There are six words that, when used together, can cause a bit of anxiety (no, I’m not talking about So You Think You Can Dance?).

Consider this scenario: Your employee is rushing to get to work. He or she is driving a car, one hand on the wheel — and one hand on the smart phone. Every once in a while your employee anxiously glances down at the phone, anticipating the inevitable work correspondence. Your employee doesn’t have to wait long, because five minutes into the drive, you, the frazzled boss who’s up early and thinking about a project, decides to e-mail said employee, knowing full well your employee will check the message right away – and feel compelled to respond. You type those six very important words: What is the status on this?

You hit send.

This type of situation may be more of a problem than you realize. Whether you’re a boss who’s always connected and expects the same of your employees, or you’re an employee who feels pressured to be “on” at all times, even while driving – you may need to slow down a bit. According to the results of a new CareerBuilder survey of more than 5,200 workers, more than half (54 percent) of workers who have a smart phone or similar device said they check it when driving a vehicle — and many are risking safety on the road because they feel pressured to respond.

Which Industries are Most Connected On the Commute?

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on March 10, 2010
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• Categories: Economy, Employee Engagement, Survey Results, Technology

While you were busy taking a shot every time someone mentioned “this amazing journey,” setting up the most unlikely partnership since…ever, or hitting the gym in preparation for your next plane trip, here’s what was happening in the world of hiring and recruiting this week…

• This isn’t the solution to male-on-female sexual harassment that we had in mind…
• Don’t order that “40 Years of Service” plaque just yet…
• What is it they say about good intentions?
• Calling in sick? You’re so behind the times.
• Wait a second…how did they get away with this and still make the “Most Admired Companies” list? (Suspicious!)
• Speaking of suspicious…job candidates just got sneakier!
• I wonder if his Spidey sense helped him see this coming…
• Some employers don’t believe in taking snow days, apparently.
• Some employees luckier than others when it comes to getting bonuses back.
• You don’t have to read your employees’ diaries to find out what’s bothering them.
• A new jobs bill is proposed, but (spoiler alert!) not everyone’s happy about it.
• And finally…Was firing every single teacher NOT the solution after all? Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on March 5, 2010
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• Categories: Week in Review

Anyone else looking forward to the day we can say that we’re actually out of the woods with the current financial crisis (if only so we can put a moratorium on the phrase “out of the woods”)?  

Well, we might have to hold out a little while longer, because as the latest employment report indicates, we’re, um…well, you know. Today, the Labor Department released its Employment Situation report for the month of February, and, as is often the case lately, there’s both good news and bad news.

Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on March 5, 2010
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• Categories: Economy, Survey Results

Millenials. Comprised of those born after 1980, or those 18-29 years old, they’re America’s newest generation. (And it’d be more fun if they were called this, no?) But what else are we learning about them, particularly when it comes to the workplace? A new report aimed at Millenials attempts to answer some of our unanswered questions.

Who are Millenials?

Fifty million people currently fall into the “Millenials” category. Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world, has just released a report called “Millenials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change.”

The report, conducted by Pew Research Center’s “Social & Demographic Trends Project,” compares the values, attitudes and behaviors of Millenials with those of older adults, and seeks to shed some light on which formative experiences Millenials will carry throughout their life cycle. Among other findings, the report found that personality-wise, Millenials are confident, self-expressive, liberal, and upbeat, and are open to change.

Dissatisfied With Work Now — But Optimistic for the Future

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on March 4, 2010
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• Categories: Economy, Employee Engagement, Generational Hiring, Social Media, Survey Results, Technology

As a former Super Nintendo addict enthusiast, I was both excited and surprised to come across this recent Go magazine article about the growing number of companies using interactive software and video games as employee training and development tools.

Excited, of course, because it seems like a cool, fun way to engage employees (and brought back fond memories of watching Mario hop around in a Frog suit)…But also surprised by just how many companies are embracing this trend: A reported 70 percent of major domestic employers used these ”serious games” to train employees in 2008, according to the Entertainment Software Association.  That figure is estimated to increase to 80 percent by 2013.

Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on March 4, 2010
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• Categories: Employee Attraction, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Fun and Games, Innovation, Technology

Stop me if you’ve heard this one…Money problems continue to plague American workers.

The latest evidence comes from a new CareerBuilder survey out today, showing that financial restraints are now putting a crimp in many older workers’ retirement plans. 

According to the survey, 72 percent of workers over the age of 60 who said they are putting off their retirement are doing so because they can’t afford to retire.  When comparing genders, the survey found that three-quarters (76 percent) of female workers over the age of 60 who said they are putting off retirement are doing so because they can’t afford it, while 68 percent of males said the same.

It’s Not All About the Benjamins…
According to the release, financial reasons are not the only grounds for postponing retirement for workers over the age of 60.

Other reasons cited among those putting off retirement include:  

• Either enjoy their job or enjoy where they work and don’t want to leave it (71 percent)
• Plan to stay because they need the health insurance and additional benefits provided (50 percent)
• Fear retirement may just be boring (24 percent)
• Enjoy feeling needed (15 percent)

If you work with or supervise mature workers, be ready in case they decide they want to stay aboard a little bit longer than originally planned. “Twenty-seven percent of hiring managers say they were approached about postponing retirements last year and were open to retaining mature workers,” sais Jason Ferrara, senior career advisor at CareerBuilder.    

Employees wanting to postpone retirement could actually be good news for companies that are worried about losing or replacing some their most skilled, experienced and loyal workers during a time when they need them the most.  If you’ve already replaced them, consider whether you can keep them on in another role or department, and see if they’d be open to that. Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on March 3, 2010
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• Categories: Survey Results