July 31, 2007

HR: earning a lot, smiling a lot
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 3:43 PM

Human Resource Executive Online reports that HR folks - at least the senior, well-paid ones - seemed to be happier on the job than most of their peers:

If you're an HR executive, you have reason to smile. After all, a recent survey says you're the most satisfied of executives.

The least satisfied of executives were in IT and sales. Only 41 percent of IT executives and 42 percent of sales leaders said they were satisfied with their jobs, according to a survey by Norwalk, Conn.-based ExecuNet, a career-networking firm for executives, of 2,149 executives earning an average salary of $221,000.

In contrast, two-thirds (67 percent) of HR executives reported satisfaction with their jobs, followed by CFOs/comptrollers at 63 percent.

Read the full piece.

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July 30, 2007

Ask and ye shall receive ... a negative review
Posted by Diane Danielson at 7:21 PM

Today's Washington Post discusses a new survey that demonstrates that the reason women don't get raises may not be just that they don't ask.  It seems that women who negotiate are more likely to be looked upon negatively.   

However, a new set of experiments by Babcock and Hannah Riley Bowles, who studies the psychology of organizations at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, offers an entirely different explanation.

Their study, which was coauthored by Carnegie Mellon researcher Lei Lai, found that men and women get very different responses when they initiate negotiations. Although it may well be true that women often hurt themselves by not trying to negotiate, this study found that women's reluctance was based on an entirely reasonable and accurate view of how they were likely to be treated if they did. Both men and women were more likely to subtly penalize women who asked for more -- the perception was that women who asked for more were "less nice".

"What we found across all the studies is men were always less willing to work with a woman who had attempted to negotiate than with a woman who did not," Bowles said. "They always preferred to work with a woman who stayed mum. But it made no difference to the men whether a guy had chosen to negotiate or not."

Click here to read the whole article.

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No chance for a Second Life?
Posted by Maureen Crawford Hentz at 3:25 PM

I love all things technology, especially as related to recruiting. If it's out there, I'll try it. Even as I blogged about Second Life, apparently I was on the precipice of passe. A great article in the New York Times Marketers Twittering But Not About Second Life is a must read for any of you social-network/new-media recruiters out there.

Second Life just doesn't seem to have the legs to work in the recruiting space as it requires technical expertise (as opposed to savvy) and perhaps even a large spend out of your recruiting budget. New media recruiting like social networking is attractive to bleeding edge recruiters because it just takes a little bit of effort and a lot of chutzpah to get out there. Remember the early days of blog-trolling for candidates? Just one flame message and we all learned the etiquette.

A quick poll at our company's national intern conference indicated that only 1 person in the whole ballroom was on Second Life. Hearing murmurs in the room, it then occurred to me that I might need to explain what Second Life was, and why I was asking about usage. After about six seconds of feeling technologically smug, it then occurred to me that if my target population didn't even KNOW the technology, I probably wasn't going to need to invest our recruiting time in it.

Second Life is just not easy enough to roll out as a one-person experiment. In addition to those speed bumps, in large companies, the pitch would never survive what one colleague called the 'six PowerPoint' financial approval gauntlet. All these factors together spell the end to my Second Life flirtation.

It remains to be seen if Twitter will be worth the effort, or if companies will continue to rely upon the humble RSS feed for pushing out an employment message. Stay tuned...

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July 27, 2007

Mass. economy outpacing nation's
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 3:44 PM

A new report from UMass says the Commonwealth is ahead of the national economic pace right now:

The state economy grew at a 3.6 percent annual rate in the second three months of the year, compared to 4.1 percent in the first three, UMass said. The US economy grew at 3.4 percent annual rate in the second quarter, rebounding from a sluggish 0.6 percent in the first quarter, the Commerce Department reported.

The Massachusetts economy was boosted by technology, science, financial services and health care sectors, where employment is growing at more than twice the overall rate of 1.1 percent, said Alan Clayton-Matthews, a public policy professor at UMass-Boston.

