Category: Survey Results
Mother’s Day Survey Reveals One Third of Working Moms are Burned Out
May 5, 2009
Today, CareerBuilder released its annual Mother’s Day survey, the results of which I would advise against bringing up at this Sunday’s brunch, lest you want to ruin your appetite for Eggs Benedict (and that is not okay where I come from)…
It seems the struggle to find a work/life balance amid taking on additional hours and second jobs in tough financial times is starting to take its toll, as 34 percent of the 496 mothers surveyed report feeling “burned out.”
- Categories: Employee Engagement, Survey Results
Weight & the Workplace: 43 Percent Gaining Lbs. Over Economic Anxiety
May 4, 2009
Yes, swimsuit season is fast upon us… and ridiculously mouth-watering temptations like this aren’t helping the cause. The waistlines of American workers are expanding, as four out of ten American workers have reportedly gained weight at their current jobs, according to a newly released CareerBuilder survey. You can blame delicious gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches directly if you like, but as it turns out, there’s something else making us turn to one of our most consistent comforts: The recession.
The survey, conducted from February 20 through March 20, 2009 among more than 4,400 workers, reveals that one in ten workers report increased snacking during the day due to economic concerns, and almost half (43 percent) of workers say they have gained weight in their current jobs. A quarter have gained more than ten pounds, and 12 percent have gained more than 20 pounds in their present positions. That’s a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches.
While we can point fingers at the recession for our weight-related woes, other factors are likely at play here as well — factors that contribute to weight gain with or without a struggling economy in the mix, like:
- Restaurants – Nearly two in five (39 percent) employees surveyed eat out for lunch twice or more per week, making it difficult to control portions and calorie intake.
- Vending machine meals — 12 percent buy their lunch out of a vending machine at least once a week.
- Snacking — Two-thirds (67 percent) of employees surveyed snack at least once a day, including 24 percent who snack twice a day.
“Weight gain in the office is common and is a result of a variety of issues including today’s economic stress and poor eating habits,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com. “Making little adjustments to your routine, such as bringing your lunch to work, getting up from your desk during the day, and walking instead of driving or taking public transportation will help curb some of your financial worries, while making you healthier.”
So how can employees stay healthy and keep those waistlines from growing, despite growing concerns over our economic state?
- Categories: Economy, Employee Engagement, Employer Advice, Generational Hiring, Leadership Development, Social Media, Survey Results
See the Video: CareerBuilder’s Applicant Explorer Tool
April 29, 2009
Candidate information — you can never get enough of it, can you? Resumes are a great source for a candidate’s work-related stats, but how do you get a more complete picture of that person you’re thinking of hiring onto your staff? I recently wrote about CareerBuilder’s newly launched Applicant Explorer tool. If you haven’t been paying attention, this candidate snapshot tool is available to you for FREE if you have current Resume Database access.
Applicant Explorer enables you to immediately see the most useful and valuable information out there about that candidate, such as his or her Facebook or Brightfuse profile, dedication to an online engineering forum, food photography blog, or published article about business etiquette. Get access to the details a resume may not give you the opportunity to see — and get a more clear picture of candidates before you say “You’re hired.”
- Categories: Branding, Employee Attraction, Free Tools You Can Use, Products, Social Media, Survey Results, Technology
Just in Time for Earth Day: CareerBuilder Releases Survey on “Green” Companies
April 21, 2009
Tomorrow is Earth Day. In honor of it, today, Ben & Jerry’s is having Free Cone Day. (Okay, it’s more than likely just a coincidence, but the company is very environmentally conscious, and I’d be remiss not to show my support for that by eating some free Chunky Monkey.)
In actual honor of Earth Day, however, CareerBuilder released the results of its latest survey, which found that one in ten employers say they’ve added environmentally focused positions to their companies in the last 12 months.
- Categories: Branding, Employee Attraction, Employee Engagement, Going Green, Survey Results
CareerBuilder’s Annual College Job Forecast: New Grads Must Step it Up
April 21, 2009
Do you know someone graduating this spring (and no, watching the “Donna Martin Graduates” episode of old-school 90210 doesn’t count)? Chances are if you do, you’ve sensed or outright listened to them rant about heard their trepidation about entering the “real world” and throwing their hat into the current job market ring. Because, well, the environment right now is not exactly what it used to be for soon-to-be or recent grads. Things are a little tough out there.
The class of 2009 will face the most competitive job market in years, as companies continue to proceed with caution amid economic uncertainty, according to CareerBuilder’s newly released annual college job forecast.The percentage of employers planning to hire recent college grads is roughly half of what it was just two years ago. Only 43 percent of employers plan to hire recent college graduates in 2009, down from 56 percent in 2008 and 79 percent in 2007.
2009 Salaries
Along with the economy, entry-level salaries have taken a bit of a dive. Among those employers planning to hire recent college graduates, more than one in five (21 percent) said they will decrease starting salaries for recent college graduates in 2009 as compared to 2008. But there’s hope! A whopping 68 percent of employers plan to keep initial salary offers the same as last year, and 11 percent will increase them.
- Thirty-three percent of employers plan to offer recent college graduates starting salaries ranging between $30,000 and $40,000.
- An additional 17 percent will offer between $40,000 and $50,000
- Fourteen percent will offer more than $50,000
- Thirty-six percent will offer less than $30,000
“While recent college graduates are facing a highly competitive job market right now, there are still opportunities out there,” said Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America.
“The biggest challenge is showing relevant experience, which employers say is one of the most important factors they look for in applications from recent college graduates. This isn’t limited to professional work experience, so don’t get discouraged. Class work, school activities and volunteering also qualify as relevant experience and can be included in your resume as well.”
So how can new graduates differentiate themselves in the current job market, and what are the absolute faux pas that today’s candidates need to be aware of — and steer clear of? Employers who participated in the survey weighed in below.
- Categories: Economy, Generational Hiring, Social Media, Survey Results
Mixed Emotions Over Latest CareerBuilder Survey on Laid Off Workers
April 8, 2009
Remember that “Seinfeld” episode where Jerry starts crying – evidently for the first time ever – and he’s looking at the tears he’s wiped from his eyes with wide-eyed confusion, saying, “What is this salty discharge?!” Well, I do. It’s kind of how I felt (minus Jerry’s resulting annoyance) upon reading CareerBuilder’s latest survey, which happens to have…what is this? Uplifting news?
According to the survey, 41 percent of workers who were laid off from full-time jobs in the last three months have found new full-time, permanent positions, while another 8 percent found part-time work. Wait. News about people finding jobs? A positive outlook? I feel like I’m looking at something I’ve never seen before - or at least, not in a very long time….I think I like it.
- Categories: Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Survey Results
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