Archive for January, 2010

While you were busy updating your Twitter account with what was surely a clever joke, changing your travel plans, or shopping for a new growler,here’s what was happening in the world of hiring and recruiting this week… 

• So, some guy gave some speech where he talked about jobs this week…
• Here’s one way to work your social media policy…
• Some companies have fun, whether they like it or not.  
• Curious about the status of the stimulus?
• SAS is a-ok for employment.
• Social media is now Vatican-approved.  
• The TSA managers are not amused.
• First came social media specialists…Will companies now start hiring more social media lawyers?
• Job seekers move it all for the money.
• Forecasters putting their money on job growth in 2010. Continue Reading…

• 
• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on January 29, 2010
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Week in Review

If you’ve snuck a peek at CareerBuilder’s Big Game ad winners, you’ve probably noticed a recurring theme: workers questioning their current jobs because of workplace behavior.

Say what you will about the bizarre premises of casual Fridays with everyone in their underwear or, um, flatulent colleagues, but the inspiration behind these ads is sure to resonate with employees across the nation, if CareerBuilder’s latest survey is any indication.

The survey of over 4,900 workers nationwide, released Tuesday, found that 39 percent of workers don’t feel that they fit in with their colleagues.  When asked to name specific behaviors that have made co-workers feel as if they don’t fit in, workers reponded with the following: Continue Reading…

• 
• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on January 29, 2010
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Employee Engagement, Survey Results

Although the recession has been hard on many industries, the health care industry is one that has managed to thrive. Since the recession’s start, the health care industry has added 631,000 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and has consistently added headcount each month. Continue reading

• 
• Posted by: Amy Chulik on January 28, 2010
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Economy, Forecasts, Insights & Trends, Survey Results, Talent Acquisition

It’s official: The Pope hearts social media.

This past weekend during World Communications Day, Pope Benedict XIV urged priests to start using social media to get their message across to followers.  It seems the 82-year-old Pope has had somewhat of a change of heart over the use of social media, recognizing that trying to reach followers “amid today’s cultural shifts, to which young people are especially sensitive, necessarily involves using new communications technologies.”

In finally embracing social media, the Pope is setting an example not just for priests, but for anyone who wants his or her message to have a greater impact on and reach a wider audience – including employers.

Here are four ways employers and hiring managers can – and should – emulate the Pope’s actions (when it comes to social media, at least): Continue Reading…

• 
• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on January 26, 2010
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Social Media, Talent Acquisition

What makes a company great to work for? Recently, we asked all of you what you think makes your company great — specifically, how you sell your company to your ideal candidates. Your answers covered everything from honesty in your candidate expectations to allowing dogs in the office, and now, FORTUNE has released its own list of 2010′s 100 Best Companies to Work For. Continue reading

• 
• Posted by: Amy Chulik on January 25, 2010
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Building a Best Place to Work, Retention, Survey Results, Talent Acquisition

While you were busy pre-ordering your Oprah tell-all, assessing the best and the worst of the red carpet, or trying-but-not-really to tear yourself away from the live puppy cam, here’s what was happening in the world of hiring and recruiting this week… 

• Workplace blame is kind of like what laughter can be (but not as fun).
• No, this headline is not from one of Leno’s bits…
• So would this be considered maternity stay?
• Need an “easy” button?
• Reference checks for these hires are going to be tricky…
• Men, don’t read this.
• Despite downturn, employees keep on truckin’…
• New lawsuit has EEOC emphasizing employers’ obligation to protect their employees
• Hoping permanent jobs will come back? Don’t read this. And finally…
• Um…agree to disagree? Continue Reading…

• 
• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on January 22, 2010
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Week in Review

Is the recent drama with Conan O’Brien over at NBC hitting a little too close to home? Perhaps you’ve seen this sort of thing before? Like, maybe…at your own office?

Today, NPR compared the recent high-profile contract disputes between the network and the soon-to-be-former “The Tonight Show” host to a ”surprisingly familiar workplace mess,” where NBC’s efforts to get around the contract it made with Conan six years ago - and more or less force Conan out – are not unlike what you might see in today’s workforce when poor management mistakes are made.  

 Additionally, where NBC has succeeded in alienated Conan fans (a.k.a. Team Conan) with its behavior, employers too risk alienating the entire staff when they do something that is seen as unfair (even if they insist on attributing it to “cost-cutting” measures).

Of course, NBC being the powerhouse it is, the risk of the company losing overall viewership over Conan backlash is probably slim to none.  Any other employer, however, might not recover so easily – and risk losing the trust of the rest of the staff, consequently doing serious damage to both morale and its employment brand. After all, employees reason, if management is willing to  treat one employee this way, who’s to say it won’t do the same to anyone else? Continue Reading…

• 
• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on January 21, 2010
• There is 1 Comment. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Employee Engagement

There’s etiquette for many things in life, from bathroom use (put the toilet seat down after you use it), to public transportation (don’t clip your toenails or demonstrate your newest yoga moves on a crowded train), to, uh, fashion. However, we all have different opinions on what the proper etiquette is for any given situation (see toilet seat example). Continue reading

• 
• Posted by: Amy Chulik on January 21, 2010
• There is 1 Comment. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Insights & Trends, Social Media, Technology

Are you among the 30 percent of employers who are still struggling to fill open positions (according to Manpower, Inc’s 2009 Talent Shortage Survey) – despite the millions of job seekers out there?

If so, maybe it’s time to reconsider your recruiting efforts – and see if there’s not something small but crucial that you’re overlooking.

Continue Reading…

• 
• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on January 19, 2010
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Employment Branding, Talent Acquisition

Last week, we discussed CareerBuilder’s new survey about small businesses’ challenges for 2010, including the struggle to access necessary credit. Here, in a video clip from First Business, Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder, talks more about these challenges, CareerBuilder’s survey results, and the outlook  for small businesses moving forward.

Watch the video:

Continue Reading…

• 
• Posted by: Amy Chulik on January 18, 2010
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Survey Results