Category: Survey Results
Laid Off Workers: Keeping Quite Busy, Thank You
July 1, 2009
You may assume that your recently laid off friend, family member, or annoying downstairs neighbor is just sitting on the couch, eating ice cream and building beer can pyramids, or “beeramids” (not that there’s, uh, anything wrong with that), but those assumptions may be way off the mark. A new CareerBuilder survey finds that, despite the hardships laid off workers are facing, they are focusing on positive aspects of being in between jobs to get them through a challenging time.
So what are many laid off workers doing to fill in the gaps of employment?
- 22% are spending more time with family and friends
- 15% are fixing up their homes
- 14% are exercising more
- 11% are finally taking time to relax
- 8% are volunteering
- 7% are going back to school
- 6% are becoming more involved in their church community
- 4% are starting their own business
- 4% are taking up new hobbies
- 3% are traveling
“While finding a new job and steady paycheck is definitely top of mind, laid off workers are also concentrating on activities that will help them grow personally and professionally,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. “They are reconnecting with friends and family, getting involved in the community, taking classes and exploring new career path options that may lead to a greater return in the long run.”
Laid off doesn’t mean lazy
To the contrary, laid off workers, as evidenced above, are spending their time doing those things they’re passionate about, or that they haven’t had the time do to as a busy nine-to-fiver. It’s important to keep in mind as you are hiring and considering these workers that they may not only be “good” hires — they may in fact make up some of the strongest candidates out there. These people have not only made it through a test of adversity with a layoff, but they have, rather than give up hope, been honing their skills — and rounding out their talents.
Personal and professional growth
Many workers are bettering themselves both personally by working out and exercising more, eating healthily with non-vending machine snacks, and getting out of the office cubicle environment in general. Others are becoming more well rounded and cultured by traveling to places they’ve never experienced, taking up those long-talked-about guitar lessons or photography classes, or offering their time and service to local volunteer opportunities like soup kitchens or tutoring centers. Opportunities abound — and these laid off workers are grabbing them. Still others are building their professional skill sets by going back to school or getting certifications, starting their own business, or catching up on non-work reading materials.
Perhaps most importantly, laid off workers are taking this opportunity to relax, de-stress, and mentally recharge. When the time comes for a new job, they will be focused and ready to take on new challenges.
So, employers, don’t be turned off or scared of those gaps on the resume. These candidates can bring a host of new talents and qualifications to your workplace. Keep an open mind, inquire about their time spent during these employment gaps, and be prepared for the next wave of talent.
- Categories: Economy, Employee Attraction, Survey Results
Surviving the Layoffs: Your Stories and a Chance to Win a CareerBuilder Koala T-Shirt
June 24, 2009
I recently wrote about CareerBuilder’s survey on survivors of layoffs. A few of us here were talking the other day and realized that, as 47 percent of survey respondents reported taking on more responsibility as a result of company layoffs, it would be great to hear some actual stories from those on the front lines of post-layoff reality.
You’ve likely heard a million times that companies are “doing more with less.” But as the consequences of that fall directly on a company’s employees, what does that mean for them? Workers are taking on more responsibility or new duties, working harder and longer hours, and likely not getting paid more for their work.
If you are pitching in to help your company survive the recession with less staff, how are you surviving? What are the positives that have come out of your world, post-layoffs?
- Have you learned a new skill?
- Have you forged stronger relationships with co-workers, or met new co-workers?
- Are you finding better ways to prioritize or manage your work/life balance?
- Have you made a professional or personal discovery?
- Has your life has changed for the better in any other ways?
Write us a comment and share your survivor story — and five of you will be randomly picked to receive your very own CareerBuilder Koala T-shirt. Oh, did we mention it’s FREE?
Post your comment by Friday, July 10 for a chance to score this tee:
Eager to develop a deeper relationship with our beloved coffee-drinking, eucalyptus-munching friend? Don’t forget, you can become a friend of the CareerBuilder Koala on Facebook or purchase your own Koala gear.
- Categories: Contest, Economy, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Survey Results
So a Guy in a Bunny Suit Walks into an Interview… CareerBuilder’s Findings Around Creative Job Seeker Behavior
June 11, 2009
Speaking of unconventional job search methods…In case you missed Katie Couric discussing it on CBS Evening News, yesterday CareerBuilder released the results from its survey of The Most Unconventional Job Seeker Tactics employers have seen this year.
Below are some of the strange-but-true stories of ways candidates have tried to get in front of hiring managers: Read the rest…
- Categories: Employee Attraction, Survey Results
Vacation Plans? Not This Year, At Least for 35 Percent of Workers
May 19, 2009
CareerBuilder released its annual vacation survey yesterday, which revealed that, sadly, over a third of American workers don’t plan to take a vacation this year – naming lack of funds and feelings of guilt and anxiety as the reasons for staying home.
