October 31, 2003

Psychological tests as screening tools gaining in popularity
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:35 AM

From ABCNews.com, a report on employers' increasing use of psychological tests as a screening tool during the hiring process:

. . .Two-thirds of U.S. employers use some form of job skill testing, with 29 percent using some form of psychological assessment and 13 percent applying personality tests, according to The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, a Bowling Green, Ohio-based organization of psychologists who specialize in applying psychology to the workplace.

"It has grown during the past 10 to 15 years," says Frank Schmidt, professor of human resources at the University of Iowa's Henry B. Tippie College of Business, who attributes the rise to a more competitive economy and more research showing the results of such tests are not biased against any particular demographic group.

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October 30, 2003

Good news, bad news
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:38 AM

OK, the bad news first, a not-so-positive snapshot of the Massachusetts employment market:

Despite signs of an economic recovery, the state's job market remains exceedingly weak, with one in nine Massachusetts workers unemployed, underemployed, or no longer looking for work, according to the study by Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies. The study paints a bleaker picture of the Massachusetts economy than the state's jobless rate, a historically modest 5.7 percent in September, would otherwise indicate.

Yeesh. Now for the good news, also from a piece in today's Globe on the growth rate in the nation's economy, the best since since 1984:

The economy grew at a scorching 7.2 percent annual rate in the third quarter in the strongest pace in nearly two decades. Consumers spent with abandon and businesses ramped up investment, compelling new evidence of an economic resurgence.

Obviously we're still seeing mixed signals, but we do appear to be headed in the right direction. We'll take the signs of hope.

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Youthful attitudes, sobering realities among Gen X, Gen Y workers
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:23 AM

From our parent publication The New York Times, a report on "the attitudes of America's newest labor force, 30-something workers — the so-called Generation X — and their 20-something counterparts, Generation Y":

They form "a dramatically different labor market that is changing not just the way people are hired and fired, but also how they view their jobs, their employers and their careers," said Peter Cappelli, the author of "The New Deal at Work: Managing the Market-Driven Workforce" and a professor of management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Because of an unsettled economy and an employment market that has not been kind to these workers, they think there is no reward for loyalty and are reluctant to make long-term commitments. Though they have been called disloyal and unwilling to pay their dues, the reality is that they are adapting to a workplace in which "corporations broke the old arrangement unilaterally," Professor Cappelli said. "They've seen what's gone on with their parents' generation, and a lack of trust in the corporation is a perfectly rational response to that."

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October 29, 2003

Finally, a wave of new jobs approaching
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 4:55 PM

From our neighbor publication in Boston, The Christian Science Monitor, another encouraging report that things are indeed beginning - finally- to look up in the job market:

In surveys, businesses say they intend to hire more workers. This is supported by anecdotal evidence. IBM says it will create 10,000 new jobs next year in consulting and software. Union Pacific, the nation's largest railroad, will add 1,000 conductors and engineers before the end of the year. And Hyundai, the Korean vehicle company, is building a 400-employee tech center outside of Ann Arbor, Mich.

In addition, reports of new layoffs are slowing down. "The layoffs and working out of the bubble from the excesses of the 1990s is almost finished," says John Challenger, whose outplacement firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, tracks downsizings.

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Justice diversity issues detailed
Posted by at 9:39 AM

The Department of Justice reluctantly released a report on diversity issues facing the agency's management. Women and people of diverse race and ethnic backgrounds are underrepresented in the management ranks at the DOJ.

From Newsday:

The 186-page report, which takes a critical look at diversity among department attorneys, has been withheld by Justice officials since its completion more than a year ago until last week, when it was finally made public, but only with almost half the pages blacked out.

Minority attorneys, according to a complete copy of the June 2002, report obtained by Newsday, are "significantly underrepresented" in management ranks, make on average less than whites and "are substantially more likely to leave the department than whites."

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October 28, 2003

Are you understating your job openings?
Posted by at 10:06 AM

From Electronic Recruiting News:

This long look at the economics of the workforce was prompted by a desire to question our long held opinions about the coming labor shortage. So far, it looks like we've discovered a major dissonance in the market. Hiring authorities are radically understating the number of job openings in their organizations. According to the BLS numbers, it looks like a 40% to 50% delta.

