Alley

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 March 12, 2009 at 5:07 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article originally posted on Boston Technical Recruiter

Not to leave any one industry or profession out, I thought I would continue on the "Who's Hiring" theme and cover Marketing and Advertising today. As with most career choices, they tend to be industry specific and not always easily transferable. You sometimes need to cast a wide net and cover all angles to be successful in finding your next opportunity. For that reason, I'll try to cover a cross section of Marketing opportunities from various sources.

• Onlinemarketingjobs.com - The tag line for the site is "Job Site For Online Marketing Jobs & Careers". The site covers a broad range of jobs and careers (which is listed on the main page). The upper left-hand side of the main page has links for Job Search, Register, Jobs by email (alerts), Audio Interviews and a list of who's hiring. Featured jobs are listed on the main page with a quick search function as well. This is a global site, so you will need to set your country. Clicking on "A-Z Who's Hiring" revels a list of companies that are hiring.
• Fristoe & Carleton - Fristoe & Carleton is a search and recruiting firm that specializes in Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations recruiting. Their main page lists new opportunities and has links to Job Opportunities, FAQ'S, Resources and more. Clicking on "Job Opportunities" leads to a page that allows submitting your resume, job opportunities and career alerts. There were 16 featured jobs on their site when I checked. There is also a helpful link to "Working with Recruiters" and "About Us" provides Bios for some of the firm's staff.
• Indeed.com - Leveraging Indeed.com's advanced job search and entering "Marketing" and "Advertising" in the field "with at least one of these words" (click here for this search) yields over 239,000 jobs. Limiting that to employers only (should filter out recruiters but is not perfect), still yields over 200,000 jobs and further limiting that to Dallas yields over 4,900 jobs. The point is, you can leverage the advanced search functions of some of the job boards to focus your search to the the opportunities that suit you.
• Mediajobmarket.com - "The market place for media professionals" is the site's tag line. The main page hiring trends with media news on the left-hand side of the page. The center of the page has "mediajobvine" which lists current and featured jobs. Top of the page has tabs for Search Jobs, Post Your Resume, Career Resource Center and more.

As with all industries and careers, don't forget trade publications and associations. For today's topic, a short list of publications: Adweek, Mediaweek, Brandweek, Editor & Publisher and Billboard.

Good luck in your search.

Article by, Career Alley

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 March 12, 2009 at 5:00 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

The following guest post on informational interviews is by Alexia Vernon, a certified coach, trainer, speaker, and the owner of Catalyst of Action. G.L.

Unemployment has hit its highest level in 25-years. While the national unemployment rate is 8.1%, states like Michigan or my old stomping grounds, Nevada, are experiencing even higher rates, 11.6% and 9.4% respectively.

This is sobering news for job hunters, but it should not be grounds for giving up on finding a job or for calling friends and family for a couch to crash on until the recession ends.

It's simply a reminder that traditional ways of conducting a job search, from perusing online sites like Monster and CareerBuilder to attending regional job fairs, probably aren't going to enable you to close the gap from job seeker to gainfully employed.

People who get employment in a down economy don't wait for opportunities to appear. They create them. They know where their expertise lies and how they can marry their strengths with unfulfilled needs in the marketplace. (And believe me, those needs exist.)

Perhaps most importantly, they are proactive about reaching out to leaders in their fields for informational interviews so that they can learn from and make a positive impact on these key players. Continue reading ...

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 March 12, 2009 at 12:11 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

On Tuesday, March 10th, the highly controversial Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) was introduced in both the US Senate and House of Representatives. The bill (H.R. 1409, S. 560), which is sponsored by House Education and Labor Committee Chair Rep. George Miller (D-California) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), would amend federal labor laws in several critical areas, significantly impacting how employers address union organizing activity.

As has been reported widely in the media, EFCA allows unions to become employees' bargaining representatives on the basis of a "card check" process, thereby depriving employees of the right they presently have to vote in secret-ballot elections. A lesser-known, but equally important, provision of the bill mandates arbitration of initial collective bargaining agreements when the parties cannot come to agreement on their own. EFCA also provides triple back pay to employees who are the victims of employer unfair labor practices ("ULP's") during an organizing campaign or in the period leading up to a first contract, allows for civil fines upon employers of up to $20,000 per violation for willful and repeated ULP's committed during the same time period, and enhances the ability of the National Labor Relations Board to obtain injunctions in federal court against employers with respect to organizing campaigns or initial contract negotiations.

Supporters of EFCA claim that the legislation would make it easier for employees to organize, which they believe would lead to greater protections for workers. Opponents argue that the bill would violate workers' rights and cause substantial economic harm to businesses and consumers. Congress is split on EFCA, mainly along party lines -- with Democrats for the most part favoring the legislation and Republicans generally opposing it. President Obama supported previous attempts to enact EFCA when he was in the Senate, and he repeatedly endorsed the legislation during last fall's presidential campaign.

While passage of the legislation in the House is almost assured, the critical question is whether EFCA supporters have 60 votes to overcome an anticipated filibuster by opponents of the legislation. In fact, many believe that what happens to the bill may hinge upon the as-yet-unsettled Senate race in Minnesota between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken.

More

I will be in Washington DC lobbying for the background screening industry next week. As a founding member and past co-Chairman of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), you can be sure this will be discussed. This issue is likely to be raised not because it has anything to do with background checks, but because we are all employers!

Article by, Jason Morris and courtesy of EmployeescreenIQ

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 12, 2009 at 11:58 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

You've sent out scores of resumes and maxed out your cell phone minutes doing follow-up calls. You were beginning to doubt it would ever happen, but you've finally done it: you've landed a job interview.

Interviews make virtually everyone nervous. Whether you're looking for your first professional job, you want to take a step forward on your career path, or you're trying to get back into the game after a layoff, most of the stressors are the same:

• You're about to be faced by at least one person whose job is deciding whether or not you're a fit for their company.
• And you have just one shot with them to make a good impression.

Good News: You Won't Be the Only One in the Interview Room Stressing Out Over a Difficult Situation

The good news for you as a job-seeker is that your interviewer has a stressful problem too. They want to hire someone, and to do so as quickly as possible so they can get back to the rest of their job -- or if interviewing and hiring is their job, to hiring for the next position.

They want to find the best person possible, of course. But if possible, they would really prefer to be able to hire you and be done with it. Continue reading ...

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 March 11, 2009 at 1:19 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) has now officially been introduced in Congress (S. 560 and H.R. 1409).

To review, EFCA has four main components:

• effectively eliminating the secret ballot in union elections;
• speeding up the election process;
• imposing binding arbitration if an agreement isn't reached within 120 days; and
• expanding penalties for employer violations.

