Archive for the 'Economy' Category

Temperatures here in Chicago are finally expected to creep around the 90s this weekend (you know, just to give us a glimpse of summer). Of course, sweltering heat also falls squarely on the city’s annual Lollapalooza festival at Grant Park. I’ll be bringing my BFF, water, in full force. On the non-music front, it looks like things are also heating up — for staffing firms in the health care field, according to CareerBuilder’s newly released Staffing Supply and Demand Outlook. This report tracks current and projected use of staffing firms by employers and job candidates.  Here are some highlights from what will be a quarterly release:

Industry Expectations
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• Posted by: Amy Chulik on August 6, 2009
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• Categories: Economy, Employee Attraction, Survey Results

Economy sluggish and no good news to be found? Not so fast. U.S. journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee are safely back in the U.S., Susan Boyle’s glam makeover is in Harper’s Bazaar, and the JK Wedding Dance video isn’t being e-mailed with quite its former intensity (and Jill and Kevin are using the fame for a good cause!). Oh! And there’s other good news to share: Laid off workers are moving on and moving up. Almost half (48 percent) of workers who were laid off from full-time jobs in the last three months have found new full-time positions, according to Pt. 2 of CareerBuilder’s laid off workers survey. This represents an increase of 8 percent from March 2009 survey results.

An additional three percent found part-time positions; down from 8 percent in the previous survey. The CareerBuilder survey was conducted among 921 workers who were laid off from full-time jobs within the last 12 months.

Speaking of appearances and Susan Boyle-style makeovers, in an interesting twist, the survey found that in a tighter job market with more competition, job seekers (both men and women) are striving to preen their work suits from 1998 feathers a bit. More than a quarter (28 percent) of workers said they have changed their appearance to make themselves more attractive to potential employers.

How, exactly?

• 14 percent said they have lost weight

• 8 percent have changed their hair color or hairstyle

• 5 percent are dressing to appear younger
• Other reported vanity measures: Teeth whitening, enhanced makeup and cosmetic procedures.

Mo’ Money

• More than half (56 percent) of these laid off workers reported they were able to negotiate comparable or higher pay for their new positions.
• Forty-four percent of workers took a pay cut, but that was down from 49 percent in March 2009.

Versatility and unchartered territory

New careers: Workers are also still exploring new departments or even new career paths altogether; 38 percent of workers said they found jobs in a completely new field — and the majority said they really like their new positions.

New places to call home: One in five workers (20 percent) who were laid off in the last 12 months and found jobs relocated to a new city or state; up from 13 percent in March. Of those who are still seeking jobs, 44 percent reported they would consider relocating for a job opportunity (up 5 percent from March).

Despite a challenging job market, workers have been able to find employment opportunities in a variety of fields,” said Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America. “Even though the number of workers who took part-time positions is tracking below last quarter, the number who found full-time jobs is notably higher. This is a positive indication that more workers who were laid off from full-time jobs were able to replace them with new full-time positions instead of taking part-time work as an interim measure to generate income. Part of this job search success is related to workers expanding career options to new industries and locations.

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on August 5, 2009
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• Categories: Economy, Employee Attraction, Survey Results

I was recently reading a recent Wall Street Journal blog post about the appropriateness (or lack thereof) of touching at work. The article discusses touching of the physical sort, from an arm graze to fist bumping. And the question remains: When is it okay to touch co-workers — or is touching just simply over the top?

Some may recall the “Friends” episode featuring Chandler and his boss’s habit of touching at work. Chandler was extremely uncomfortable with this “habit,” while his boss (and fellow co-workers) didn’t see anything wrong with it:

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on July 28, 2009
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• Categories: Economy, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Technology

Do you know someone 55 or older who has been laid off in the past year and has had a hard time finding a new job? Are you one of them? If so, you’re not alone; mature workers have been hit particularly hard in regard to recent job loss. While almost three-fourths (71 percent) of those ages 25 to 34 who were laid off in the last 12 months have found new jobs, just over a quarter (28 percent) of mature workers have been able to do so, the lowest percentage of all age groups.

Competing with recent grads

A new study from CareerBuilder shows that many mature workers are overqualified for the jobs to which they are applying, and are expanding their job search to include entry-level positions, internships, relocation and other options in an effort to secure gainful employment. Because of changes in the level and type of job they are searching for, mature job seekers are also now competing with recent college graduates and other new work force entrants for entry-level positions — positions which they likely thought were long behind them. And 44 percent of mature workers have been told by employers that they’re overqualified for a job.