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October 27, 2003

Ye ol' job titles
Posted by at 3:42 PM

For those of you looking to set your postings apart from the competition, I have always advised that you begin by jazzing up your job title. My co-worker and fellow blog contributor, Dean, has found us a list of old fashioned job titles which he blogged on Friday.

Here are some examples:

Outside Sales - Farandman
Security - Gaoler
Educators - Lerher

If that doesn't float your boat, here are some ideas on how to write a different, yet more contemporary, job posting.
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HR best practices in mergers & acquisitions
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 3:00 PM

In light of today's FleetBoston - Bank of America announcement, a few words from SHRM on the HR element in mergers, broken into Pre-Deal, Due Diligence, Integration Planning, and Implementation:

Respondents to the SHRM Foundation/Towers Perrin Mergers & Acquisitions survey recommended the following human resource best practices, based on their M&A experience.

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October 24, 2003

European slow in stemming 'brain drain' to America
Posted by at 3:01 PM

Europeans are graduating with degrees in science and engineering in larger numbers than American's. Yet, the States leads the world in these areas. This is because Europeans are coming to the US, where the jobs are.

The scope of the brain drain is global, of course, with the United States drawing in top scientific talent from India, China, the former Soviet Union and elsewhere. The National Science Foundation estimates foreign students earn 40 percent of U.S. advanced degrees in chemistry and biology, 50 percent in math and computer science, and 58 percent in engineering.

Read the entire article.
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October 22, 2003

When a reference is not as it seems
Posted by Jason Butler at 11:17 AM

The New York Times reports on a trend HR professionals must watch for: job-seekers hiring companies to see what former employers are saying.

The reference checking companies are adding to the difficulty that employers have long had in providing references on former employees. A company that gives a glowing reference on an employee fired with cause could soon be defending a wrongful termination case. A company that fails to mention negative information about a former employee with known dangerous tendencies could be sued by a future employer for failing to disclose the damaging information.

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October 20, 2003

World-class recruiters prioritize, do you?
Posted by at 11:43 AM

From ERExchange:

Strangely enough, when I attempt to demonstrate the importance of prioritization to most corporate recruiters, their reaction is immediate resistance. Perhaps this is because so many HR people have a "social worker mentality" which leads them to believe that it's important to treat everyone equally. Unfortunately, any attempt to treat all jobs and business units equally automatically limits the recruiter's ability to be successful. It not only hurts your own credibility and performance but also damages your organization's ability to prosper in the marketplace.

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The turnover tidal wave is coming: are you ready?
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 8:47 AM

From John Sulllivan writing on ERE, a piece on the coming out-migration from firms as the economy picks up:

Let's face it, the economy has been in a downturn for a good while now, and few of us have been giving much thought to employee retention. But that's a huge mistake, because a literal flood of turnover is about to take place. Smart managers and HR professionals need to start preparing for it right away.

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October 17, 2003

More blogging angst
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 5:12 PM

. . .about managerial decisions.

Have a good weekend. Go Pats.

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A cautionary tale: management counts
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 10:29 AM

If you think management doesn't have an impact on a team's performance, think again. You and millions of others watched it in plain view last night.

The Red Sox had the seventh game of the ALCS well in hand and a trip to the World Series in their grasp. They had a 5-2 lead in the eighth, their ace having gone seven solid innnings and maintained the lead. The offense had done their part, putting up enough runs for the fresh arms of the bulletproof post-season bullpen to hold that lead. Who could ask for more? The Sox were right where they wanted to be, in charge, in the Bronx, beating the Yankees.

Then, one managerial decision changed all that and wrote a different ending for the history books. Grady Little did not step forward and make the decision he needed to, a decision that even casual observers of the game could see needed to be made: to pull the starting pitcher. And all the hard work of the game, the hard-fought series, the incredible post-season run, indeed the entire season's record-breaking, months-long effort, unraveled. I was unable to concentrate much yesterday in anticipation of the game. Today, I am unable to concentrate much as I replay that pivotal decision over and over in my mind. The players didn't lose that game. The manager did.

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October 16, 2003

Small businesses more optimistic, but hiring still on hold
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 11:44 AM

From HRNext.com, the online HR news source, a piece on a recent American Express survey of small businesses:

Optimism among small businesses is on the increase, but these businesses appear to be keeping their hiring plans in check, according to a survey from American Express.

Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of small businesses see growth opportunities for their businesses over the next six months, up from 64 percent in the fall of 2002.

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October 15, 2003

Executives see corporate reforms as fleeting
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 11:23 AM

Here's a dose of reality on corporate reforms from today's Boston Globe, based on findings from a survey of Massachusetts executives conducted by the Boston public relations firm Morrissey & Co.:

Changes enacted following recent corporate scandals are unlikely to have any lasting effect on the way companies do business, a majority of Massachusetts executives said in survey to be released today.

This skepticism flies in the face of the more upbeat views of those who have put in place new laws, rules, and policies in the hope of preventing the accounting, stock manipulation, and executive pay scandals that have rocked corporate America since the collapse of Enron Corp. less than two years ago.

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October 14, 2003

San Jose has nation's second highest urban jobless rate
Posted by at 1:25 PM

You thought things are bad in Boston? Check out this article from Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal.

Of the nation's 51 metropolitan areas with a 1990 census population of 1 million or more, the Portland-Washington region and San Jose continue to report the highest unemployment rates -- 8.1 and 7.9 percent, respectively, the BLS says. Miami and New York had the next highest rates, at 7.4 percent each.

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October 7, 2003

The top strategic recruiting metrics
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 1:31 PM

How do you assess the value to the organization of one of your hires? From ERE, our industry brethren over at the Electronic Recruiting Exchange, comes a piece by John Sullivan on recruiting metrics, ie, how to measure your performance as a recruiter:

Metrics are becoming more and more essential for successful recruiting managers. Unfortunately, most metrics that are regularly used in recruiting cover administrative rather than strategic areas.

These are my top recommended strategic — as opposed to administrative — recruiting metrics:

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October 6, 2003

Health costs, sick days, top employers
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 3:29 PM

From this week's Out in the Field, BostonWorks weekly compendium of stats and trends in the workplace:

Healthcare cost increase seen for employers - a Towers Perrin reports says healthcare costs for US employers will increase by 12 percent next year.

Workers take fewer sick days, report says - most large employers saw a reduction in absenteeism rates this year, said the Bureau of National Affairs Inc.

Area firms make Working Mother magazine list of top 100 employers - five Massachusetts companies are among the top 100 employers in the United States for working mothers, according to Working Mother magazine.

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October 3, 2003

Companies add jobs for the first time in eight months; unemployment rate holds
Posted by at 10:46 PM

Read the story that Boston.com ran about September's employment climate. It is slightly positive. I'll take slightly.

Businesses added jobs in September for the first time in eight months and the nation's unemployment rate stayed at 6.1 percent, indicating better days may lie ahead for frustrated job seekers. Payrolls grew by 57,000 last month, the Labor Department reported Friday, and there was even new hope for the slumping manufacturing sector. Some 29,000 factory jobs were lost, considerably fewer than in previous months.

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Ready, willing, and working
Posted by at 11:28 AM

Many employers don't necessarily think to actively recruit the disabled workforce when trying to fill their jobs. Mainly because they don't know where to recruit them. There are many non- profit organizations in the state that assist disabled individuals in acquiring skills and placing them in jobs. These agencies can also assist the companies with accomodations and making sure that the employer is compliant with the Americans with Disabilites Act.

From The Christian Science Monitor.

A few years ago, Wilt participated in a pilot school-to-career program through Triangle Inc., a nonprofit agency in the bordering town of Malden. Triangle provides services to about 600 disabled people each year, always emphasizing its motto, "People with Ability." The curriculum for the six students in the Citizens Bank program included everything from servicing ATM machines to dressing appropriately for work, and Wilt was one of two graduates hired full time by the bank.

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October 1, 2003

Companies' hiring plans still on hold
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 1:16 PM

The latest DOL report says companies do not have robust hiring plans for the near term - is this true of your company?

Companies have slowed the pace of layoffs, but have broken with previous economic rebounds by not boosting their hiring plans, the Labor Department said.

The department said this lack of hiring translated into a net job loss on business payrolls of 356,000 in 2002, the first full year of recovery from the 2001 recession.

Read the full story.
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