Where can I find more on EFCA? For all the info you could ever want on this topic -- including more detailed descriptions, analyses from both the union and employer perspective as well as the odds it'll ever pass -- just type "EFCA" in the SEARCH box above and you'll get a slew of posts.

What should employers do now? As discussed in my post this morning, the #1 thing employers can do to prevent getting a union is to treat employees consistently and fairly and with dignity and respect. In addition, employers should:

• assess potential impacts of EFCA on your company -- specifically, whether any employee groups are particularly vulnerable to a union organizing effort;
• educate management on EFCA's main provisions and what they mean; and
• educate employees that signing a union authorization card -- even without EFCA -- could do away with their right to vote.

Don't expect a resolution anytime soon. The congressional debate on EFCA could last months and compromises are likely to be proposed.

Stay tuned for more.

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 March 11, 2009 at 10:49 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

I've been talking to quite a few staffing firms, and business is steady in St Louis. It's down, no doubt, but there are still jobs to be had. The problem, as always, seems to be the easy money has dried up, and recruiters have to work harder to pay the bills.

Clients are more cautious about hiring, but that's a trend that has been accelerating for some time. Job Descriptions still fail to adequately explain what is needed, and far too often the skillset requested is a compilation of older requirements. Companies big and small post boring descriptions that don't mean anything, and then wonder why they can't get jobseekers to read the position before applying.

In a world where social media is touted as a cure-all, it's shocking that hiring information is still at a premium. Jobseekers flood to LinkedIn and Facebook and job boards, but I'm not hearing much about it benefitting them. LinkedIn is a part of the puzzle, but too many people are replacing, "I clicked Apply Now" with "I have a LinkedIn profile."

Not to blame jobseekers - recruiters spoiled by lots of jobs and posting are realizing that the phone, that accursed tool for talking with people, is still a requirement in staffing. Email and IM and Twitter are good for communicating process - setting appointments, adding value - but no one is persuading a candidate to take a job through text. And as for new requirements - being interesting and connected are requirements for getting heard. Hiring managers are getting more calls, but worse calls. That's a shame - as making connections when they don't have an open position is the backbone of your long-term financial worth.

Here's where I sound like John Sumser. We're learning that the old ways still work. Personal connections, industry experience, and the recognition that activity drives results on both sides of the equation are back in vogue. There is business and there are jobs to be had. Listening to recruiters, I sometimes long for the simple days of having no responsibilites but smiling and dialing. I'd make a killing in this market.

Article by Jim Durbin and courtesy of StlRecruiting.com

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 11, 2009 at 10:36 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article originally posted on Confessions of an Executive Restaurant Recruiter

What College Students Should Do For Their Job Search Over Spring Break
Seniors who have a job offer lined up, use the break to thank everyone who helped you. If your prospective employer gave you a book list or other tips on how to prepare, start tackling that.

Seniors who don't yet have an offer, you still have three months before graduation, plenty of time to execute a proactive search. Spend the break identifying your preferred industries, companies, and functional areas so you can hit the ground running when you're back at school.

Juniors, you still have three months to land a summer internship, and this is a critical internship. Your competitiveness in senior year recruiting is very dependent on how strong this junior summer internship is. So take the same care of seniors looking for full-time. Spend the break identifying your target areas and be prepared to launch an aggressive search when you get back to school.

Freshman and sophomores, many (but definitely not all) internships are exclusive to juniors. You will need to be more creative and find companies that are open to underclassmen or who might have less ability to attract the juniors (perhaps smaller companies as opposed to brand names). If you intend on doing your internship at home rather than at school, the break is a perfect time to scout out companies that may have summer needs. You can be the first to inquire. If you will work where you go to school, then at least identify these companies by name so you can start calling on them after break.

All class levels should also plan for logistics such as where they will live and what financial resources their parents will provide. For interns whose home geography is dramatically different from their school geography, this could mean a dramatic difference in the choices available. If the support isn't what you planned, you can start planning for alternatives. For seniors, you can start budgeting and may decide to save your holiday cash gifts, depending on prospects for after you graduate.

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is co-founder of SixFigureStart, a career coaching firm that specializes in working with Gen Y young professionals. Formerly in corporate HR and retained search, Caroline most recently headed campus recruiting for Time Inc and has also recruited for Accenture, Citibank, Disney ABC, and others.

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 March 11, 2009 at 9:40 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

The recession and rapidly slumping sales are forcing many companies to reevaluate their priorities with regards to their continuous improvement initiatives. As a result, demand for Lean talent is showing signs that it is accelerating its edge over Six Sigma as the more desired skill set, according to a new study by The Avery Point Group, a global executive recruiting firm specializing in Lean and Six Sigma talent.

"As an executive recruiting firm, we have a unique vantage point from which to observe the latest trends taking place in industry," explains Tim Noble, managing principal of The Avery Point Group. "Trends in industry are often telegraphed into candidate requirements in job postings, and they can serve as a window into the latest corporate initiatives. Our annual study continues to serve as an industry benchmark that offers useful insight into the latest trends taking place in the area of corporate continuous improvement."

Based on its fifth annual study of Internet job postings, The Avery Point Group found that demand for Lean talent continues to gain ground over Six Sigma as the more desired skill set, reinforcing last year's study that signaled an ongoing shift in focus toward Lean. This year's study showed that Lean talent demand exceeded Six Sigma by almost 11%, further widening its lead over last year's results that showed only a slight edge for Lean over Six Sigma. This year's study also found, for those companies seeking Lean talent, only 44% are requiring candidates to possess Six Sigma knowledge as well.

On the other hand, for those companies seeking Six Sigma talent, fully 49% of the roles also require candidates to possess Lean knowledge.

"Reflecting the broader job market, demand for Lean and Six Sigma talent is down versus 2008 and 2007 peak levels," states Noble. "However, on a relative basis for the hiring that is taking place, companies are starting to shift more and more of their focus toward Lean. This is perhaps an indication that they see Lean as a better and more practical hedge against today's tough economic challenges."

The Avery Point Group fully expects this shift toward Lean to accelerate further as the recession grinds on through 2009. "We have had a situation in the past couple of months where companies have had to take unprecedented and drastic actions, shedding large amounts of labor to bring their cost structure and inventories in line with plummeting sales," comments Noble. "As the dust settles, and as companies regain their footing, some may find that their remaining operations aren't as flexible or as effective at servicing their market's new realities. For some companies this situation can be a transformational opportunity to leverage Lean, while for others it could spell further disaster."

The Avery Point Group is already seeing a few forward-thinking companies seizing on Lean as a competitive and strategic opportunity to transform their businesses amid the recession. These companies see Lean as a key to reducing waste, improving cash flow and improving operational flexibility, thus enabling them to adjust more quickly to the new realities of today's economic climate.

