Category: Generational Hiring
60% of Over-60 Workers Postponing Retirement, Finds CareerBuilder Survey
March 23, 2009
One more thing to add to the list of things to blame on the economy…
Six-in-ten workers (60 percent) over the age of 60 say they are putting off their retirement due to the impact of the U.S. financial crisis on their long-term savings, according to a survey released earlier this week by CareerBuilder. According to the press release:
One in ten workers (11 percent) over the age of 60 who are putting off retirement say that the decrease to their savings may now cause them to never retire, while 73 percent think it will take them up to 6 years of extra work to recoup their lost savings. Nearly a quarter (24 percent) feels they can make their money back by working an additional year or two.
- Categories: Employee Retention, Generational Hiring, Survey Results
Why We’re Looking Up in A Down Economy
March 4, 2009
You’ve been busy making birthday gifts out of canned goods containers and constructing a stellar (ah, unused) napkin dress for your next work party, but despite your attempts to be scrappy and creative during this recession we’re experiencing, you’re finding it tough to gear yourself or your employees up on a daily basis. And honestly, you’re having a difficult time seeing the good in it all. What to do?
The great aspect of these down-on-our-luck times is that we may, in fact, not be as down on our luck as it appears. Yes, layoffs are everywhere we look. Yes, keeping morale up is a struggle. Yes, money is tight. We know this, but the underlying current running beneath all of the negativity and sad news is a fighting and entrepreneurial spirit that keeps us fighting through – and moving on. CNN had a great feature yesterday about 9 people who are staying optimistic and finding success in the midst of this recession.
This is not to say that any of this is easy, or that we should all be clapping our hands and celebrating or performing a Toni Basil-style routine of joy (though I’m not not condoning that). But if we look a bit closer, good things are sprouting beneath the surface. Many people are starting their own businesses; others are doing the things they haven’t made time for in the past. Many are getting out of their comfort zones and are finally free of jobs they hated but were too scared to leave.
What positives can you take from our current situation – and how can you pass that positivity on to your employees who need it so much? We recently asked all of you what you’re doing to lift your employees’ morale and promote positivity in the workplace. You had some wonderful ideas! I thought I’d share a few, but be sure to read the full list here.
A few highlights from our awesome commenters:
- Categories: Economy, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Employer Advice, Events, Generational Hiring, Innovation, Leadership Development
Locked in the Car Trunk? CareerBuilder’s Most Outrageous Excuses for Being Late to Work
February 24, 2009
It’s 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday morning. As you’re drinking your double espresso and fumbling through a slew of new e-mails, your phone rings.
“Hello?”
“Hi, boss. It’s Steve.”
“Steve, your voice sounds really muffled. Everything okay?”
“Um, not really. You see, I’m locked in my car trunk. That’s right – I am calling you from the inside of my car trunk. I’m not going to be able to make it into work until I get out of here.”
Hmm. You’ve never got that phone call from an employee? Well, chances are you’ve heard a similarly outlandish excuse at some point. Workers have a slew of crazy excuses for being late to work, and “I got locked in my car trunk by my son” tops our most recent survey of over 8,000 workers. According to the survey, 20 percent of workers arrive late to work at least once a week, up from 15 percent in last year’s survey. One in ten (12 percent) said they are late at least twice a week.
The most popular “standard” reasons for running late are due to traffic (33 percent); lack of sleep (24 percent); and getting the kids ready for school or day care (10 percent). Public transportation woes, wardrobe issues (not of the Janet Jackson-malfunction kind), and dealing with pets are also also common reasons.
But mixed in with those “common” reasons are those that are, well, a bit more odd.
- Categories: Branding, Generational Hiring, Leadership Development, Survey Results
CareerBuilder.com Screeners: Saving You Time and Sanity
January 29, 2009
You know the drill. Sign into your e-mail account. Sharp intake of breath. Moment of dread. Screen pops up. Eyes roll. Hundreds of e-mails sit there, waiting for you. Are you really motivated to go through them – and furthermore, actually answer any? Probably not, unless you love torturing yourself have an unlimited amount of time on your hands. Which none of us really do.
As more employees transition to job seekers, the influx of candidates interested in your job opportunity can be overwhelming. For you as an actively hiring employer, a strong number of quality candidates is a good thing. But a mass of unorganized emails is similar to a mass of unorganized applicants to your job: massively unhelpful if you don’t have a way to organize them.
Making Social Networking Part of Your Recruiting Mix
November 11, 2008
Most of the marketing conferences I attend these days are heavily focused on social and/or professional networks. These online communities are places where you can do any number of things from share pictures and reminisce about college days to “meet” and interview potential employees. The two big sites out there in this space are Facebook and LinkedIn. Facebook prides itself on being a “social” network and LinkedIn is a “professional” network (don’t call it “social” when talking to their team).
And, at most of these conferences, someone on a panel or on the stage says this, “The lines have blurred between your social life and your work life.” In fact, I just said that on a panel a few weeks ago… Anyhow, it is true. If you are out there, you are out there. And, ultimately you control your destiny – as do those folks you are thinking about hiring.
- Categories: Employee Attraction, Employer Advice, Generational Hiring, Social Media, Technology
Difficult Times Ahead Bring Opportunities to Embrace Change
October 28, 2008
I had an interesting conversation today with a VP of Global Recruiting for an international financial services firm, which inevitably turned to the current state of the American economy. To paraphrase his comments he said, “…yes, the economy is bad, but I still have commitments I need to deliver on for next year. I can’t have open sales positions. I have to complete our PeopleClick implementation. I have to make sure that my offices overseas are staffed. I have to advertise our company and the employment brand.” While acknowledging that the economy isn’t good, he also acknowledged that his business still needs to run – the world still turns.
This is an important lesson. We need to continue pushing forward. The environment will be more difficult, but it is in these difficult times that we will focus on the actions that really matter. And through those actions we will create success.
- Categories: Economy, Employee Attraction, Employer Advice, Generational Hiring, Innovation
Loading ...
