August 29, 2003

Job skills : Preparing Generation Z
Posted by at 11:19 AM

From ComputerWorld:

CIOs say college graduates aren't ready for corporate IT jobs. Now some progressive universities are doing something about it.

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Middle managers moving; HR employment on upswing; more
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 10:11 AM

From last week's "Out in the Field", BostonWorks' weekly round-up of workplace stats and trends, a report that middle managers are ready to move when the economy rebounds:

Don't expect middle managers to stick around when the economy improves.

Accenture, the management consulting and technical services firm, reports that nearly 48 percent of US middle managers are looking for another job or are planning to look for new work when the economy gets better.

We also report an upturn in HR positions, as found by SHRM:

The human resources field has seen an upswing in employment over the past year, according to research by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Bureau of National Affairs Inc., a research and publishing firm in Washington, D.C.

Also see entries on:

Skills that lead to career success

Futurist predicts worker, skills shortage

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Jewel, the management guru
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:43 AM

"Follow your heart, your intuition", croons songstress Jewel in her latest, determinedly-pop hit. But could her message be aimed at the nation's business managers as well as wayward adolescents? A piece by Euguene Raudsepp from the CareerJournal archives supports her claim pretty clearly:

Professor John Mihalasky and his associates at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark tested hundreds of business managers for intuitive ability. They are convinced that effective, superior decision making correlates highly with intuitive ability.

For one of their experiments, they chose 25 managers who had held top decision-making jobs for five years. . . .The results were remarkable: Of the 25 men selected, 12 had doubled their companies' profits in five years. Eleven of those 12 scored high on the intuitive test.

Read more, including a list of attributes of intuitive personality types and a list of occupations where intuition is highly valued. And if you're into Jewel, check out the complete lyrics.
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August 28, 2003

Test for the best
Posted by at 12:05 PM

Add this to your recruiting process and retention becomes that much easier. From Human Resources Executive:

More employers are reaching that same conclusion. Fed up with paying the high cost of high turnover, they're giving applicants a battery of tests that measure everything from their skill level to integrity. So far, it seems to be working. HR executives say they're making quality matches between people and positions and creating more stable workforces while saving millions of dollars.

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August 26, 2003

Why both sides expect a job-market recovery
Posted by at 9:27 AM

From CareerJournal:

Industrial orders are edging upward, new home purchases continue to climb and even corporate profits are showing signs of improvement. But if the economy is really in the midst of a revival, where are the jobs? They'll be showing up within the next six to 12 months, a majority of human-resource managers interviewed for a new survey conducted for the Society of Human Resource Management and CareerJournal.com believes.

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August 25, 2003

Companies with extended hours losing major profit gains
Posted by at 10:48 AM

From WorkIndex.com:

Extended hours, or shiftwork operations offer major advantages to retail, health care, manufacturing and service businesses and their customers. However, the unintended and largely unrecognized costs associated with irregular schedules, night shifts and extended hours are eroding the profits of American businesses by $206 billion annually, or approximately $8,600 per extended hours employee, according to a new study by Circadian Technologies Inc.

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August 20, 2003

Job seekers share gripes about recruiters
Posted by at 10:53 AM

Let me just tell you that they are not saying very nice things. How did this all come about? Well, it was provoked. The Wall Street Journal published a story in which recruiters offered some constructive feedback to job seekers. The article generated a tremendous response from job seekers with their own thoughts on recruiters.

Here are some tough words from the unemployed:

One unemployed executive wrote, 'The bottom line is [that] all the stories about lousy resumes, and complaints that too many people apply for open positions, is really nothing but a lot of whining.'

Many recruiters are "sitting back and realizing, 'There's a tsunami of applicants out there, so why do I have to be nice?'

One unemployed executive wrote, 'The bottom line is [that] all the stories about lousy resumes, and complaints that too many people apply for open positions, is really nothing but a lot of whining.'

Read the entire article.

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August 19, 2003

Why branding is important in HR?
Posted by at 1:52 PM

This ERE article discusses why HR's role in branding the company is of growing importance. This article recognizes how some HR professionals want to leave the branding to the marketing folks but makes some excellent points as to why they should embrace this responsibility.

Most corporate leaders and professional marketers now admit that one of the few (if not the only) channels left to communicate the corporate brand to customers is the employee, and the customer experience they are capable of providing. Customer service is a factor that is largely influenced by the quality of the workforce, which in turn is largely influenced by the quality of recruiting and workforce management systems developed and maintained by HR.

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August 18, 2003

Bay State economy makes gains
Posted by at 2:18 PM

The Boston Globe reported on Sunday that an economic recovery seems to be taking shape. One indicator of this recovery is the reported modest hiring within the technology, manufacturing, and telecommunications industries.

Interviews with about two dozen executives from manufacturing, technology, telecommunications, and other companies indicate that the state's long-suffering economy is in the early stages of a turnaround. Manufacturers report they are accelerating production to catch up with backlogs. Technology companies say business has stabilized, with some reporting upswings. Employment agencies are seeing a growing demand for temporary help, a leading indicator for the job market.

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August 15, 2003

Recuiter customer service
Posted by at 10:22 AM

Here are some points from the ERE to help you manage the inflow of qualified and unqualified.

Every act of discourtesy will eventually be incorporated into the overall reputation and "brand" of your organization. As they say in the customer satisfaction business, for every customer that tells you they are satisfied, there are at least three dissatisfied customers who just haven't said anything. The same applies for candidates. So what does the overworked, overwhelmed recruiter do? How can you provide responsive service in the face of huge numbers of resumes? Here are three tips that might help.

