If a boss has sex with a subordinate, and no one’s around to exploit it, does it make a sound?

Had it not been for the extortion plot against David Letterman by a former CBS employee, the world might never have known of Letterman’s affairs with female “Late Show” staffers. Now, of course, the media are weighing in on the scandal and the rules regarding sex in the workplace. 

But why should the media have all the fun? I’d like to hear your take on all of this…

On the one hand Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 7, 2009
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• Categories: Employee Retention

When you’re interviewing candidates, most recruiters and hiring managers already know the red flags you need to look out for – bad-mouthing current/former employers, showing up late and/or unprepared, taking a call during the interview, dressing inappropriately, etc…All for good reason, of course. 

Being overly skittish, however, does you a disservice – potentially letting otherwise good candidates slip through the cracks.  Consider the following ‘traditional’ warning signals, which may turn out to be false alarms: Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 6, 2009
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• Categories: Interviewing

Calling all recruiters and hiring managers:  Help us compile a list of the best interview questions ever asked, and you could be the lucky recipient of a Flip Ultra™ video camera!  

As the economy stabilizes, you will likely need to increase headcount. To help ensure you find the best employees for your upcoming business needs, The Hiring Site is putting together a comprehensive list of great interview questions to ask.  And we want your input…

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• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on October 2, 2009
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• Categories: Contest, Interviewing

CareerBuilder and USA TODAY’s Q4 2009 Job Forecast shows that, while employers are feeling more optimistic about the economy and job market, the majority plan to keep their staff levels the same for the remainder of the year. Continued moderation in job loss and a hesitant approach to hiring is expected for the fourth quarter. Compensation trends in the fourth quarter are expected to mirror those of the last two quarters, as half of employers (51 percent) anticipate no change in salaries for full-time, permanent employees in the next three months.

The survey of more than 2,900 hiring managers and human resource professionals across various industries was conducted by Harris Interactive® from August 20 to September 9, 2009.

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• Posted by: Amy Chulik on October 1, 2009
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• Categories: Economy

Life is full of clichés — but your interviews shouldn’t fall victim to them. The interview process is constantly evolving, and with it, you too must review your process — and yes, evolve. Don’t forget –  just as you are screening job seekers through an interview, they are also screening you.

Companies expect candidates to continuously advance their skills, be cognizant of industry news, and surpass expectations. It should come as no surprise, then, that candidates expect the same of the companies with which they’re interviewing. When is the last time you thought about the questions you ask candidates in an interview? Or changed them to stay current or reflect the changing attitudes and needs of the job seekers in today’s market? We’ve rounded up some of the most cliché interview questions, courtesy of the experts: job seekers themselves. Underneath each cliché, we’ve added a new twist on the old standard.

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• Posted by: Amy Chulik on September 30, 2009
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• Categories: Employee Attraction, Employer Advice, Interviewing

Yesterday, CareerBuilder released the results of a survey about confronting awkward office situations.  More than 4,400 workers nationwide participated to reveal which embarrassing observations – from an undone zipper to the need for a breath mint – they would be willing to point out to a co-worker of equal, lower or higher status. (Results after the jump.)

It may seem silly, but when you’re in these situations yourself, it doesn’t always feel that way – personal hygiene and appearance are pretty sensitive subjects, and rather than risk awkwardness by trying to save someone from future embarrassment, many of us will do anything we can to avoid it altogether.  Case in point: When I told a friend of mine about this survey, she immediately related:

“We had a guy at my office who smelled,” she said.  The guy’s body odor was so distracting, in fact, that my friend went to HR about it. When HR told her that it was her job to tell the employee, she went to some male co-workers asking them to say something to the guy, but they, too, refused. 

“What did you eventually do?” I asked her.

“Nothing,” she said. “He doesn’t work there anymore.” 

“Oh.” Not the answer I was hoping for.  Awkward silence.

“He wasn’t let go or anything,” she added. ”He just left. I forget why.” 

For her, the problem solved itself (sort of), but I still felt bad for the employee she was talking about; however, I don’t know how I would’ve handled the situation myself, and as the survey results indicate, not many others would have handled the situation differently than my friend had:

Only 28 percent of survey respondents revealed that they would tell a co-worker at an equal or lower level that he/she needed a shower; while only 11 percent would do the same for a higher level co-worker.    

On a similar note, I recently came across this post on ERE.net by recruiter Sarah Welstead, who suggests that it’s in recruiters’ best professional interests to give candidates with bad personal hygiene a heads-up. After all, the author reasons, “if we don’t tell them, who will?…These candidates will be unemployed for months.” 

What are your thoughts? Do you agree? Have you ever had to confront a co-worker about bad hygiene, and if so, how did you do it?

Keep reading for full survey results. Continue Reading…

• Posted by: Mary Lorenz on September 25, 2009
• There are 2 Comments. Join the discussion.
• Categories: Survey Results