Could the recession and the growing shift in talent demand toward Lean be signaling the beginning of the end for Six Sigma? "Certainly not," concludes Noble. "The overall foundation of continuous improvement should be viewed as a collection of tool sets that includes both Lean and Six Sigma, which are applied when and where appropriate. Overall, there are certainly benefits to integrating both methodologies, but the steep challenges of today's recession may be better served by Lean's more immediate and practical focus on waste, flow, and flexibility."

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 11, 2009 at 8:54 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Keeping the Recession from Leading to Personal Depression

Maybe you've been laid off recently. Maybe, like me, you've been looking for a long time now.

But whether you're dealing with the fresh kick in the gut of a recently-lost job or the long and winding grind of an extended job search, there are several things you can do to help keep your attitude positive.

Keeping your morale high and your attitude positive will serve you in many ways, no matter how long you're searching: you'll be in a better position to avoid stress-related illnesses; you'll be able to project yourself well during your interactions with prospective employers; and when you start working again, you'll be able to start your new job in a state of high energy.

Granted, the millions of us who are unemployed or underemployed in this economy know that keeping a positive attitude during these hard times takes work. Given that this work will help us in both the short and the long term, however, it's more than worth the effort.

The following Top 15 Tips come from my recent research and my own experience of what seems to be working.

The Obvious Tips

Some of these very obvious tips are also some of the most important; they are the foundation that will allow us to keep up our health and energy throughout our job search.

1. Create a regular schedule for yourself - treat your job search like a job.

This tip reeks of common sense. After all, we've been used to a regular schedule. And while it can be tempting to let that schedule go, doing so can make us feel more lost and out of touch with the working world that we need to re-join.

2. Be realistic.

You may find your next job in a week. After all, anything's possible. It's far more likely, however, that it will take much longer than that.

3. Make time to exercise, and eat as healthy and well-balanced a diet as you can.

Yes, healthy food is more expensive. But fast food and other unhealthy foods cost more in the long run in medical bills; nor will those kinds of foods give you the lasting energy you need to keep going. As for exercise, I've found that working out actually helps me relieve stress, so I have to agree with the experts on this one. Continue reading ...

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 March 10, 2009 at 1:13 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

News Channel 12 in Cincinnati, Ohio is reporting that a tier three sexual predator accused of raping a 14 year old girl has been working as a subcontractor for a carpet installation company. That's right, he's installing carpet in the homes of non-suspecting customers. I don't know about you, but I would consider another flooring option; perhaps oak?

We'll give the carpet company the benefit of the doubt. They most likely would not have hired this person if they knew about his past. Where they don't get a pass is for their decision not to conduct a criminal background check. It's just as important to conduct background checks on your subs as you do on your regular employees. We highlighted this trend in our Top 2009 Background Screening Trends release and also dissected this issue in the article, My Contractor Said They Performed a Background Check.

The Criminal At Your Door

You wouldn't invite a convicted child molester into your home, but they could come into your house without you suspecting anything. Most people assume repairmen, installation workers, and delivery people are just there to do their jobs. And in most cases, they are.

But Local 12's Rich Jaffe shows us, some people with criminal backgrounds could be walking right through your front door.

Before you ever open the door to a stranger, consider the case of Danny Warman. Last November, local investigators were searching for the convicted sexual predator. Clermont County issued warrants for Warman after he failed to register his address. Wilmington Police wanted him for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl. A tip to CrimeStoppers got Warman arrested. Where had he been? He had been working for a subcontractor used by a local carpet company.

Det. Brian Kratzer, Wilmington Police: "He'd be in houses where you'd have pictures of your family setting around, he's installing carpet...kind of look at all the pictures of the family... maybe kids left home alone, older teenagers, it would definitely be alarming, a guy who's a tier three sex predator is coming and going out of your house."

So, who's legally responsible checking out these people? Not the carpet company, since Warman was a subcontractor. In fact, no law requires criminal background checks. However, many companies do it on their own. Last year, Ohio courts ruled Home Depot was not responsible for what one of their subs did.
In 2004, Derek Lee Sullivan, another carpet installer, worked as a subcontractor for Home Depot when he robbed a Clermont County couple, after making a delivery to their home. Sullivan pleaded guilty, but never showed up to serve his sentence. There are now several warrants on file for him in Ohio and Kentucky. Companies use subs, because it's cheaper. They avoid taxes and paying workers compensation.

More

Article by, Nick Fishman and courtesy of EmployeescreenIQ

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 10, 2009 at 1:07 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

The glass will always be half full or half empty. Is it good news that 83% of CIOs plan to maintain current staffing levels? One can only hope that this signals a bottoming out of the lay-off avalanche. Reduced IT budgets were cited by survey respondents as the primary factor for reductions in IT personnel. Of those CIOs who indicate they plan on hiring staff in the second quarter, 21% will hire a mix of full-time and contract workers, while 8% will hire contract workers.

Key findings indicate that help desk/technical support and networking are the job areas experiencing the most growth. In fact, desktop support is the technical skill set most in demand, overtaking network administration, which led as the top skill for the past two quarters.

"Not surprisingly, companies are being more judicious when hiring in today's economic environment," says Dave Willmer, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "Budgets must support critical IT projects, and companies are re-examining their staffing needs accordingly. Among the areas where demand remains stable are help desk and technical support, and networking."

Regional outlook
Technology executives in the Mountain region anticipate the most active hiring in the second quarter. Eighteen percent of CIOs plan to add staff and 8% foresee personnel reductions. The net 10% increase is eight points above the national average. "The need to maximize efficiency and better utilize existing resources is driving hiring in the Mountain states," Willmer noted. "Companies are seeking network professionals as well as those with experience in virtualization, .NET and PHP/LAMP development to help build upon or expand current applications."

The New England and West North Central regions also anticipate hiring gains above the national average, each forecasting a net 5% increase. Nine percent of CIOs anticipate adding staff and 4% forecast reductions in the New England region. In the West North Central states, 10% of IT executives plan to hire and 5% expect staff reductions.

Industry outlook
CIOs in the business services and professional services sectors are most optimistic about hiring in the upcoming quarter, according to Robert Half Technology. Ten percent of business services executives interviewed plan to add staff and 3% will reduce the size of their IT workforce, for a net 7% increase. In the professional services sector, 11% of CIOs anticipate hiring more staff and5% expect staff reductions, for a net 6% increase.