What your fellow employers are saying

The good news about all of this? The majority of employers (65 percent) say they would consider experienced candidates who apply for jobs for which they’re overqualified.

• One in four employers (26 percent) reported they have received applications from workers over the age of 50 for entry-level jobs
• An additional 11 percent have received entry-level applications from retirees

Mature workers offer a wealth of knowledge and experience that has translated into a significant competitive advantage for employers,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. “Employers are considering mature job candidates for a variety of positions ranging from entry-level to senior-level to consultants to leverage their intellectual capital and mentor other workers. Twenty-nine percent of employers have hired a worker age 50 or older for a permanent position within their organization over the last six months.

“Need internship, will travel”

Mature workers are also seeking out internships as an alternate way to break into longer-term employment. Seven percent of employers reported candidates 55 and older have applied for internships at their organizations. Over half of them (55 percent) say they would be willing to consider mature workers for internships, while 4 percent have already taken action and hired them.

Relocating to a new city may often be an attractive option for those just out of college or in their early career years, but many mature workers are considering uprooting their current lifestyle and moving to land a new job. Pf mature workers who were laid off in the last 12 months and did not find a new job, 41 percent stated they would consider relocating to another city or state to find employment.

Becoming their own boss

Some mature workers are also using unemployment as an opportunity to open that bookstore, restaurant, or Internet business they’ve been talking about for (what seems like) years. Twenty-three percent of mature workers who were laid off in the last 12 months and did not find a job are considering starting their own business.

What about those who did land a job?

Of those mature workers who were laid off in the last 12 months and found another job:

• 26 percent took a job in another field, with the vast majority (75 percent) reporting that they are enjoying the experience
• In terms of compensation, 48 percent took a pay cut, while 40 percent landed positions with similar pay. Another 13 percent found jobs with a higher compensation rate than what they were previously earning.

Read the full press release on mature workers and entry-level jobs.

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on July 23, 2009
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• Categories: Economy, Employee Attraction, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Survey Results

Question: What are things we don’t want to see or hear about anymore?

Answer: Jon and Kate, “exclusive” Today Show interviews with Jackson family members, skinny jeans, and the recession.

Thankfully, with both Susan Boyle and the U.S. economy showing signs of recovery, we might be able to knock one of these annoyances off the list soon.  (Maybe even two…if Matt Lauer would ever read his e-mail…) 

According to the latest report from New York-based Conference Board, U.S. economic activity was higher than expected last month, marking the third straight monthly increase for the Board’s index of economic indicators.   Americans can “expect a slow recovery this autumn” if these conditions continue, Conference Board economist Ken Goldstein told the AP.

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on July 23, 2009
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• Categories: Building a Best Place to Work, Economy, Employee Attraction, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention

Money Magazine just released its “Best Places to Live” for 2009, and while perusing the “winners,” I noticed that the towns listed all had several factors in common to qualify them as the “best of the best,” including a strong local economy, little crime, short commutes to work, low rate of unemployment, robust industry, great schools, affordable homes — the list goes on. There is no one magic component that makes these towns desirable; it’s a combination of factors that come together and compliment each other to make up a best place to live.

Similarly, hiring isn’t simply posting a job and accepting the first person who comes along. Successful employers view hiring as a multi-faceted process — stemming from attraction all the way to retention, with several aspects in between. As an employer in today’s economy, you must be cognizant of changing job seeker practices, communicative during your candidate engagement efforts, active in encouraging employee satisfaction and retention — all while establishing and building a strong and recognizable brand and fostering a thriving internal company culture. (Whew!) There’s a lot involved in being a successful business with the best employees on board, and sometimes, you need a hand to help you brush up on those areas which you’ve neglected — or simply haven’t thought about before.

That’s why we’re happy to report that CareerBuilder’s Small Business Hiring Guide is now available for you to download (for FREE… we must be crazy, right?!).

What is it?

The Small Business Hiring Guide is a how-to guide full of advice, tips, and trends, compiled by CareerBuilder’s team of small business experts. It is designed to keep you up-to-date and armed with the latest on hiring so that you can make your most successful hires now — or whenever you’re ready.

In the guide, you will learn:

• How to improve your internal company culture
• Tips to strengthen your employment brand
• The importance of employee recognition
• The six essential steps of the Talent Supply Chain: Brand Establishment, Candidate Attraction, Application Management, Onboarding, Retention, and Succession Management
• …and more.

You can download the full guide here.

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on July 13, 2009
• There are 5 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Building a Best Place to Work, Economy, Employee Attraction, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Employer Advice, Free Tools You Can Use