Read the whole report from today's Boston Globe/Boston.com Daily Business Update.

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July 23, 2007

Can your people read people?
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 11:46 AM

Today's Globe reports on a new program that focuses on improving interpersonal communication:

In the workplace, social settings, and family situations, effective communication is key to productive relationships. But different personality types communicate in different ways, often causing communication breakdowns when opposing styles clash. Marriages chafe. Friendships falter. Work product suffers as office mates conflict.

That's why Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., a fast-growing drug-development company headquartered in Central Square, is putting its entire 1,100-person work force through SpeedReading People, a program with New England roots that teaches techniques for rapidly identifying other people's personality types -- and then tailoring your communication style to match theirs.

To denizens of HR, some of this will not be new, based as it is on personality testing and the theories of Carl Jung, familiar turf for those who know Myers-Briggs, including SpeedReading People founder and author Paul Tieger. But approaching the subject in a programmatic, versus individual, fashion, may be new.

Read the entire piece.

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July 19, 2007

Facebook replaces e-mail
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:39 AM

. . .and other insights on Gen Y from Globe Business Filter blogger Maura Welch:

I'm just back from Anastasia Goodstein's YPulse Mashup in San Francisco where a mix of academics, advertisers, marketers, educators and web companies met to discuss technology and youth culture. It was a fantastic event.

Welch tracks the space closely, and her post includes links to several of her previous posts on the youth market.

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July 18, 2007

IS there a downside to employee referrals?
Posted by Maureen Crawford Hentz at 10:24 AM

Referral programs have been very successful in recruiting talent into organizations, especially in sectors where the labor market is tight," says MIT Sloan Assistant Professor of Management Emilio Castilla. "Referral programs seem to show clear productivity and early-turnover advantages. They seem to attract more productive employees. But too often, companies just worry about getting the people in the first place, not thinking about long-term implications for the organization..."

I came across an interesting article called "Beware the downside of employee referrals" which makes the argument that although employee referrals can be productive, a company may take a risk by tapping into the social networks of employees.

While not illogical that new employees may leave if their referrers leave the company, don't we run that risk anyway? When a very well respected and well connected employee leaves, there is always a certain amount of buzz as allies wonder about the decision.

There is always a ripple effect when an employee leaves, but I'm not convinced that this is at all a drawback to employee referrals. Ultimately, the new employee's experience at the company is significantly more impactful than whether or not his referring colleague leaves.

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July 17, 2007

Report: 1 in 12 workers use drugs
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:58 AM

From today's Globe, an Associated Press report on drug use among US workers:

WASHINGTON -- One in 12 full-time US workers acknowledges having used illegal drugs in the past month, the government reports.

The highest rates were among restaurant workers, 17.4 percent, and construction workers, 15.1 percent, according to a federal study. About 4 percent of teachers and social service workers reported using illegal drugs in the past month.

Read the full piece.

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July 11, 2007

What Gen Y really wants
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 3:27 PM

Yes, we're spilling a lot of pixels on the topic of Gen Y in the workplace. This time, we have an additional reason.

Popular Globe Careers columnist Penelope Trunk ("Climb") has picked up a new gig at TIME magazine and penned her first piece on the topic:

The first challenge for the companies that want to hire the best young workers is getting them in the door. They are in high demand--the baby boomers are retiring, and many Gen X workers are opting out of long hours--and they have high expectations for personal growth, even in entry-level jobs. More than half of Generation Y's new graduates move back to their parents' homes after collecting their degrees, and that cushion of support gives them the time to pick the job they really want. Taking time off to travel used to be a resume red flag; today it's a learning experience. And entrepreneurship now functions as a safety net for this generation. They grew up on the Internet, and they know how to launch a viable online business. Facebook, for example, began in a college dorm room.

Read on. Macduff.

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July 10, 2007

Outsourcing, the Dilbert way
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 10:34 AM

Had your daily dose of humor yet?