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 6, 2009 at 10:09 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Career Expert Offers Eight Strategies to Help Layoff Survivors Rebound

Many professionals have felt the shock of layoffs during these difficult times -- including those who kept their jobs. According to administrative staffing firm OfficeTeam, employees who survive corporate downsizings often must manage heavier workloads and stay motivated while worrying that their jobs could be eliminated next.

"It's natural for people to have mixed feelings about keeping their jobs when coworkers have been let go," said OfficeTeam executive director Robert Hosking. "Layoff survivors often experience guilt about being the ones who stay while also working in an environment marked by uncertainty."

According to Hosking, professionals who are spared from layoffs should not pretend it's business as usual. "This is a time to work closely with your manager to ensure your workload reflects company priorities," he said. "Also, try to stay positive. This can be challenging, as losing good people inevitably affects morale, but the more you can do to lift the collective spirit, the better off you will be."

OfficeTeam offers these tips for rebounding after company layoffs:

1. Make yourself indispensable. Focus your efforts on projects that help boost your firm's bottom line. Take courses to learn skills that allow you to contribute in new ways.

2. Build visibility. In uncertain times, it's important to be noticed for the right reasons. Volunteer for projects that no one wants to tackle or that fall outside your job description. Also provide periodic reports updating your supervisor on your achievements.

3. Adapt to change. Managers appreciate employees who can roll with the punches and maintain productivity when faced with adversity. Demonstrate your ability to stay positive, motivated and focused on doing good work.

4. Conduct an audit. Now is the time to be nimble. Evaluate current processes and offer suggestions for cutting costs or saving your company time or resources.

5. Avoid the rumor mill. While increased water cooler chatter is inevitable after layoffs, avoid contributing to the gossip. Also, don't believe everything you hear. If you have questions about your company's direction, ask your manager but understand he or she may not have all the answers.

6. Be generous with praise. After downsizing, employees may begin to doubt their abilities and question their own future with the company. If you are a manager, you may not be in a position to make promises of job security, but you can give direct reports positive feedback on their performance in challenging times.

7. Reach out. Offer assistance to those who have experienced a job loss by introducing them to your professional network and helping them with their job search.

8. Look out for yourself. Layoff survivors often experience increased workloads, which can lead to burnout. Talk to your manager about setting priorities, delegating projects or bringing in temporary professionals.

Hosking noted that workers need to be aware of the realities of their organizations. "Those who think their job may be in jeopardy should focus on reactivating their professional networks, taking stock of their skills and accomplishments, and putting together a strong resume," he said.

OfficeTeam provides businesses with the highly skilled administrative professionals they need to maximize productivity, achieve cost efficiency and support full-time staff. The staffing firm has 325 locations worldwide and offers online job search services at www.officeteam.com.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 5, 2009 at 3:50 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Economic conditions, we all know, are dramatically impacted the job market. More than at any other time in history, job seekers are filled with fear, anticipation and even paranoia. They don't know who or what to believe or trust. It is important at this time in history that you develop strong rapport with the candidates you represent. You should also share inside information that will address their fears.

Candidates want to know more information about their prospective employer. They need to feel confident the company is solid, there will be no cutbacks and they will be secure if they accept a job offer. You need to share statistics on tenure of current employees, the company's Promote from Within policy and any documents showing the company is financially solid. Many job seekers have lost more than one job recently, which is the reason they want more information up front.

It is also important to fine tune your skill of persuasion. When used for good purposes, good results typically occur. The opposite, however, can also be true. I don't believe that attempting to achieve candidate control will provide positive results. On the other hand, developing candidate rapport based on trust is extremely effective. It is when you have built this rapport that you can effectively persuade another individual during their decision making process. Changing a job is not an easy decision and helping them through the fear of change is a positive way to help them.

There are two types of persuasion: Positive or Negative
Positive persuasion is honest, truthful and principle-based. Negative persuasion is where a person will say and do practically anything, including misrepresenting the truth (lie) in order to move someone over to their side of an issue. We have a tremendous responsibility to develop positive persuasion skills because we have a major impact on the lives of the candidates we represent.

A great example of persuasion can be observed when watching politicians. I know many of you may be tired of hearing about every move and comment made by politicians. Decide today to fine tune your persuasion abilities by observing and listening to politicians from a different prospective. They are paying millions of dollars to learn how to persuade the public.

Often the politicians are so focused on obtaining the agenda they are seeking, for the "sake of the people" they tend to justify what they say as not "really" lying. Listen carefully to the news conferences you'll hear over the next few months. You will hear the "truth" presented in so many different ways that often it's hard to determine fact from fiction!

What are the techniques and tactics politicians use to make people feel a certain way? What do they say to get people to rally behind them? What do they say to move people to take certain actions? Why do some generate a high level of excitement and enthusiasm, while others do not? Also observe what is said that sounds good but doesn't mean anything.

Now take what you're learning and apply it to recruiting. Be conscious about what you say, how you say it and if it meshes with other things you've said. You need to be careful that your candidates do not feel you are trying to control or force their decisions. They don't mind being positively persuaded if they feel you have their best interests in mind.

It's important to use the phrase, "I take my direction from you" to empower the individuals you represent while you are developing your ability to persuade and establish rapport. Fine tune your persuasion skills and you will increase your effectiveness. Provide facts and more information about your company and you will attract more Top Talent!

Article by, Barbara Bruno and courtesy of Kenndy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 5, 2009 at 2:29 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

The most recent "American Workplace Insights" survey from Adecco Group North America gives great insight into the state of mind of America's workforce.

• The stresses and strains of the current economic situation have caused many Americans to consider unethical conduct on the job.
• In addition, a staggering number of Americans report that the recession has caused a negative impact on their mental health.

This Friday's jobs report numbers will draw our attention to the unemployed, but what are the effects of a steady stream of bad news on those of us with jobs?

Mental Health Impact

The recession has caused many Americans to develop unseen illnesses.

1 in 5 employed people report that the recession has had a negative impact on their mental health.

• This can have a huge negative impact on morale and productivity at work.
• Coworkers' emotional suffering is "contagious."
• Employees working while mentally "absent" are often unproductive and may pose a safety threat.
• People often "self-medicate" in response to stress and depression, so increased drug and alcohol abuse among your workforce is a significant possibility.

So this is no time to cut back on your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)! Continue reading ...

Article by 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 March 5, 2009 at 11:25 AM | Leave a Comment (1)

Here's the very latest on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) . . .

Republicans Launch Pre-emptive Strike

As reported here on the Blawg, several prominent Republican senators introduced a new anti-EFCA bill called the Secret Ballot Protection Act (SBPA). According to its sponsors, the SBPA "guarantees the right to a secret ballot to workers deciding whether to unionize." A similar bill was introduced in the House.

