Archive for the 'Employee Attraction' Category

Okay, so there’s good news and there’s not-great-but-not-necessarily-bad-but-really-mostly-just-good-to-know-for-future-reference news for staffing firms… 

While awareness and satisfaction levels for staffing firms have increased over the past year (that’s the good news), a new survey by CareerBuilder and Inavero Institute indicates there’s still a lot of room for improvement in these areas (that’s…well, you get it)

 “While staffing firms have done a better job delivering their value to clients, job seekers, however, are still looking for a more engaging and positive experience,” said Todd McCormick, president of CareerBuilder’s Recruiter Business Unit. Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on September 15, 2009
• There is 1 Comment. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Employee Attraction, Employee Engagement, Survey Results

Thanks to everyone who offered feedback after my earlier post asking recruiters why they don’t get back to job seekers. Just as I anticipated, the overwhelming reason people gave for not responding to job seekers was time constraints:

• One respondent reported receiving up to 500 applicants for one filled position, while another said they had 50 – 100 applicants they were trying to reach each day, adding, “If they [recruiters] called very candidate back that called them they would be fielding candidate call backs all day.”  Okay, fair enough.
• Other than lack of time, someone else offered the possibility that recruiters were trying to test job seekers’ follow-up skills, while another respondent turned the tables on job seekers, saying that they often fail to show up for interviews on time, if at all – or are just too lazy to check the status of their applications on-line. 
• One last possibility a recruiter offered? “Recruiters are lazy.”  Well…alright then. 

Is that why so many job seekers responded with similar experiences where employers didn’t call back even after they’d interviewed – and been told they’d hear back either way? Because if that’s true – which I know it’s not for several of you, who even expressed a lot of sympathy for these job seekers – then it’s actually not alright.

In fact, to paraphrase Julia Roberts’ hooker with a heart of gold, it’s actually a big mistake. Big. Huge. And here’s why: Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on August 28, 2009
• There are 19 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Employee Attraction

In CareerBuilder’s recent interview with Ben Roth, founder and chief executive officer of Roth Staffing Companies, L.P., Ben revealed his thoughts on the “three circles of the hedgehog,” his advice to other companies on how to create a values-driven company, the importance of his company’s “Ambassadors” in driving employee engagement, and more.

Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on August 26, 2009
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: CareerBuilder Leadership Series, Employee Attraction, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Employer Advice, Leadership Development

Some current trends may seem obvious–possible Mad Men spoilers or First Lady Michelle Obama in shorts (oh my gosh!), but there’s another that may surprise you: small business. You heard me right. As workers find their way around one of the toughest economies and job markets in the nation’s history, more and more of them are seeking out–and finding–new job positions with small businesses, according to a new CareerBuilder survey.

One in five workers (22 percent) surveyed who were laid off from full-time jobs in the last 12 months landed new jobs with small businesses. Another 59 percent said they are interested in working for a small business. And 29 percent of workers are getting the entrepreneurial bug and considering starting a small business of their own. With those kinds of numbers, it’s not a surprise that small businesses account for most of the nation’s new job creation, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on August 20, 2009
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Economy, Employee Attraction, Survey Results

Wow…according to CareerBuilder’s latest survey, the number of employers using social networking sites to screen candidates has more than doubled in the last year.  

Out of more than 2,600 hiring managers, 45 percent reported using social networking sites to research job candidates’ backgrounds for information that verified – or supplemented – the information on their resumes.  This finding represents a huge increase from the 22 percent of hiring managers who said the same thing last year.

The most popular site to search, not surprisingly, is Facebook, followed closely by LinkedIn and MySpace. Searching blogs and following candidates on Twitter were also popular means of screening. (Looks like you’re safe, Friendster users.)

(Side note/shameless plug: As of yesterday, hiring managers have a new social networking site on which to research candidates: Brightfuse, CareerBuilder’s new professional networking site. Check out the press release here.)

Of those who searched social networking sites to screen candidates, as many as 35 percent found content on that caused them not to hire the candidate, such as: Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on August 20, 2009
• There are 5 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Employee Attraction, Employee Engagement, Social Media, Survey Results

Green-collar jobs are expected to grow rapidly over the next several years –at a rate of 1.3 million jobs per year through 2030, to be exact. More and more of today’s job seekers are seeking out employment with environmentally conscious businesses. Needless to say, it’s smart to start thinking about making your business more green, if you’re not doing so already.

CareerBuilder has launched GoingGreenJobs.com, a site that allows employers the ability to post their environmentally focused, or green, positions and connect with environmentally conscious job seekers. Whether you are an employer with a specific green-collar job or a company with sustainable business practices, you can find candidates at all skill levels across many different industries seeking a green job or company.

GoingGreenJobs for employers

Employers may post both full-time and part-time jobs by skill sets, enhanced green job titles and categories, and geographic location. Popular searches thus far include “sustainable jobs,” “alternative energy jobs,” “carbon capture,” “wind power jobs,” “biofuel” and “energy efficiency.”

The site also includes environmentally focused articles, links to the latest news from the U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and a list of popular green companies.

Green jobs and the economy

Earlier this year the Obama administration marked more than $98 billion of the economic stimulus bill for energy and environmental projects; many of these projects will encourage the creation of green jobs. According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, green jobs growth outpaced other job classifications by nearly 250 percent over the last decade, growing 9.1 percent between 1998 and 2007, versus 3.7 percent for the overall job market.

Additionally, the Chicago-based outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Grey and Christmas predicts that job growth in environment, ecology and alternative energy sectors will “fuel significant growth and job creation over the next decade.”

The focus on green jobs continues to increase year over year as job seekers look for more environmentally conscious career paths and employers make changes to protect the environment,” said Jason Ferrara, vice president of corporate marketing at CareerBuilder. “One-in-ten employers say they have added green jobs in the last 12 months. Goinggreenjobs.com will enable employers the ability to specifically target their environmentally friendly positions to an audience that is actively seeking employment in the green field.

How job seekers can use the site

• Job seekers can use GoingGreenJobs.com to find information on green job fairs and events, determine average salaries with a green jobs calculator, explore various industries, and keep up with the latest in green news and job opportunities.

• Job seekers will also be able to post up to five different versions of their resume to increase their visibility to potential employers in a variety of environmental areas.Read the full press release here.

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on August 18, 2009
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Employee Attraction, Going Green