We all need a little levity in the office. Try today's Dilbert on for size - his take on outsourcing . If you're reading it today, go here. After July 10th, check it out in the Dilbert archives.

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July 5, 2007

Still need summer help?
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 1:24 PM

Has your firm done all its summer hiring yet? Or do you still need interns and part-time help and are looking to fill slots for July and August?

If so, read on:

Governor Patrick. . .called on employers statewide to hire youth for summer employment during a visit to the Lynn Vocational Technical Institute to kick off the start of YouthWorks, the Commonwealth's statewide summer jobs initiative for low-income youth ages 14-21.

This summer, YouthWorks funding of $4.6 million, an increase from the $4 million allocated last year, is available to 22 cities across Massachusetts. . .and will provide more than 2,500 youths with job opportunities.
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"By giving our children the opportunity to work during the summer months, we are providing them with the chance to learn the skills that will help them in the world beyond the classroom," said Governor Patrick. "Investing in YouthWorks is a win-win proposition for employers and youth across the Commonwealth."

Here's a testimonial from one happy employer who used the program in the past:

"For the past two years we have hired teens and found it to be a great decision for everyone," said Beth Tichy, Vice President of Human Resources at North Shore Bank. "The bank had great help during the summer months, our full time employees enjoyed having a new face in the mix that they could mentor and watch grow, and the teens learned about working and about banking from the employees around them! I would advise any company to bring on a young person in the summer months - all around a wonderful experience."

YouthWorks is administered by the quasi-public agency, Commonwealth Corporation, on behalf of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

Read the press release here. Then find out everything you need to know in the YouthWorks section of the Commonwealth Corporation website.

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The independent contractor question
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 12:11 PM

Workforce Management magazine has an in-depth article in its July issue on the growing use of independent contractors by employers and the possible issues surrounding the practice:

The use of independent contractors in place of employees has been on the rise in the U.S. for years and continues to stir debate over its impact on worker protections. The California Overnight case is among a growing number of court battles around the country filed by independent contractors against companies that hire them.

Congress has recently taken a renewed interest in the subject with the arrival of a Democratic majority.

The article goes on at length about two recent cases facing the California courts regarding two separate delivery firms, California Overnight and FedEx. It also cites advice from an attorney involved in the case:

[San Francisco Littler Mendelson attorney Robert] Hulteng says that the decisions point to several important items that companies need to consider when deciding to use independent contractors for ongoing tasks:

* The contractor must be allowed to work for other clients.
* The contractor must be allowed the option of turning down assignments.
* The contractor must be allowed the option of having another person do the actual work.
* The contractor must be able to determine how the work will be carried out.

The piece ends on a note of caution to employers:

Jason Posel, [global contingent workforce consultant] Albany's senior vice president in the U.S., says his firm advises companies to take a very cautious approach when using or considering independent contractors. "The trend we are seeing is that IRS is taking a closer look at this, and employees and workers know more about their rights," Posel says. "It is important to take a conservative approach."

Does your firm classify some workers as independent contractors? If so, or if you are considering doing so, you may want to read more about the issue.

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July 2, 2007

10 signs you've been abandoned in the office
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 4:29 PM

When July 4th falls on a Wednesday, as it does this year, the work week is usually screwed up. Who's coming, who's going? Who's here, who's not here? It's an unproductive mess.

But, loyal slave that you are, you're still here holding down the fort. How do you know you're on your own? Check out our special workaholic's photo gallery with ten signs you've been abandoned in the office:

So it's July Fourth week, it seems like everyone's on vacation, and yet it is you maintaining order in the office. You may daydream wistfully and jealously about the sailing trips and weekend getaways your co-workers have embarked upon, but your time will come, you think. Until then, you will be the warrior of the cubicle, the only man or woman to keep total anarchy from ensuing in the office -- even when it feels like you are the only man or woman in the office.

What do you think? Here's your chance to name the #1 sign you're alone in the office on our message board.

And I hope you at least get Wednesday off - yes? No? Maybe?. . .

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