Archive for October, 2010

While you were busy winning America’s hearts, if not Project Runway, feeling relieved to know it’s not just you, taking all of the fun out of Halloween, here’s what was happening in the world of workforce management this week…

• Sure, they can run entire companies, but most CEOs still can’t tell their Farmvilles from their Mafia Wars
• Speaking of…employees in Germany are unfairly being forced to play Farmville on their own time.
• Drug testing involves some tricky questions for employers. (Yes, that was a pun. But also true.)
• Research suggests the reason some companies thrive is a cultural thing.
• McDonald’s employee sues the company for what could be called a $17.5K wellness benefit of sorts…
• Companies and employees pretty much agree: technology rules.
• Steven Slater thinks that perhaps telling Jetblue to shove it wasn’t the ideal way to quit his job now that he thinks about it. And finally… Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 29, 2010
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• Categories: Week in Review

Feel like something’s been, well, different at the office lately? That things seem a bit emptier at the workplace? A bit quieter? Well, you’re not crazy — you’re just observant. Turns out many employees are calling off of work to crawl back under the covers and hide from the recession, build a delicious burger cake, or explain a cow break-in to the cops.

Yes, I said cow break-in. CareerBuilder has just released its 2010 survey of the most unusual excuses for missing work, and if you thought 2009′s most unusual excuses lived up to their name, you’re in luck — 2010′s list is just as full of wacky, creative, and head-shaking employee excuses.

Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Amy Chulik on October 27, 2010
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• Categories: Uncategorized

Feeling unmotivated? Uninspired? Disengaged? You’re not alone. “There’s a lot of valid reason we’re feeling burned out,” says Holly Green, workplace management expert and best-selling author of the book More Than a Minute: How to Be an Effective Leader and Manager in Today’s Changing World.

“It’s because we are,” she says.

I recently spoke with Green about the amount of stress managers are under today to re-engage their employees in an increasingly stressful work environment. If employees think they’re the only ones who need a break these days, Green says, they should think again.   “Managers are feeling the same way. And when you’re burned out, it’s that much harder to think about engaging someone else.”

So rather than add one more thing to the already-overstretched manager’s to do list, perhaps it would be easier to simply know what NOT to do…Green was kind enough to offer the following advice on how NOT to manage your employees.

Top 10 Things Managers Should NOT Do To Engage Employees: Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 27, 2010
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• Categories: Employee Engagement

What specific traits do you look for in seasonal workers?

For 31 percent of employers who are hiring seasonal workers this year, great customer service skills top the list of most wanted skills in a seasonal worker they’d be interested in hiring full-time.

For its most recent survey, CareerBuilder asked more than 2,400 hiring managers about their seasonal hiring plans this year. According to the survey of over 2,400 employers nationwise, of those employers who are hiring seasonal workers in the fourth quarter of this year, 40 percent are likely to hire them as full-time, permanent basis.

Industry and Compensation Breakdown
Unsurprisingly, the top five industries where seasonal workers will be most in demand this season are retail; customer service; administrative/clerical support; shipping and delivery; and hospitality.  As for pay plans, while some hiring managers (13 percent) reported plans to increase pay for seasonal workers compared to the same period last year, 14 percent are planning a decrease.

• 48 percent of hiring managers plan to pay seasonal workers $10 or more per hour
• 9 percent plan to pay $16 or more per hour
• 32 percent plan to pay between $8 and $9 per hour
• 19 percent plan to pay between $6 and $7 per hour

Planning to hire seasonal workers? Check out these tips from an earlier post on hiring seasonal workers. Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 20, 2010
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• Categories: Survey Results

Ah, the awkward conversation. Much like death and taxes, the awkward conversation is something people will do anything to avoid.

…which is perhaps why so many managers are so poor at giving feedback: rather than have a potentially uncomfortable conversation about what their employee needs to improve upon, they avoid it completely. But giving feedback is a crucial skill that every manager needs to practice (in order to get better at giving it). After all, the only way you can expect your employees to get better at what they do is to give them constructive, candid and timely feedback. But, again, giving feedback is a skill that requires practice…and carefully chosen words.