Here's a fact sheet prepared by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In short, the SBPA would make it an unfair labor practice for an employer to recognize a union that wasn't selected in a secret ballot election.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) placed the bill on the Senate's legislative calendar, which means debate could start any day now. The House bill was referred to the Education and Labor Committee for review.

While the SBPA certainly isn't a cinch to pass, it could push Democrats to compromise on EFCA.

Would EFCA Be Good for the Economy?

The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) issued a statement endorsing EFCA, calling it "a critically important step in rebuilding our economy and strengthening our democracy by enhancing the voice of working people in the workplace." The statement was signed by three dozen economists (including two Nobel Prize winners). Here's a few of their comments:

• Richard Freeman, a Harvard economist and long-time union advocate, claimed that unions help stabilize the economy by providing health care, pensions and better wages.
• Frank Levy of MIT noted that between 1990 and 2007 labor production increased 45% while total compensation for the typical 40-year-old employee remained flat.

Critics were quick to point out that EPI is funded in part by unions. Other economists questioned EPI's facts:

• Anne Layne-Farrar of the economic-consulting firm LECG pointed to data showing that a 3% increase in union membership results in a 1% rise in unemployment.
• D. Mark Wilson of Applied Economic Strategies noted that "according to the U.S. Census Bureau, from 2000 to 2007 most incomes increased in the United States as unionization decreased."
• "Most economists would agree that you would see a wage effect, but you would also certainly see less investment and less employment and a less robust economy overall," said James Sherk, an economist with the Heritage Foundation.

SEIU 60?

As we discussed previously here on the Blawg, SEIU president Andy Stern predicted "action" on EFCA by August. He also claimed that there are 60 senators who either support EFCA or will vote to cut off a Republican filibuster.

Business advocates questioned Stern's math and demanded he list the "SEIU 60." So far, he has refused.

Stay tuned for more.

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 March 4, 2009 at 2:39 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Article originally posted on Confessions of an Executive Restaurant Recruiter

How do you know if you are on the right track? What indicates that you are doing the right things to maximize your chances to land that next great role? Are you looking for a horseshoe faced the right way or a lucky clover?

Well, there are signs, of course.

Here are some you won't find. You won't find a "GREAT INTERVIEW!" sign. It's unlikely that a recruiter you just met will hold up a card that says: "STOP: MY NEXT PLACEMENT ON BOARD". Finally, don't keep your eyes peeled for a "YIELD, TOP CANDIDATE MERGING AHEAD".

No, the signs are more subtle than these.

So, what are the real signs that things are going well?

1. People in your network are responding to you. I mean, really responding. You are getting additional names of people to call who are in your field. You are being forwarded jobs they thought you might like. They are sending you names of additional recruiters, and better yet, they are calling those recruiters themselves to introduce you. They are having coffee with you and inviting other working friends of theirs to join. They are spending significant time with you to share their learnings from a recent search.

WHAT YOU DID RIGHT: You built a networking that identified all of the potential micro networks in your life and set a plan as to how you would access them and how often. You kept track of your contacts and followed up after each interaction. You used them appropriately and did not ask more than they could give. You said thank you each and every time they stuck their neck out for you.

2. You get e-mails from job search sites and executive recruiters. They fit your desired next title, geography and industry. Your e-mail volume is more of a efficient stream than a torrential river. Recruiters are calling you directly looking to get your feedback on their positions.

WHAT YOU DID RIGHT: You took the time to create clear and specific profiles on the major job search sites. This allows job alerts to be targeted back to you. By doing so, you also avoided receiving (and being distracted by) jobs below your target level, outside of your industry or geography. While you are receiving fewer e-mails, each one has the power to move your search along in a meaningful way. You focused your attention on a few of the better sites, but you made sure you were listed on all the big ones with a full profile. You also made sure you were listed on LinkedIn, Plaxo and other networking sites with helpful details on your background. Value? You made sure recruiters could find you.

3. Here come the phone interviews. You get calls and e-mails from researchers at the large recruiters wanting to review your background for a new search. Some hiring managers will call directly to get a feel for your style over the phone before inviting you down.

WHAT YOU DID RIGHT: You did a nice job marketing yourself both in person and in your materials. You created a solid resume that told your story in a crisp and compelling way. Your resume accomplishments were material, measurable and meaningful. Your cover letter introduced you without giving anyone an excuse to filter you out of their in box.

4. Welcome to the first round interview. More often than not, you are getting calls back within hours or a day of your phone interviews. When they call back there is a sense of kinship with the HR person (that says they are quietly rooting for you). They may offer a few tips on who you'll be interviewing with or how to dress.

WHAT YOU DID RIGHT: You were interesting, fun to talk to and asked engaged questions about the role. You were not wordy in your responses but provided crisp, full answers. You read my post on successful phone interview tips :-).

5. People at the hiring company start asking leading and more social questions. Where else have you interviewed? Are you considering any other offers? How do you like the (pick city) area?

WHAT YOU DID RIGHT: You clearly communicated your specific ability and desires to each interviewer in a way that made them feel smart to like you. You took the time to answer each question properly and targeted the answer. You asked tough, meaningful questions that asserted your position as "the buyer" not a hopeful candidate. You were interesting and took over the interview if it got slow.

What signs are you seeing?

Article by, Tim Tyrell-Smith of Spin Strategy - Tools for 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 March 4, 2009 at 9:19 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Searching for an entry level job in the current economic climate is difficult enough without throwing an abusive recruiter into the mix. Kevin Wheeler, in his article for ERE, It's Time for a Candidate's Bill of Rights, addresses this problem that many job seekers face. Although Wheeler acknowledges that recruiters are feeling the same pinch as other "layoff survivors," he points out that they also have more tools, like email, voice mail and caller I.D., at their disposal than ever before.

Ironically, the tools that have made recruiters' lives easier are the very source of frustration for entry level job candidates. "Mistreated, ignored, and often frustrated, candidates are not likely to say good things about us or our organizations," Wheeler laments. "They may be easy to hire, but they will be hard to retain."

Candidates just want to be treated with respect and kept informed about such important issues as how recruiters "make interview and hiring decisions." Although a candidate's bill of rights is not likely to be drafted any time soon, Wheeler does offer recruiters some advice for how to make entry level job seekers feel respected and well informed:

Honesty & Authenticity
Accuracy
Complete Information
Process
Status
Confidentiality

The stress will only increase as the recession continues. Wheeler's guidelines may serve to help recruiters get back to their more considerate, pre-recession methods of interacting with candidates.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 3, 2009 at 4:51 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

As the economy seems to be going from bad to worse, employers are trying to find ways to save money and stay in business. One solution is to let older, higher-wage managers go and replace them with younger ones who earn much lower salaries. Some older employees have a hard time working for someone younger, especially when that someone knows less than they do. While it may be true that some Gen Y bosses are imperious and/or overbearing, it's probably safe to say that most are nervous about starting a new job in a supervisory position. In her article, You at the Boss's Desk, Anna Prior has some advice for young bosses who are feeling the strain in their new positions of authority.

