5 Tips to Brand Your Company as a Flexible Workplace
If you're like most companies, you have some sort of flexible work arrangement in place. It may be formal or informal, but your employees probably telecommute from time to time; work flexible hours to fit in doctors appointments; or maybe work extra hours during the week so they can take Fridays off. Over 60 percent of employers offer some kind of flexibility and the most frequently offered...
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Frequently Used Training and E-Learning Not Effective, Reports Survey
In 2011 and 2013, both traditional training courses and E-Learning were the most used career development methods, but they both ranked low in effectiveness. This information comes from a comparative survey conducted by Insala to uncover trends around the usage and effectiveness of career development methods. Significant trends discovered in the survey include: • The use of traditional...
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Which is Worse: Professional Schadenfreude or 'Freudenschade'?
Finding joy in the misfortune and failures of others is, alas, such a common human proclivity that it has a name: "schadenfreude"—imported into English from German, without the standard German capitalization, as a compound of "hurt/damage/loss" and "joy". Its negative tone and image notwithstanding, is it possible that there is some hidden wisdom in or acceptable rationale for...
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Easing into a new Role While Battling Coworker Resentment
Getting a promotion or landing a new job is always a confidence and morale booster, but what do you do when your arrival is received with faux enthusiasm, at best? While you may be psyched and eager to take on the responsibilities of your new role, your coworkers may be experiencing resentment or uncertainty toward the change. It may be that they were comfortable with your predecessor and just...
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Layoffs Continue to Fall as Jobless Claims Drop Again
Jobless claims fell once again for the week ending November 23 as the number of people seeking such benefits dropped by 10,000 to an adjusted 316,000. The four-week average also declined by 7,500 to 331,750 as reported by the Labor Department. Both measurements have returned to pre-recession levels. Layoffs have also fallen during six of the past seven weeks. There has been a broad trend of...
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Ready for the January Talent Transfer War?
We are approaching one of the highest risk times of year for talent management teams, which is the first quarter of the year. In the HR world, the January Talent Transfer War is a perfect storm as the new year resolve of ambitious candidates and career changers meets the new budget season and increased hiring sentiment of employers. In fact, according to figures from Monster, this boost in hiring...
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Does your Company Appeal to Disabled Workers?
Apparently, Walgreens is sort of the "poster child" for hiring workers with disabilities. And this selection process seems to be paying off for the drug store chain. According to an article on Salon.com, since 2007, Walgreens "has hired those with disabilities not out of magnanimous charity but for the competitive advantage in employing disabled workers." Studies of Walgreens's...
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Jostle's Social Intranet Platform More Engaging than Traditional Software
Jostle's new kind of social intranet platform connects employees, facilitates teamwork, and drives corporate culture in a way that improves upon traditional intranet software and first-generation social business platform. Jostle works to keep things simple, eschewing the Facebook-like approaches that can create unwanted communications noise and are ill-suited for multi-generational workforces....
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The Six Roots of Grounded Leadership
What drives great leadership? The answer probably will surprise you. The traditional view of leadership has been all about action and results. In other words, what leaders do gets all the attention. But we've found that the opposite is true. Successful leadership stems from who you are—from six individual qualities, or what we call "healthy roots". It's who you are that drives what...
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Taskworld Launches Collaboration Platform to Measure How People Work
Taskworld, a performance-driven collaboration platform, has made its flagship product generally available as a cloud-based project management service and mobile app. With Taskworld, users can organize projects, assign and receive tasks, consolidate comments, and provide feedback on employee performance. The platform is currently available for free for unlimited users and projects and provides 2...
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People-Profit Chain Assessment to Gauge Success at Driving High-Market Performance
The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) has launched its People-Profit Chain Assessment for assessing organization performance based on over two dozen key performance indicators most strongly related to market performance. The empirical assessment links specific initiatives to performance outcomes to identify what is and is not working. The data-backed framework provided by People-Profit...
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Glassdoor Releases 2014 Employees' Choice Awards
Jobs and career community site Glassdoor recently announced the winners of its sixth-annual Employees' Choice Awards, which honors the 50 Best Places to Work (recognizing companies with 1000+ employees) and the 50 Best Medium-Sized Companies to Work For (recognizing companies with 250-999 employees) in 2014. The Employees' Choice Awards are compiled solely based on employees feedback from...
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Too Alien for the Workplace?—Robots, Expats and Language Learners in the 'Uncanny Valley'
Giant zoo pandas will always be cute, until one of them peers at you through its cage bars and whispers, "Diversify your portfolio with more commodity and nano-tech equities". At best, you will then become confused, or, at worst, terrified. Robot evolution has, it seems, already reached that point and moment, according to reports about research into what has been called "the uncanny...
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3 Tough Job Interview Questions Every Job Seeker Should Have an Answer For
Finding good options for good-paying work in these trying economic times is hard enough. However, some would argue that preparing for today's job interviews is even tougher. Job interviews are notorious for being peppered with verbal traps for interviewees to fall into. Tough questions abound, your answers to which could make or break whether or not you're actually seriously considered....
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Why Did I Start this Stupid Company Blog in the First Place?!
They all say to do it—all the experts that is. They say that if companies put the time and effort into creating a blog, it could be a great tool in recruiting. The idea is that companies can share expertise, display the culture and build their employer brand with a fun and informative blog. Too many recruiters and hiring managers go into this endeavor with the "build it and they will come"...
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Brainshark, Profitable Channels Launch Online Tool for Sales Content Assessment
A joint venture between cloud-based business presentations company Brainshark and sales enablement solutions provider Profitable channels has led to the availability of an online assessment tool to help companies evaluate sales content effectiveness. The free tool is designed to help sales and marketing professionals understand how their content is driving sales performance in order to maximize...
