Posts by Amy Chulik 

CareerBuilder and USA TODAY’s Q4 2009 Job Forecast shows that, while employers are feeling more optimistic about the economy and job market, the majority plan to keep their staff levels the same for the remainder of the year. Continued moderation in job loss and a hesitant approach to hiring is expected for the fourth quarter. Compensation trends in the fourth quarter are expected to mirror those of the last two quarters, as half of employers (51 percent) anticipate no change in salaries for full-time, permanent employees in the next three months.

The survey of more than 2,900 hiring managers and human resource professionals across various industries was conducted by Harris Interactive® from August 20 to September 9, 2009.

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• Posted by: Amy Chulik on October 1, 2009
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• Categories: Economy

Life is full of clichés — but your interviews shouldn’t fall victim to them. The interview process is constantly evolving, and with it, you too must review your process — and yes, evolve. Don’t forget –  just as you are screening job seekers through an interview, they are also screening you.

Companies expect candidates to continuously advance their skills, be cognizant of industry news, and surpass expectations. It should come as no surprise, then, that candidates expect the same of the companies with which they’re interviewing. When is the last time you thought about the questions you ask candidates in an interview? Or changed them to stay current or reflect the changing attitudes and needs of the job seekers in today’s market? We’ve rounded up some of the most cliché interview questions, courtesy of the experts: job seekers themselves. Underneath each cliché, we’ve added a new twist on the old standard.

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• Posted by: Amy Chulik on September 30, 2009
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• Categories: Employee Attraction, Employer Advice, Interviewing

Have you been overhearing your employees talking about living on ramen (not that there’s anything wrong with that) and refreshing the computer screen a hundred times a day to spot the exact moment that paycheck deposits? That may not come as a huge shock, but current worker struggles may be deeper and more common than you realize.

As we continue to experience the effects of a sluggish economy, many workers are struggling with household budgets. A whopping 61 percent of workers report they always or usually live paycheck to paycheck just to make ends meet, up from 49 percent last year and 43 percent in 2007, according to a new nationwide survey of more than 4,400 workers by CareerBuilder. Thirty percent of workers with salaries of $100,000 or more report that they too live paycheck to paycheck, up from 21 percent in 2008.

So, how are workers getting by?

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on September 22, 2009
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• Categories: Economy, Employee Retention, Survey Results

An interesting discussion started to develop the other day on our Twitter stream after we tweeted about a blog post regarding which information a candidate should include on his or her resume — and which should be ditched with yesterday’s “Top Chef” contestant.

Some of you think an objective is a necessary component of a resume, pointing out that it can provide an expanded view of a candidate’s experience as well as detail a candidate’s drive and vision — while others dismissed it as clutter or vague filler. Many of you were divided on whether candidates should send a resume to you in a Word document or in a PDF.

As evidenced by a CareerBuilder survey earlier this year, over a third (38 percent) of HR managers spend just one to two minutes reviewing a candidate’s resume before making some kind of decision about it. That’s not a lot of time for a candidate to put his or her best foot forward and make a strong impression. So how, exactly, should candidates make a (good) impression on you, employers?

In a recent CNN article, CareerBuilder’s vice president of corporate marketing, Jason Ferrara, offered five tips for job seekers to make their resume stand out:

1. Include a career summary at the top of a resume
2. Keep it up to date
3. Incorporate keywords
4. Use a functional resume
5. Include all relevant experience

And in an article on MSN careers, CareerBuilder writer Rachel Zupek, gives 10 resume tips for candidates to get a better response from employers. They include having a less-selfish objective, focusing on accomplishments rather than duties, and filling in any unemployment gaps.

Of course, resume information may also include things like social media info (a candidate’s Twitter handle or professional networking profile), volunteer work, awards, certification and training, work history, references (or stating “References available upon request.”

But the real question is, What information do you want to see in a candidate’s resume — and what are they better off leaving out like former Top Chef contestant Mattin’s undercooked ceviche?

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on September 17, 2009
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• Categories: Employee Attraction, Employer Advice

Whew… although a lot has happened this past month in the recruitment world. Let’s get to it.