(On the upside, they’re sparing themselves the possible disappointment of making it all the way to Wally World only to find that it’s closed….Right?)
- Categories: Employee Engagement, Survey Results
CareerBuilder’s Annual Summer Job Forecast: Popsicle-Making, Heated Competition, and Long-Term Gigs
May 12, 2009
Summer jobs can’t all be all Summer Rental-esque boat-racing, resort dancing/noboby-puts-Baby-in-the-cornering, and running off to space camp (don’t we wish), but job seekers have had their share of jobs at which they’ve had the time of their life unusual jobs. And as tradition would have it, summer jobs, a crucial source of income for many, is thriving. This year, however, summer-job seekers are facing a more challenging market, according to CareerBuilder’s Annual Summer Job Forecast.
Nearly a quarter (23 percent) of employers plan to hire seasonal workers for the summer, similar to last year’s Summer Job Forecast findings, but as unemployment is high and more people are clamoring for the same number of summer jobs, the competition for summer jobs will be stiffer than in years past.
“Summer job seekers face a bigger challenge this year than in years past, as the market is flooded with candidates looking for both full and part-time positions,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “The good news is that many traditional summer jobs are still available, but in this environment, it is essential that job seekers differentiate themselves and demonstrate how their skills can have a positive impact on a business in a short amount of time.”
Summer, extended
You think it’s likely that you’ll fall in love with your lifeguarding job (or, alternately, one of your fellow lifeguards)? Good news: The survey, conducted from February 20 to March 11, 2009 among more than 2,500 employers, found that many who do land summer jobs may have a chance to turn their seasonal roles into year-round stints. More than half (56 percent) of companies reported that they would consider summer recruits for permanent placement within their organizations.
Steady (pay)rollin’
When it comes to summer paychecks, nearly eight in ten (77 percent) of hiring managers will offer the same pay to seasonal workers this year as they did last year, while 9 percent will offer more and 9 percent will offer less.
How much more — and how much less — will summer workers get paid?
- Forty-two percent of companies plan to pay $10 or more per hour
- Thirty percent anticipate paying between $8 and $10 per hour
- Ten percent expect to pay less than $7 per hour
- Six percent plan to pay $20 or more per hour
Where are the jobs?
Comparing the industries surveyed, hospitality and retail have plans to bring the most summer workers on board, at 38 percent and 34 percent respectively. Across all industries, the most popular summer positions being offered include:
- Office support — 26 percent
- Customer service — 18 percent
- Research — 12 percent
- Landscape/maintenance — 11 percent
- Restaurant/food service — 11 percent
- Sales — 10 percent
- Construction/painting — 8 percent
Workers’ most unusual summer gigs:
When asked about the most unusual or memorable summer jobs they’ve ever held, workers shared the following responses:
- Bungee-jumping tower assistant
- Commercial bee herder
- Scouted garage sales for items to resell on eBay
- Murder Mystery dinner actor
- Cleaned gum off of school desks
- Gun fighter at a theme park
- Popsicle maker
- Picked up road kill
- Painted silo tops hanging from a crane
- Waterslide repairman
Let’s just hope the “road kill picker-upper” and “Murder Mystery dinner” aren’t connected in any way. Yikes.
- Categories: Economy, Employee Attraction, Survey Results
Are You Doing Business in One of The Best Cities for College Grads?
May 8, 2009
Yep, it’s that time of year again: College Graduation. Parties, celebrations, awards, a sense of accomplishment — and, oh, figuring out a place to live! Many college graduates-to-be are considering relocation to new cities to find a fresh start, a fresh career, and a fresh place to mount their shiny new college diploma. Only this time, the game is a bit different, as more competition for jobs is coupled with an economy in the midst of a recession — and the stress of stretching those entry-level-job dollars is often immense. The cost of living is high, and upcoming grads need as many resources as they can get to help them decide where their dollars will be best spent in their initial months out of the dorms.
With this in mind, Apartments.com and CBcampus have provided results for the second annual Top Ten Best Cities for Recent College Graduates.
“Given the current economy, new grads looking to relocate are becoming increasingly concerned with the cost of living as they are faced with more competition for jobs than seen in previous years,” said Tammy Kotula, public relations and promotions manager at Apartments.com.
The results were based on three criteria:
- Number of entry-level job openings
- Cost of rent
- Population of young adults
As it’s important for job seekers to understand their best living options, it is also important for employers to know where their city stacks up in the job atmosphere — and be aware of their competition in attracting top job seekers not only to their city, but to their company as well.
So… did your city make the list?
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