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August 14, 2003

Keeping the door open for laid-off employees
Posted by at 9:06 AM

This is more important than you may realize. Companies that treat their employees with respect and appreciation during and after this seperation process, are in a better position to recruit back these employees and preserve the positive company image. From Human Resource Executive:

Companies often make the mistake of acting as if there is no need to be concerned with former employees once they are cut from the employee ranks. These are the companies that do not have a strategy regarding their former employees. They are focused only on those who have survived. That's a big mistake. The way in which a company separates, lays off, or fires people will have a direct impact on future performance as a company. The company has a lot at stake in keeping the door open to separated employees.

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August 12, 2003

Extroverts and virtual food
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 2:35 PM

From Out in the Field, BostonWorks' weekly round-up of stats and trends in the working world, two items of note (scroll down to the second and third entries):

Many say they prefer extrovert colleagues

Being an extrovert could pay big dividends at the office.

When Sims Wyeth & Co., a New Jersey training and consulting firm, surveyed 173 executives and professionals recently, it found that most felt interpersonal skills were extremely important to succeeding in the workplace.

Food donors go online in Accenture program

Workers at Accenture, a management consultancy, found a new way to raise food for food banks: online or virtual donations.

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GenXers, boomers bring mix of values, expectations to workplace
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 2:27 PM

From Sunday's BostonWorks in the Boston Globe, a piece on the generational challenges of today's workplace:

The workplace of 2003 includes people born before and after Watergate, the sexual revolution, and rock 'n' roll. More importantly, the workplace encompasses those who have experienced downsizing as a painful shock and those who accept it as a fact of life. Older workers may still cling to the possibility of lifetime employment with one company and its potential rewards. Younger workers tend to be largely dismissive of corporate promises, wary of commitments, and determined to forge their own long-term security.

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August 11, 2003

The right fit
Posted by at 11:01 AM

This story from Biz Journals, talks about assessment tools as elements for recruiting and identifying the right person for the job:

While they may not be fortunetellers, assessment tools do offer insights into whether new hires match the culture and goals of the company and whether an employee considered for promotion will further those goals. Experts say it is important, however, to use the right tools and to use them properly in order to avoid potential legal problems.

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August 7, 2003

The new job reality
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 10:12 AM

The current issue of US News & World Report takes an in-depth look at the state of employment in the US today and points to evidence that we may not be in your garden-variety recession but instead going through some more profound structural changes:

In ordinary recessions, companies typically lay off workers on a temporary basis, rehiring them when demand revives. But some economists say there's something else going on this time. The dearth of jobs stems from factors signaling a sea change in today's business world: namely, higher productivity, altered management and hiring practices, and the flight of both blue- and white-collar jobs overseas. Many of the changes in the labor market are structural, not cyclical. "It's similar to what we saw 50 years ago when people began to leave farms," says Greg Mankiw, the president's top economist. "One of the ways economies grow is people moving from one sector to another." In short, the message to the nation's 9.1 million unemployed is: Don't hold your breath. Your old job may never return.

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August 6, 2003

Your best employees are poised to bolt
Posted by Jason Butler at 9:37 AM

Patricia Kitchen in Newsday reminds us that, even though the employers have the upper hand in the marketplace, soon the shoe may be on the other foot. Are your employees happy, or are they just biding their time?

Half of 3,200 workers surveyed by Harris Interactive want to make a job change. Of these, 46 percent want to do so in the next six months and 75 percent in the next year. ...

These workers sound confident and poised to walk, says Robert Morgan, president of Spherion Employment Solutions. "This will be a rude awakening for employers should the economy turn rapidly in their sector - if people act on that desire."

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August 5, 2003

Pension plan costs soaring, study finds
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:07 AM

From "Out in the Field", our weekly round-up of stats ands trends in BostonWorks in the Boston Sunday Globe, a report on the rising cost of pension funds:

US firms with traditional pensions are facing a growing problem: soaring costs, according to a 2003 study by Towers Perrin, the management consulting firm.
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In compiling information for the report, Towers Perrin examined the annual financial statements of more than 300 top companies with pension plans and found that funding levels had dropped dramatically since the late 1990s, when strong stock market gains helped many companies boost funding levels for traditional defined benefit plans. Of the firms polled, 81 were in the Fortune 100, Towers Perrin said.

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August 4, 2003

Are you ignoring older workers?
Posted by at 9:55 AM

From SHRM's HR Magazine:

Even though experts predict a looming labor shortage that can be countered by hiring and retaining older workers, many older employees feel they aren’t being given a fair shake. And the primary federal tool for protecting them—the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which bars discrimination against those who are 40 and older—doesn’t seem to be helping their cause.

Click here for more information on the ADEA.
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August 1, 2003

Overtime and health
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 4:10 PM

According to this commentary from PRI's "Marketplace" radio show, overtime may not be good for the health of your employees - or for the health of your organization:

Researchers at the University of Arkansas are set to report that the number of hours worked has a very small effect on life satisfaction, sick days and worker stress -- but don't try selling that to commentator Joe Robinson. He says that all these long hours at the office aren’t good for our health, or the health of our companies. “Trouble is, almost 40% of us, now, work more than 50 hours a week, the vast majority of it completely counterproductive,” says Robinson. “We actually work better when we’re rested, not fried…Long hours are a tragic failure of the knowledge economy.”

To hear the piece, hit this link, scroll down to the piece under Features entitled "Commentary: Overtime's not good for your health," and click on the link or speaker icon.

After listening to the story, do yourself a favor: leave your work at work, enjoy a restful and restorative weekend, and come back refreshed and recharged on Monday morning. Better yet, tell the rest of your organization to do the same.
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