1. I can’t stand my employee’s big hair! We released a list of the strangest workplace complaints out there — so sit back, read, and enjoy. (Did a Warrant crew member submit that first one? Hard to say.)

2. The “Vuick.” We took a closer look at General Motors’ decision to pull its new Buick after negative social media feedback, and what we can learn from it. What would you have done in their situation?

3. Don’t call us. We’ll, uh, call you. Or not. Job seekers asked employers why they weren’t calling them back post-application. Then, they asked again.

4. Sage advice. Ben Roth, founder of Roth Staffing, gave advice to other companies about how to build a values-driven company and accurately measure employee engagement.

3. Hey! Job boards aren’t dead! We learned that some job boards are alive and well (but shucks, we at CB already kind of knew that).

4. Time to dust off that briefcase. Job seekers are holding their own, too. More workers are landing new jobs with small businesses, and over half of workers laid off in the last 12 months have found new jobs.

5. Pay up — or employees may be out. Results of the annual Employment Dynamics and Growth Expectations (EDGE) Report show that a whopping 55 percent of workers plan to make career changes, look for new jobs or go back to school after the economy improves. What might just make them stay? Money.

6. It’s now easy being green. Green-collar jobs are set to grow at a rate of 1.3 million jobs per year through 2030. Yowsers. In August, CareerBuilder launched GoingGreenJobs.com to connect green-minded employers and job seekers. Check it out.

7. Social Networking v. Social NOTworking. Does Facebook decrease office productivity? Is Twitter the devil? Or are they just the innocent equivalent of a coffee break? Join the social networking debate.

8. Good news for staffing firms: CareerBuilder’s Staffing Supply and Demand Outlook shows more job seekers planning to utilize staffing firms, gains in temporary health care hiring, and more.

Did I miss anything?

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on September 1, 2009
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• Categories: Monthly Review

If a friend tells you they’re not a huge fan of your three wolves T-shirt, well, maybe you’d defiantly wear it to dinner anyway because you know it looks, um, fabulous. But if your customers or candidates told you a new product of yours was hideous, would you scrap it? Well, that’s exactly what General Motors Co. recently did, with its recent cancellation of plans to launch a new Buick sport-utility vehicle after asking for feedback from its customers, employees, and many others about the vehicle — and then actually listening to that feedback.

As Vice Chairman of GM Tom Stephens wrote on the GM FastLane blog after the decision was made:

The Buick crossover we showed received consistent feedback from large parts of all the audiences that it didn’t fit the premium characteristics that customers have come to expect from Buick.

The negative buzz all started when Twitter users started calling the vehicle a “Vuick,” a reference to GM’s Saturn Vue that provided the basis for the Buick. Consumers’ complaints stemmed around the idea that the Buick was simply a retread of the Vue, rather than a new design. Add hashtag #vuick to a tweet, get others talking about it, and before you know it — Twitter’s all abuzz about it. And apparently, GM was watching — and listening. And the criticism didn’t end there.

We were all struck by the consistency of the criticism of the compact crossover. And what we decided to do in response is a good example of the essence of the new General Motors… acting quickly, and boldly, and listening to feedback from customers, employees, dealers, media and just about anyone else with an opinion, Stephens continued to say on the GM FastLane blog.

It appears that social media is taking companies to task in their business practices and behaviors. With customers, clients, and candidates reacting and sharing information and opinions on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, businesses are forced to take a harder look at what they’re doing — or suffer the consequences of ignoring the chatter and damaging valuable relationships.

I believe that this is a positive movement. Business practices are becoming not only more transparent, but more interactive. As an employer, you have probably already noticed this interactiveness if you participate on social networks. Social networking Web sites are be valuable tools for companies to embrace in order to connect with candidates, establish a brand presence online, and build valuable relationships.

It’s important to remember that you have the power to build or destroy relationships with candidates. You can ignore them or answer questions defensively, or you can reach out, engage, help — and, as GM did, listen. Really listen to what candidates and employees want. After all, it’s the best free advice out there.

So I ask: Are you paying attention to what your candidates and employees are saying about you? How are you responding?

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on August 27, 2009
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• Categories: Employer Advice, Social Media