Archive for July, 2010

Spill! (You know you want to…)

So back in April, my colleague over at The Work Buzz discussed things job seekers should leave off of their resumes, including gaps in work history. Transferring the advice of career coach and author Catherine Jewell, blogger Kate Lorenz wrote that job seekers should eliminate gaps in work history and replace them with short, truthful statements (such as “homemaker sabbatical” to explain a five-year work hiatus).

….But my question is, when job seekers don’t know to do this (or even if they do) does having a gap in work history automatically put the candidate at a disadvantage in the eyes of the interviewer?

Surely, as the job market opens up, and as most companies begin rehiring at a faster rate, hiring managers and recruiters are likely to see a lot of resumes with gaps in work history.

What we want to know is: What’s the best way for job seekers to explain gaps in work history – from the cover letter…to the resume…to the interview? Or can they?

Especially now, do job seekers still carry a stigma when it comes to having gaps in their work history? (And if so, how can they eliminate it?) Talk to us, or better yet…

Share your success stories! Ever hire a candidate despite having a significant gap in work history – only to have him or her prove himself as a top performer? Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on July 30, 2010
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• Categories: Interviewing, Selection, Talent Acquisition

While you were busy hiding your Jersey Shore knowledge, making the announcement the world was waiting with bated breath to hear, or getting your Amazon pre-orders in, here’s what was happening in the world of workforce management this week… Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on July 30, 2010
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• Categories: Week in Review

If you’re not yet familiar with the government’s recently revised stipulations for hiring unpaid interns, might I suggest pouring yourself a nice glass of Merlot, perhaps turning down the lights and putting on some Al Green, while you sit back and get to know them a little bit better…?

That’s because the Obama administration recently announced that it intends to crack down on companies that don’t comply with the rules regarding unpaid internships, in reaction to recent criticism that such practices unfairly favor privileged students and enable employers to take advantage of free labor.

Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on July 29, 2010
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• Categories: Uncategorized

Last week, I talked about the pros and cons of rehiring former employees, and mentioned that the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act is one of the major reasons employers should be looking at hiring unemployed workers (which could include former employees). Continue reading

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• Posted by: Amy Chulik on July 27, 2010
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• Categories: Economy, Insights & Trends, Legislation, Retention, Talent Acquisition

Rejecting a candidate because they have too many credentials? On the surface, it seems absurd: Here, it seems you’ve been handed the opportunity to snag executive-level talent at an entry level price…and yet you know that doing so means you could soon be dealing with a very bitter employee who resents taking a job that is below them, or perhaps you fear they’ll leave the minute a better opportunity comes along…

That’s the dilemma employers face when it comes to hiring overqualified workers – and why so many just say no; however, while you certainly want to be wary of someone who “will just take anything” to make ends meet (not that you don’t sympathize), you could also be doing yourself a disservice by dismissing an overqualified worker outright – and miss the opportunity to score major talent for your organization.

Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on July 26, 2010
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• Categories: Economy, Interviewing, Retention, Selection, Talent Acquisition

While you were busy getting ready to indulge your inner geek, finding the world’s scariest personal trainer, or failing to truly clarify a rumor about yourself, here’s what was happening in the world of workforce management this week…

• Don’t worry, your employees are just reading it for the articles.
• Good news – you can totally justify expensing that mani/pedi now.
• Can the Japanese government prevent workers from being exploited?
• Salesforce CEO says leaders should emulate MC Hammer. (Maybe so your employees will be too legit to quit?)
• More good news – you can totally justify spending the last three house playing Mafia Wars now.
• A new Outlook plug-in helps you check yourself before you electronically wreck yourself.
• Don’t count on seeing pre-recession numbers anytime soon. And finally… Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on July 23, 2010
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• Categories: Week in Review

Does your body language betray you?

You’ve probably heard the stats that say that body language accounts for somewhere between 55 and 90 percent of  all communication…and when interviewing job candidates, you likely pay a lot of attention the nonverbal cues they give out that convey their interest, honesty, enthusiasm, confidence, etc. – or a lack thereof…

But how often do you think about how your own body language comes across? It’s likely you’re so focused on them that you forget to think about your own nonverbal cues: Do you unintentionally intimidate candidates? Do your hand gestures and facial expressions convey boredom, irritation or condescension?

Understanding the nonverbal signals you send can be just as important as reading your candidates’ body language – especially since, as the interviewer, you have a direct impact on the candidate’s impression of the company and the resulting decision to accept or reject a job offer.

Unfortunately, sometimes the biggest offenders are the seemingly harmless things we do – tics, if you will – that we don’t even think about – and the negative messages they send candidates.  Below are seven messages your body language sends others, and how to correct them: Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on July 22, 2010
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• Categories: Interviewing, Selection, Talent Acquisition

Could this be a good sign? CareerBuilder’s latest nationwide survey, released today, shows that small businesses will be hiring in the second half of 2010. Considering small business is one of the major drivers for economic recovery and job growth, I think the answer’s a definite …hopefully? Continue reading

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on July 21, 2010
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• Categories: Economy, Survey Results

“I woke up one morning and just said, ‘I…hate…my…job,’” workplace engagement expert Peter Stark told the audience of HR executives during his presentation during SHRM 2010 in San Diego last month.  “The problem was, I owned the company.”

Laughter ensued, and I took the crowd’s immediate engagement with Stark as a good sign that I wouldn’t be wasting my time in a presentation titled “Engaged!” – about how top companies create a culture where employees love to come to work.

Turns out, I was right. Not only is Stark a dynamic speaker, but dude knows his stuff: Stark had studied 250 companies employing 100,000 people.  And after narrowing them down to the top 25 percent in terms of employee engagement, he found 10 factors these top companies have in common, which I’ll share with you now…

Oh, but first, a quick side note: Before Stark shared his list, he did something interesting.  He challenged the audience to tell him the difference between a leader and a manager…which turned out to be a deceptively difficult task. After listening to a few good (but apparently wrong) guesses from the crowd, Stark revealed the answer: A manager is just a title; whereas a leader is someone whose qualities lead people to follow them. “Followership is a conscious decision, with or without a title,” Stark said. (The more you know…)  Anyway, without further ado…your recap of Stark’s list of…

10 Ways to Get Employees to Say, “I Love My Job”

1. Create a compelling, positive vision with clear goals. The top leaders have a very clear vision of where they’re heading. According to Stark, a great vision is composed of three key qualities: it must come from the heart, be unique to the organization, and be radical and compelling. People have to care about it. Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on July 21, 2010
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• Categories: Building a Best Place to Work, Employee Engagement, Events, SHRM 2010, Talent Acquisition

This year, 54 percent of large U.S. businesses that laid off employees in the past year want to rebuild their work forces, but some will have trouble finding the skilled workers they are looking for, according to a recent study by Accenture. Because of this gap, many employers will likely consider an alternate option to gain skilled workers: rehiring former employees.

Employees may be rehired for very different reasons. Maybe they were laid off due to a company’s financial situation, but not because they weren’t a valued employee. Or perhaps they were let go unfairly and a company realized its mistake. Maybe, just maybe, they were fired but fixed whatever caused them to be fired in the first place. Regardless of the reason, the question remains: Is this a positive trend or a recipe for disaster? Let’s examine.

Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Amy Chulik on July 20, 2010
• There are 2 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Economy, Retention