CareerBuilder Launches Its SHRM 2009 Virtual Experience Site
June 26, 2009
After close to 12 months of planning, SHRM 2009 is finally upon us. SHRM is always an exciting time for us, and it’s our largest event to interact with customers and prospects. Once again we’ve tried to pull out all the stops to ensure everyone has a great experience. SHRM is not only a time to educate employers on our evolving solutions designed to drive business success in this changing economy, but also a time to kick back and have some fun. This year the CareerBuilder team is also packing in time to give back to the local New Orleans community alongside other SHRM attendees, by working with Beacon of Hope to rebuild homes in Gentilly, LA.
With all the activity over the next few days, we built a virtual site to keep you up to date with everything happening at the CareerBuilder booth and the conference as a whole. This site is designed for all of you at the SHRM conference, and all of you who were unable to make the trip this year.
- Categories: Events
Who’s Letting the Dogs Out (and Into the Office) for “Take Your Dog to Work Day” Tomorrow?
June 25, 2009
Tomorrow, if you were not already aware, marks the annual Take Your Dog to Work Day. (And yes, that’s more than enough reason to blast this gem from the year 2000 on full volume). According to a Web site dedicated to Take Your Dog to Work Day, the day was first celebrated in 1999. Take Your Dog To Work Day, the site says, “was created to celebrate the great companions dogs make and to encourage their adoption from humane societies, animal shelters and breed rescue clubs. This annual event encourages employers to experience the value of pets in their workplace for this one special day to promote pet adoptions.”What a great concept, eh? You can register your support for the recognized day –and there’s Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace efforts you can join.
The site even includes the Top 10 “Things to say to convince your boss to take part in Take Your Dog to Work Day,” including:
- Wagging tails work great when the a/c is on the fritz
- Meetings end as soon as Rover starts staring at the conference room door
- Finally, someone at your office will actually be working like a dog
Doggone it
Despite the good intentions of this reserved day in which the greatest of human companions may roam the halls among us or take a swig from the water cooler when no one’s watching, however, controversy abounds as to whether dogs should be allowed in the workplace at all.
Are dogs allowed in your office — and if they normally are not, should you bend the rules, even just for this one occasion? That’s what the Marine Industries Association of South Florida has been doing.
Even The Obama family’s Portuguese Water Dog, Bo, has apparently been spotted hanging out during White House meetings. However, what works for one (oval) office doesn’t necessarily work for another, as the writer of a blog on the Sun-Sentinel contends. The decision often depends on the office environment and the dog itself. Business owners who allow dogs into the office on a daily basis stress that it boosts employee morale. But employees who aren’t comfortable with dogs may feel trapped, and obviously, some dogs are more “office-friendly” than others. On the other hand, you may work in a very dog-friendly office — and share a mutual love for dogs and acceptance of their co-habitating in your workspace.
Tips for bringing your favorite canine friend to work
- Be respectful to your co-workers. Be sensitive to those who are allergic, scared of, or otherwise uncomfortable with dogs in the office. Check with your co-workers before bringing your fine fluffy friend with you to ensure that everyone is on board with it. If bringing your dog in presents a problem, work to find an alternative that works for everyone — or find another way to give back to the canine community — like The Humane Society.
- Use your best judgment. If you know that Ruggles is an out-of-control 3-month-old who has yet to master the art of bladder control, it’s probably not in your best interest to bring him along to roam the cubicles (and will probably also score you a lot of lunches alone in the near future). Your dog should be trained, well-behaved, and have the ability to keep the barking and tearing up the carpet to a minimum (unless your co-workers are okay with that).
- Keep your dog happy — and it’s likely everyone else will be happy. Little things like bringing your dog’s favorite blanket or treats to make him or her feel at home and occupied can make a big difference. The Examiner offers some tips for your dog’s big day out.
So the question remains: Will every dog have its day? That’s for you — and your dog-fearing or dog-loving co-workers — to decide. What are your plans?
- Categories: Employee Engagement, Philanthropy
CareerBuilder’s Top Ten Best Practices for Using Social Media as a Recruitment Tool
June 25, 2009
Social Media works because it humanizes your company, engaging your audience in a more direct way than with other recruiting mediums.
Here are some tips to think about as your analyze the social media aspect of your recruitment strategy:
- SET A GOAL: Setting a strategy before implementing tactics is critical to any business initiative. Before you dabble in social media, ask yourself if branding and awareness, client lead generation, candidate pipelining, candidate or client communication, or employee engagement is your aim.
- MASTER ONE MEDIUM: Many companies believe social media is an all or nothing adventure. However, the best approach is to start with one site. Head to your top pick and get comfortable with the interface and its unique features. It takes time and dedication to plan and follow through on posting new materials, developing a user base, etc.
- MANAGE YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION: Social media is all about word-of-mouth marketing. Share success stories, from an employee’s perspective, about working with your organization. Highlight your unique knowledge and share useful information with candidates that they will share with others.
- CREATE A USER EXPERIENCE: Social media is about creating an open dialogue and building relationships with others, with the end goal of creating an active community. You don’t want one-hit wonders; you want to start conversations that engage your audience and keep them coming back for more.
- Categories: Employee Attraction, Social Media
- Categories: Employee Attraction, Employer Advice
- 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?
- Categories: Contest, Economy, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Survey Results
- Categories: Employee Engagement, Employee Retention
Not Hiring? Not an Excuse: Why and How Employers Need to Think About Recruiting Today
June 25, 2009
With the latest reports showing slower declines in areas such as employment, production and inventory, all factors indicate that the economy is stabilizing, and that recovery may soon be within reach. CareerBuilder recently spoke with Herb Shields, President of HCS Consulting, to discuss trends in the manufacturing industry. What we realized, however, was that the insights Shields shared on manufacturing industry hiring trends actually apply across all industries. The following excerpt, adapted from a recent article in CareerBuilder’s ManufacturingJobs Magazine, reveals what every employer should consider today in preparation for tomorrow.
Despite rising unemployment rates, job loss numbers were much lower than projected in May 2009, a sign of hope for many economists. “The free fall that the job market was in does finally appear to be tapering off,” economist Stuart G. Hoffman recently told The New York Times.
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?
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.
America’s Workers Got Talent: Uncovering Employees’ Untapped Potential
June 24, 2009
Last month, I mentioned the virtue of uncovering employees’ hidden talents, and now I have even more evidence to support the argument for doing so: This Business Insider piece about the ordinary jobs Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and the like held before becoming some of today’s most powerful CEO’s. It just goes to show that you never know where the next great business success story is lurking…like maybe in your very own office. (Whaaa?)
Chances are your employees also believe that they’re future chief executives just waiting to emerge…A recent study from Accenture reveals that American workers feel they have more to offer their employers than what their current jobs demand of them. If that’s true – if you’re not enabling your employees to meet their true potential – that means you’re missing out on opportunities to get better business results.
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