1. Fight your discomfort. Most people are nervous when they start a new job, regardless of the circumstances. By being the first to reach out, Prior says, a new young boss can establish himself as a friend rather than an enemy.

2. Look for a mentor. Prior suggests seeking guidance from someone who's been in a similar situation.

3. Communication is key. Communicating with employees, especially older ones, can forestall resentment or misconceptions about a young boss's modern work habits, such as telecommuting or choosing to work outside the office via laptop or cell phone.

4. Ask for advice. Seeking help from subordinates shows respect and implies humility. This is of particular importance to older employees.

It's never easy to manage people, but coming in as a young boss who's in charge of older employees can be especially difficult. While following Prior's advice won't make everything go smoothly, it can certainly help to ease some of the tension.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 3, 2009 at 4:12 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

The Washington Post is reporting that President Obama may have his sights set on a new Chair for the EEOC. Cassandra Butts, deputy White House counsel and a Harvard Law classmate of the President, appears to have emerged as the #1 candidate.

The Post says Butts would provide a "much-needed spark" for the "troubled" agency. It describes the EEOC as "beset by shrinking staff, a growing backlog of job discrimination cases to investigate and plummeting morale." The EEOC faces a backlog of almost 75,000 charges - up 35% from last year -- with a staff that has shrunk 23% since 2000.

Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Butts did legal work for the NAACP, was Senior Vice President for Domestic Policy at the Center for American Progress and worked for former Representative Dick Gephardt (D-MO).

Click here for more on Ms. Butts from the New York Times. The best tidbits:

• She and the future president met while waiting in a line to fill out financial aid forms in college.
• Ms. Butts still has one of Mr. Obama's old law books "which she seized as hostage back in college when she lent him a Miles Davis/John Coltrane album that he has yet to return."
• She reportedly likes "hot cars" and drives a BMW Z3 coupe.

Sidenote: As reported here on the Blawg, in January the President appointed Stuart Ishimaru Acting Chair of the EEOC.

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 March 3, 2009 at 9:57 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Millennials can answer the talent crisis - and personality testing will help

As we enter 2009, one of the most frequently repeated cliches is that the recent stock market misery will force Baby Boomers to postpone their retirements - or perhaps will keep them from even being able to retire at all. This is a short-sighted reaction to recent events, and ignores the long-term demands both of business strategy and of demographics. Whether because of job mobility or simply the ongoing need for innovative thinking, smart companies will always seek to identify, train, develop and retain new management talent as business needs and economic trends dictate. That will be inseparable from the inevitable retirement of Baby Boomers, whose 80 million-strong presence in the workforce cannot forever remain an immovable object - not with the equally large number of Millennial generation workers in their 20s ready and eager to assume job responsibility.

Every company thus will need to identify where leadership and talent gaps are likely to occur through active promotion, retirement of current managers and normal attrition. The company should then plan a strategy to develop talent internally, or source it externally, or both. According to a 2008 study sponsored by Birkman International and Stanton Chase, only 18% of U.S. companies have a talent acquisition plan in place, with 31% saying they've planned but have not implemented one, while 51% have done neither. That must change if companies are to avoid a future managerial crisis.

Tomorrow's Talent
The goal of all organizational recruiting and development should be to accelerate the promotion of qualified candidates into positions of responsibility. Finding tomorrow's management talent is critical to creating an organization that is capable of self-sustaining change as the demands upon it evolve. The best way to accomplish this with tomorrow's workforce is to structure personality evaluation so that it assesses the organizational assets of Millennials, and fits these persons in positions in which they will be the most comfortable and able to grow to the fullest of their capabilities. The focus should be on measuring and understanding whether personality traits mesh with specific job requirements.

Job requirements go beyond hard skills and experience to include the ability to work with others or lead others productively and effectively. The best personality tests analyze and report what motivates workplace behavior, and identifies the needs that drive behavior in positive and productive directions. For any generation, but especially tomorrow's managers, personality testing identifies and brings those characteristics into focus. It becomes a recruitment tool that helps those responsible for hiring to understand how job candidates will interact and communicate with other employees and clients in everyday workplace situations.

When approached in this way, management training will accelerate the promotion of qualified employees who can help the company grow and evolve. The best way to accomplish this with your workforce is to structure training so that it emphasizes the individual strengths of your employees. The training focus should be on measuring and understanding whether personality traits mesh with specific competencies required for the leadership task at hand. Competencies often go beyond hard skills and experience and may include the ability to productively work with or effectively lead others, by such behaviors as accepting feedback, advancing teamwork efforts and demonstrating workplace satisfaction.

The Millennial Challenge

Although each member of any generation should be treated as an individual, with specific traits, needs and behaviors, there are certain overall generational characteristics of Millennials that may be useful as guidelines when developing them into tomorrow's leaders. These are the managerial benchmarks that should be part of the assessment and development process.

• Acceptance of feedback. Millennials respond well to individual, one-on-one mentoring and feedback. If testing acclimates them to receive positive but pointed instruction and objectives for improvement from their supervisors, they will be far more disposed to accept this feedback as a means to improve rather than seeing it as criticism that holds them back.


• Acceptance of leadership responsibility. Some of the self-promotion skills that people classically use to get ahead are detrimental to managers who can boost organizational performance. These negative characteristics are also generally foreign to the millennial worldview. They thus can themselves be a positive force for supportive values of organizational leadership, and (if convinced through effective training that the objectives are worthwhile) can provide valuable backing for senior management's programs and initiatives.


• Advancement of teamwork. Millennials have grown up as part of technological and social networks. They are ideal candidates for working in and contributing to team efforts, because they see teamwork as a means to creativity and satisfaction. Training programs that emphasize team projects and related rewards will find a receptive millennial audience.


• Advancement of workplace satisfaction. Because millennials seek and value positive personal experience, they can be a tremendous force for increasing workplace satisfaction if properly trained to do so in the roles they fill. Quality of work life elements like communication, teamwork and flexibility will be effective motivators for this group, and with proper training they can actively work to advance them throughout the organization.

YOUR Future Organization
All successful organizations - business, non-profit and government - maintain their ability to adapt and grow by identifying and nurturing their employees with the most potential. Millennials as a group have tremendous potential to transform the organizations where they work by serving as a new generation of managers who are flexible, able to cope with change, and ready to find new ways of solving problems. The best ways to realize this potential can be learned, cultivated, honed and enhanced through effective training programs that use accurate managerial and behavioral testing to identify individual capabilities.