Five Tips for What to Say (and What Not to Say) When Giving Feedback:

1. Say This: “I noticed that you’ve missed a few deadlines lately.” Not That: “You seem disinterested in your work lately.” When giving feedback, it’s important to focus on an employee’s specific behavior, not the impression you had of it. Telling an employee that he or she “seems disinterested”  or “appears disengaged” is actually a comment about your perception or impression of the employee – which comes across as a judgment - when in reality, the employee’s perceived disinterest could be the result of something completely unrelated to work. Focusing on the specific behavior that led to that impression opens up the door to have a clear discussion about the reasons why, rather than making the employee feel judged, alienated or confused. Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 19, 2010
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• Categories: Employee Engagement

Today’s the last day of the American Staffing Association’s Staffing World 2010 conference in Las Vegas, and although what happens in Vegas normally does stay in Vegas, we’ve managed to  snag some PG-style videos and commentary about recruiting and staffing firm leaders’ views on social media trends. Continue reading

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• Posted by: Amy Chulik on October 15, 2010
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• Categories: Economy, Social Media

While you were busy barely even trying to hold it in, wasting absolutely no time at all, or thinking to yourself, “If we can get 33 trapped miners out of a cave, surely we can find a way to distribute movie popcorn butter more efficiently!”…here’s what was happening in the world of workforce management this week…

• Oprah tops the list of most wanted celebrity bosses. (There’s a shocker.)
• I have a feeling I know where Mario Batali would fall on that list desirable celebrity bosses
• There’s a good chance your employees don’t think as highly of you as you’d like them to.
• The demand for digital business cards is, ahem, virtually non-existent.
• Is Wall Street writing paychecks their shareholders can’t cash?
•  20 perks your employees are bitter that they are not getting want.
• It’s true: Social media and professionalism can coexist. And finally… Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 15, 2010
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• Categories: Week in Review

The American Staffing Association’s Staffing World 2010 conference, taking place at the Venetian Casino Hotel Resort in Las Vegas, NV, is well underway. Throngs of recruiting and staffing professionals have been mingling and networking, attending professional development sessions like keynotes and workshops, browsing exhibitor booths (like CareerBuilder’s — yes, that’s a shameless plug), and generally having a great time while learning more about how to not only adapt but thrive in our rapidly changing workplace. Continue reading

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• Posted by: Amy Chulik on October 14, 2010
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• Categories: Economy, Events, Talent Acquisition

Does that headline sound like it was ripped straight from The Onion to anyone else?

Sadly (or perhaps somewhat comforting to know, if you’re among this group), it’s no joke: Findings from CareerBuilder’s most recent survey suggest that 36 percent of workers with college degrees said they wish they had chosen a different major in college.

The survey of over 2,000 workers with college degrees nationwide also found that:

• 26 percent of workers said the market for jobs in their chosen field worsened from the time they entered college to when they graduated.
• 19 percent of all workers with a college degree still have not found a job in their desired field.
• 27 percent of workers who graduated from college at least 10 years ago still haven’t found a job related to their college major.
• 21 percent spent at least three years finding an opportunity in their desired career path, and 12 percent spent at least 5.

Not that these findings should come as a surprise to anyone who’s read anything about the job market in the past few years…but what do they mean for employers? Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 13, 2010
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• Categories: Survey Results

While you were busy getting the makeover no one really thought you needed in the first place, forgetting to press “end call,” or downloading CareerBuilder’s latest hiring forecast (what’s that? It’s free? Okay!)…here’s what was happening in the world of workforce management this week…

• Johnny Depp did not write history’s greatest cover. He just played the guy who did on film.
• A new healthcare waiver helps employers get off easy. Their employees? Mmm…not so much.
• Obama addresses “women’s issues,” Warren Buffet at the Most Powerful Women conference.  
• Some of these “workplace don’ts” are funny, and some are true, but all are funny because they’re true.
• Remember when United Airlines announced its merged with Continental? Neither did we. But anyway, the CEO is very excited about it.
• Doesn’t Rick Sanchez know that the cool way to be fired is to make controversial public statements on Facebook – not national TV (hello!)?  
• Older workers are watching their 401(k) accounts shrink right alongside their bones. And finally… Continue Reading…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 8, 2010
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• Categories: Week in Review