We’re carving our last pumpkins and sweeping up October’s leaves, about to let November move in. With one final look around, we’re donning our balloon boy costumes fondly reminiscing about all the things that made October such a special month. Where to start?

Ah, yes. There was that controversy over sex in the workplace, for starters. And employees dished about their most unusual excuses for missing work–including gems like “I was injured chasing a seagull” — and we promptly published them in a survey for employers everywhere to guffaw at (or scorn).

Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on October 30, 2009
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Monthly Review

Calling all recruiters and hiring managers: you could be the lucky recipient of a brand new Kindle™!

The latest employment indicators show that companies will be slow to hire in Q4, even as their profit outlook improves. Part of the reason for this is economic uncertainty among employers; however, on the upside, it’s also a reaction to the fact that companies have found ways to do more with less, according to this Wall Street Journal article.

As employers seek to maintain momentum in the uncertain months ahead, they will need to rely on the next generation of leaders to drive their companies forward – whether in the form of new hires or current employees taking on new responsibilities.

As you help organizations seek out these leaders, what qualities should you look for in candidates and current employees? The Hiring Site wants to put together a comprehensive list of the top qualities recruiters and hiring managers should look for in identifying leaders, and we’re asking you to share your own tried-and-true practices.

Share your thoughts with us, and you could win a new Kindle™ Wireless Reading Device.

How to enter: Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 30, 2009
• There are 250 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Contest, Leadership Development

During Part III of my conversation with “Working for You Isn’t Working for Me: The Ultimate Guide to Managing Your Boss” authors Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster, we discussed actionable steps bosses can take right now to start on the path to becoming better bosses–and Katherine and Kathi offered bosses some unabashed advice on leading in today’s workplace environment. Read on for interview Part III (of three):

• Posted by: Amy Chulik on October 28, 2009
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Employer Advice

Might as well cross taking the “Which Halloween character are you?” Facebook quiz off your ‘to do’ list secret ‘to do’ list – CareerBuilder already did the work for you. 

CareerBuilder recently asked more than 4,000 workers nationwide, “Which Halloween character does your boss most resemble?” – among other questions – for its Halloween survey, released today.

According to the survey, 18 percent of workers describe their workplace as scary. (And no, that’s not as in “scary how awesome it is.” Sorry.) When asked what made their workplace so frightening, workers reported the following aspects of their jobs: Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 27, 2009
• There is 1 Comment. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Survey Results

While you were busy pre-ordering your Michelle Obama action figure, pre-ordering your balloon boy costume (oh, yes – it’s a real thing), or upgrading to Windows 7, here’s what was happening in the world of hiring and recruiting this week…
Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 23, 2009
• There are 0 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Week in Review

What makes an organization a “best place to work?” Check out these common practices of companies that are frequently recognized among job seekers, consumers, industry analysts and – not least of all – their own employees for being great places to work.

1.  They’re not afraid to relinquish a little control. Despite reports that over half of employers still ban social networking at work, companies who’ve embraced it have found tremendous reward in enabling employees to use social media. Zappos was one of the first companies to embrace social media, giving employees the freedom to use Twitter.  The strategy has worked well for the online shoe retailer: By enabling employees to talk freely about their jobs, new products, or other interesting aspects of company life, they’ve effectively made their employees into brand advocates, and created buzz about being a great place to work. More recently, Whole Foods has taken a similar approach to social media, believing that letting individual employees’ personalities shine through is essential to for social media to work well and engage people.
2. They embrace new media as a recruiting tool. Staffing firm Kelly Services, a 2008 Best Place to Work in Western Pa., created a virtual community in Second Life to provide job seekers with an interactive experience to see what it’s like to work for Kelly. It has also helped to create buzz about Kelly and differentiate the firm from its competitors. For much the same reason, staffing firm Spherion decided to leverage the current popularity of viral video when it created its Web series, “The Temp Life.”  Seems to be working: the 17-episode series is clearly resonating with audiences, with over 1 million views to date.
3. They embrace new media as an engagement tool. IBM did it with Beehive. Best Buy did it with Blue Shirt Nation.  Now, companies of every size are utilizing online social communities for internal purposes - engaging employees and keeping them informed of important company news, events and projects. Over 50,000 companies worldwide, including Fox and Adobe use microblogging site Yammer, while companies like Starbucks and Pepsico have found success with cfactor’s “enterprise social networking” solution.  
4. They think outside the Facebooks. Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of users on Facebook, Twitter and other social media giants? Think “niche.” That’s what Seattle-based Tableau Software did recently when it needed a Web developer with extensive knowledge of Drupal:  the company’s recruiters began surfing social networking sites that catered to Drupal enthusiasts, where they eventually found their new hire.
5. They ask for employee feedback (and actually listen to it).  Feedback from Aetna’s employee surveys – administered regularly to enable employees to voice their thoughts about how the company is doing and where there is room for improvement – led to the establishment of Aetna’s current recognition program, The Aetna Way Excellence Awards, according to CEO Ronald Williams in an interview for our Leadership Series. Leadership recognized that employees wanted more company-wide recognition events, so they delivered. “That whole program came about as a result of employees’ suggestions that came through the survey,” Williams said.
6. They work in partnership with Human Resources. “People decisions are some of the most important decisions I make, so I make those decisions in collaboration with my HR partners,” says Stryker CEO Steve MacMillan in a recent interview with CareerBuilder. “Responsibility for our people may be a human resources function, but we all manage it together.” It’s no accident that Stryker is a three-time winner of the “Gallup Great Place to Work Award,” in addition to other best place to work honors.  
7. They actively encourage learning and development. Smart companies know the power of providing opportunities for professional development and personal growth in helping to retain top talent.  Spectrum Health does both: The company’s relationship with University of Michigan provides opportunities for leadership members to gain experience in project-based work. And its EXCEL Professional Development Model program recognizes and provides monetary awards for nursing staff for academic and professional accomplishments, as well as community service.

Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 23, 2009
• There are 12 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Building a Best Place to Work, Employee Attraction, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Social Media