The focus must be on measuring and understanding how an individual's personality traits enable them to work with others or lead others productively and effectively. The best personality tests analyze and report what motivates workplace behavior, and identify the needs that drive behavior in positive and productive directions. Members of the millennial generation need feedback, stimulation, interaction and a team focus. By channeling these traits to the best fit with job responsibilities, no organization need fear a talent crisis. Instead, it will find a whole new level of excellence in its management.

Article by, Sharon Birkman Fink and courtesy of Kenndy Information Recruiting Trends providing leading edge insights and strategies for the recruiting professional

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 3, 2009 at 9:25 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Hi All,

I recently wrote a Special Report answering the question, "What is Generation Jones?". It's free to download off my website, and is entitled: "Generation Jones in Motion: The Largest Adult Population in the U.S. Has Finally Overcome An Identity Crisis".

And, just FYI: The Associated Press Annual Trend Report chose "The Rise of Generation Jones" as the #1 trend in 2009...so this is pretty important stuff!

They are not members of the Veteran, Boomer, Gen X or Millennial (aka Gen Y) generations, so who are THEY?

One important factoid: I'm certainly not the person who has brought this to light. I'm simply helping spread the word about Gen Jones, because some people I come across are still not yet aware of this term.

The credit goes to Gen Jones expert, Jonathan Pontell. He's a dynamic social commentator and political pundit who focuses on the intersection of politics and culture, and he coined the term Generation Jones.

I don't want to go into too much detail about them here...that's what my special report is for! But I will say that Generation Jones currently comprises the largest adult population in the US (26% = 53 million people). But who are they? What year where they born? What are their characteristics? Are YOU a Gen Joneser and don't even know it?

I've had the pleasure of speaking with Jonathan a few times and he's a great guy. He has been interviewed by every major news outlet that you can imagine regarding this topic. And you can keep track of the latest trends on Generation Jones, and see some of his media interviews, by visiting his website: GenerationJones.com

And, if you're curious about all this, and want a basic document that gives you a good snapshot, just go to my website and download the special report for free!

Gen Jones is, and has, greatly impacted politics, business and the economy...I'm one...are you?

Bye for now!

Article by Lisa Orrell, Millennial & Generation Relations Expert and courtesy of Lisa's Generation Relations Blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 3, 2009 at 9:12 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In the current economy, company growth is uncommon, so it's pretty big news that Indeed.com is one of the top 10 fastest growing websites, according to Comscore Media Metrix.

In addition to being one of the fastest growing sites, Indeed.com also has the honor of being among Hitwise's top 10 employment & training websites.

Whatever they're doing, they're doing it well. Let's wish them all the best.

Read more about it here.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 2, 2009 at 4:37 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

The EEOC will publish proposed regulations on the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) in the next few days.

GINA was signed into law on May 21, 2008. It imposes strict confidentiality requirements and prohibits employers from taking adverse employment action based on genetic information. Click here for a detailed summary of the law.

The EEOC is required to implement regulations by May 21 and key provisions will go into effect November 21. Here's a sneak preview of what to expect from the new regulations, based on advance copies provided by the EEOC. The regulations:

• specify that drug and alcohol tests aren't "genetic tests" covered by GINA;
• define "employee" to include current employees as well as former employees and applicants;
• address exceptions in which employers may be allowed to obtain genetic information in limited circumstances (e.g., FMLA disclosures); and
• specifically prohibit any form of retaliation against a person who opposes acts unlawful under GINA.

Once the regulations are officially published, a 60-day comment period will begin. Among other things, the EEOC is inviting comments on the proper scope of the "genetic testing" definition.

To comment, visit the EEOC's official e-Rulemaking portal 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 March 2, 2009 at 2:35 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I had lunch the other day with a lovely woman I know whose husband died suddenly two months ago. He had been a passionate parachutist and even in the early days of their flaming romance that lasted nearly a decade, he told her that if he were ever near death, she should ignore the doctors, get him someplace where he could jump from the sky and let him die that way.

He even wrote it all out in a living will. This was a man who knew what he wanted including the ability to live life to the max even while it was ending. He had written his own swan song. This was the way it should be.

And then he fell ill unexpectedly and my friend got caught up in the machinery of the hospital and the moral platitudes of the medical hierarchy and to make a long and twisting nightmare of a story short, they talked her out of his last wish and he succumbed in a grey prison of a room that was as far as you can get from an endless blue sky.

In so much of life, the crowd thinks it knows best but what it is really best at is saying "No." It strikes in matters of the heart. It invades the most glorious adventures. It destroys what had been the most dynamic and daring companies.

In business, the crowd loves to greet dangerous ideas (which is where the seeds of greatness are always planted) with a chorus of "No's" :

* That's way too risky.
* What if it doesn't work.
* No one has tried that before.
* That's not the way it's done.
* Some people will be upset by the change.

No. No. No.

What the crowd doesn't know, or doesn't want to admit, is that crowds never accomplish a damn thing. They sit in judgement over passion, drive, exhileration, experimentation, creation and exceptionalism.

At this moment in the greatest nation in the world, we are facing the confrontation between the crowd and the unconventionalist. The person who wakes up with an idea and carries on her back all the way to the marketplace risking her money and her job and her reputation because she thinks it can work. She believes in the individual's ability to ring rings around the crowd and then build them better mousetraps and give them all jobs. She doesn't want the crowd's opinion because it always says "No."

Once we leave college and transition from the mayhem of campus life to the institutions waiting to capture us the day after the graduation hangover, the forces of gravity want us to move, to live, in an ever smaller space. To say "No" to all of the dangers we yearn for because the crowd knows best.

Never believe it America. If you have to do it with your own force, walk out of your deathbed and fly through the clouds.

