Archive for September, 2008

What another little news story from this past week did for celebrity gossips, a survey released this morning by CareerBuilder.com and USA TODAY did for financial analysts: It only seemed to confirm what many have been speculating. 

The Q4 2008 Job Forecast indicates a weakening job market, which should come as no surprise given what we now know about the financial crisis; however, the survey was conducted between August 21 and September 9, which means it might not reflect the full effects of the last few days.  Thus, hiring managers may now have to take an even more conservative approach than the one they indicated they would take in the upcoming quarter. 

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on September 30, 2008
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• Categories: Survey Results

Do you know what your employees are doing on their smoke breaks? It might not be what you think.

A recent article on CNN.com caught my eye the other day. This article details the habits of employees like Brian, a 30-something salesperson in NYC who uses the office bathroom as a secret cubicle in order to perform the duties of his second job as a mortgage broker. Brian sends emails, checks voicemail, and makes appointments while in his porcelain hideout; effectively (or not) working two jobs in one 9-to-5 shift.

I’m not advocating you throwing together an investigation a la Gareth Keenan, but the reality is that Brian is not the only one rushing into empty bathroom stalls to close a business deal or fulfill an an urgent order request. Many U.S. workers are attending to their second jobs on their breaks or lunch hour, and many are also doing it without the boss’s knowledge. Some are cramming in all that extra work in order to stopgap the losses they have incurred due to a faltering economy, and others just want to maintain a certain lifestyle that their current (single) job cannot fund alone. Still others – younger workers in particular – may be looking to supplement their experience and add new skills to their resume, or to get into a new career altogether, and are using their “extra” job as a trial run for a long-term career transition.

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• Posted by: Amy Chulik on September 29, 2008
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• Categories: Economy, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Employer Advice

A hot debate is raging regarding the health of American workers. Interestingly enough, it has nothing to do with presidential campaigns and national health care plans. Instead, the focus narrows in on how much influence your employer should have on your health.  

The genesis of the issue can be traced back to the days of pioneer Henry Ford who required certain “healthy” behaviors from his employees if they were to be eligible for his increased minimum wage. His definition of a healthy lifestyle, which, among other things, prohibited excessive drinking, a dirty home and an unwholesome diet, was enforced by the Sociological Department Ford set up in 1913 to pay visits to the homes of employees. He eventually backed off that intrusiveness after much criticism, but the question of prioritizing employee health continues down the assembly line of Corporate America as an unfinished product for many companies.

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• Posted by: CB Staff Writer on September 29, 2008
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• Categories: Building a Best Place to Work, Employee Attraction, Employee Retention, Employer Advice

Is this the only thing every employee really wants from their company?

Maybe… But then again, maybe not…

Don’t get me wrong; when it comes to the topic of salary, I’m all about the Benjamins (baby). But are there any acceptable alternatives? If you’re building the best place to work, then the answer should be yes.

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• Posted by: CB Staff Writer on September 26, 2008
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• Categories: Building a Best Place to Work, Employee Attraction, Employee Retention

As discussed previously, there’s a bit of controversy over whether it’s acceptable to discuss politics in the workplace, in light of the little upcoming contest on November 4^th (You may have heard a bit about it in the news lately). To this point, I’d like to offer a few guidelines for those who dare talk about “Country First” vs. “The Change We Need.” You know, the ones who feel compelled to share their thoughts with others while presenting at the morning team meeting (a la the Emmys), or want to debate whether that study about political views being “all in the mind” is really true while lingering around the soda machines.

After all, 50 percent of American workers are talking politics in the office, according to Adecco USA’s most recent Workplace Insights Survey. Gen Y workers are reportedly leading the pack, with 61 percent of them discussing politics at work – a significant jump from 45 percent during the 2004 presidential election (Bush vs. Kerry). In contrast, roughly 35 percent of workers say they are uncomfortable discussing politics with their bosses or co-workers, according to a release from Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on September 25, 2008
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• Categories: Employee Engagement, Employer Advice

How often do we think about corporate culture? Better question – How often do we think about changing corporate culture?

I happened to come across this list of the top 10 ways you can tell your corporate culture needs addressing.  You can click on the link to see all 10, but I’ve listed my favorites below: Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on September 23, 2008
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• Categories: Employee Engagement, Employee Retention