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 March 2, 2009 at 2:32 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

A recent survey by Kenexa Research Institute (KRI) on American workers exploring employees' feelings of equal opportunity in the workplace, found that in the United States, there are distinctions across certain job categories and management levels that are based on racial-ethnic origin. According to the WorkTrends data, Asian Americans are more likely to occupy knowledge-based jobs such as professional, technical and managerial positions while African Americans are more likely to occupy clerical and laborer roles. When responding to questions specific to their company's culture, both Caucasians and Asian Americans feel more favorably than African Americans that their company enables people from diverse backgrounds to excel. For advancement and development opportunities within their company, Caucasians and Asian Americans also respond more favorably than African Americans do. This research further indicates that the industry in which one works also matters. While satisfaction with opportunities for advancement varies little for Caucasian Americans, for African Americans industry differences are significant. African Americans are most satisfied in the healthcare services industry (68%) but least satisfied in government (50%). Asian Americans in the education industry reported the highest level of satisfaction with career advancement opportunities (89%). "These results also indicate that minority workers perceive the potential for equal advancement opportunity differently depending on the region of the United States in which they work. We found the widest range of opinion on equal opportunity for advancement in the Midwest. In that region, Asian Americans clearly report the strongest support and Caucasians are more favorable by a margin of ten percentage points than are African Americans," says executive director, Kenexa Research Institute, Jack Wiley. In terms of pay, more than half of all surveyed employees-regardless of ethnicity-feel they are paid fairly, but there are differences by ethnicity. Only 13% of Asian Americans feel they are paid unfairly, compared to 32% of Native Americans and 28% of African Americans.

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 2, 2009 at 10:18 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

As the recession continues to wreak global havoc, companies are planning ahead with expectations of prolonged economic hardship. A new update to an ongoing series of surveys conducted by global consulting firm, Watson Wyatt, shows that most companies have already made most of their intended changes. However, many expect to make further cost-cutting changes this year, such as salary and hiring freezes, and reduced 401(k) matching contributions. "Companies have come to terms with the fact that this recession is going to last and that they can't slash their way out of it," says Laura Sejen, global director of strategic rewards consulting at Watson Wyatt. "Many companies are putting the drastic cuts behind them and are now focusing on smaller, more sustainable cost-cutting actions." In fact, 52% have made layoffs, up from 39% two months ago, according to the survey. However, the number of companies planning layoffs has fallen 10 percentage points from 23% to 13%. Additionally, 56% now have a hiring freeze in effect, an increase from 47% in December's survey. Furthermore, there has been a jump in the number of companies that have put into place additional changes: these include salary freezes (up to 42% of respondents now from 13% in December's survey), reductions in 401(k) matches (up to 12% from 3%), a shortened workweek (up to 13% from 2%) and travel restrictions (up to 69% from 48%). Planned merit increases are now 1.7%, less than half of what companies originally planned before the recession hit. Of the 69% who have revised their budgets, 5% did so in the last two months. Survey results also show that 61% of companies expect the current downturn in their performance to last at least until the end of 2009. Approximately half of companies (51%) plan to increase their cost-cutting actions in 2009 and beyond. "As the business outlook remains challenging, employers are buckling down and making hard decisions," says Laurie Bienstock, U.S. strategic rewards leader at Watson Wyatt. "This may be good news as companies move more toward cost-cutting efforts other than workforce reductions in an effort to hold on to the workers they will need when recovery eventually comes."

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

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 2, 2009 at 10:13 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Hi All,

In President Obama's address last Tuesday to a joint session of Congress, he spent a significant amount of time discussing how US citizens, predominately Millennials-Gen Y, need to get an education past high school. Considering the US is facing a labor shortage of 35 million skilled and educated workers over the next 30 years (based on a combination of lower birth rates, mass Boomer retirement, and students not going to college or finishing), this is certainly something that needs to happen. But can it?

Unfortunately, the current trends show that half of the students who go to college actually graduate. And 75% of the fastest growing careers require a college degree. So something does need to happen to increase the number of college graduates the US cranks out in order for our country to remain competitive globally, and for US companies to sustain and achieve growth.

Here's one stat for a reality check: According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2010, US corporations and small and medium-sized businesses (SMB's) will be short 10 million workers. That's the first wave of the 35 million I mentioned above, so the shortage is already HERE.

I educate many of my clients about all of this because many of them aren't aware of it. And it's hard for many to grasp right now because of the current economy, and with lay offs at an all time high and resumes pouring into HR departments. But the economy will eventually get better, and the cold hard facts are that we don't have enough educated people in this country to fill the jobs that need to be filled. And when the economy turns around, the competition to recruit talent will resume and many companies will be short of the labor they need.

Even during this current economic crisis, the time for employers to focus on retaining their top talent is NOW. And they need to be making plans for aggressive, and creative, recruiting strategies NOW so they are ready when things improve. But that's a whole other topic!

With regards to Obama's recent call to action for getting a college degree, an interesting article came out today on Yahoo, written by Justin Pope and Libby Quaid, AP Education Writers. It's entitled "Obama's call of college for all: Could it be done?".

I recommend reading this article because it discusses many interesting angles on this issue and also includes opinions from many leaders in the Education sector of the United States.

But we're not the only country suffering from a labor shortage. One article I recently read said: That in the European Union, a shortage of 300,00 qualified employees in the IT sector alone is forecast for 2010. And in Japan, prospects for skilled labor are so dim that some electronics manufacturers are granting employees leave to receive fertility treatments (to increase the population!!).

Again, I know it doesn't feel like we're entering a US labor shortage crisis right now, but we ARE and when the economy recovers, we're going to have a major wake-up call.

Bye for now!

Article by Lisa Orrell, Millennial & Generation Relations Expert and courtesy of Lisa's Generation Relations Blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 2, 2009 at 9:05 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

In a previous post, I wrote about companies using Facebook and other social networking sites to connect with college students looking for internships, recent college graduates looking for entry level jobs or customers. Many companies, though, don't use these sites effectively and don't get the anticipated results. But some companies, like Valpak, have mastered the art of using social media to attract and engage their target audience.

Eric Hipps, a college recruiter for Valpak, described in a recent interview how Valpak uses Facebook to connect with candidates. "We use the page mainly for promoting our Valpak career opportunities to Gen Y. Any new college student I come in contact with is directed to the [Facebook] site. I also include it in my digital email signature. We have also started to include the link on many of our sales recruiting materials," Hipps said.

By including a link to the Facebook page in email signatures, in Twitter posts, etc., Valpak has been able to generate interest in what it has to offer Gen Y internship and entry-level job seekers. For Hipps, "generating any interest in Valpak and Valpak's career opportunities is a tremendous success, so with that in mind I consider our [Facebook] page a tremendous success." The Valpak Careers home page has video and written testimonials from employees, lists job openings and internship opportunities, and recruiting events.

Although their current methods - such as those distinctive little blue envelopes - are a success, Hipps said, "We are constantly shifting the way we think and promote Valpak."

Valpak is just one example of a company that has successfully used Facebook to attract and engage its target audience. Additional pages, tailored to the needs of consumers, are also on Facebook.

It should be noted that Valpak's Facebook page was built by CollegeRecruiter.com, and anyone who's interested in improving communications with the best internship and entry level job candidates should visit our Fan Page on Facebook.

Posted by Candice Arnold on March 2, 2009 at 6:51 AM | Leave a Comment (0)