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Job Selectivity Higher Among Candidates as Hiring Intentions Rise to Record Levels
Dice Holdings, Inc.'s 2013 national hiring survey has determined that the professional workforce will expand during the first half of 2014 as 55 percent of hiring managers and recruiters plan to hire more staff. This is an increase of 3 percent of the same survey conducted six months ago and 9 percent higher than one year ago. The number is also the record high for the question, which was...
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The Do's and Don'ts of Secret Santa in the Office
Christmas is a time for giving but finding the perfect gift for someone can be fraught with potential pitfalls. The office secret Santa can amplify these problems and so it is always worth considering whether it is something which should be organized through management, left up to individual teams to decide upon among themselves or banned altogether as a bad idea. Of course, every one of these...
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Intuit Indexes Show Small Business Employment up for First Time since Summer
After four consecutive months of decreases, small business employment increased in November, along with compensation and hours worked for hourly employees. Small businesses adding 10,000 jobs for the month raising the total to 385,000 since March 2010. These figures, as reported in Intuit Inc.'s monthly Small Business Employment and Revenue Indexes, indicate: • A 0.06 percent increase in...
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How to Handle the "Un-Promoted" Employees
Internal promotions are becoming an increasingly important part of the hiring process because as the talent war rages on, employers are using promotions to plug holes that they cannot fill from the external marketplace. Internal promotions are also helping employers to retain staff by providing career advancement opportunities for ambitious employees who otherwise might have defected to the...
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It's No Fun Working for a Female Boss
That's a very direct (and kind of harsh) statement, wouldn't you agree? But, these words came from two workers I know—and to my surprise, one of the individuals was a woman. From the man's perspective -It's no fun working for a female boss because my boss is: -Overly critical -Micromanages -Feels like she always has to have a presence in the office From the woman's...
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How to Effectively Present your Emailed Resume
In today's market it is quite common for prospective employers to accept applications and resumes online rather than having them mailed or delivered in person. It is important that you present your resume effectively in order to catch the attention of the recruiter or hiring manager and encourage him/her to seek more information about you. It is critical that you pay attention to not only...
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Survey Unveils Workers' Retirement Outlook
A new research report found that 70 percent of pre-retirees plan to work longer in retirement, while just 37 percent of retirees reported doing this to address retirement risks. The findings come from the Society of Actuaries report, "2013 Risks and Process of Retirement Survey." It offers insights on how Americans decide to retire and how they manage resources in retirement. The report was...
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Paychex Accounting Online Expands to Include New Cloud Accounting Application
Paychex, Inc., a provider of payroll, HR, insurance and benefits-outsourcing solutions for SMBs, has introduced the Paychex Accounting Online product line; a secure cloud accounting app for small businesses. As a SaaS, the accounting solution is accessible through the cloud via major Internet browsers of a free iPad app. "Our research shows that for most new businesses, determining how to...
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Top 10 Most Useful Country Stats For International Recruiters (Part 2)
In the first part of this article we identified that globalization, domestic talent shortages, and the threat and potential of emerging economies are driving employers not only to hire more and more staff for international assignments, but to source talent from all over the world. Recruiters from both multinationals and ambitious small employers will need to be constantly developing their skills...
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Right Management Finds Most Employees to Pursue New Jobs in 2014
According to a new poll conducted by ManpowerGroup's Right Management, most employees in North America plan to move on to greener pastures in 2014 as they pursue new jobs. Of the nearly 900 workers surveyed, 83 percent said that they plan to actively seek a new position in 2014. "Engagement, loyalty and job satisfaction should be top concerns for employers who want to keep their best...
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Talemetry Agency Solution Shares Open Jobs with Third-party Recruiting Agencies
Recruiting software company Talemetry Inc. has announced Talemetry Agency, a new module for the Talemetry Talent Generation Suite that allows recruiters to share open jobs with third-party recruiting agencies. Customized web portals are made available to recruiting agencies that can view open roles and submit candidates. Organizations can then search submitted candidates and rank them against...
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Every Job Seeker for Him or Herself
AOL recently published a story, "Why Recruiters Are Not Your Best Friends: The recruiter does not work for the job seeker and don't forget it." After reading the article, I chuckled to myself thinking that this information doesn't only apply to recruiters, but....everyone—at least when it comes to the job world. As clearly stated in the subtitle, the premise of the article is that job...
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5 Tips for Gifting Clients the Best Candidates this Holiday Season
It's the time of year when the twinkle lights go up and people start composing their list of the gifts they've been dreaming about all year. As a staffing professional, your clients are certainly no different. Although they're probably not dreaming about a new iPad or a big screen TV. What clients really want this season is top-tier talent, and with the war for talent raging, it's...
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So, You Think the People You Hire Are 'Nice'?
Of course, the people you hire are nice—otherwise, you wouldn't hire them, right? They are not only a nice fit from the skills and experience standpoint, but are also socially, professionally and ethically really "nice" people. That much is regarded as common sense and is common recruiter perception. (After all, what recruiter would recommend someone who isn't nice?) However, also...
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4 Signs it's Time to Quit your Job
These are tough economic times we're living in and jobs are in short supply, so it can be especially difficult to find yourself in a position where you are unhappy to the point of thinking about quitting. If you quit, you might not be able to find another position quickly enough or the next place could be even worse. However, staying could present just as much of a dilemma given the...
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6 Interview Red Flags For Employers
While it is important that the structured interview results and other objective assessment tools are the crucial factors that should be used to make hiring decisions, there are several other pointers which can give us clues to a candidate's all round suitability. They are not assessment factors in their own right as they are a little subjective; they are red flags or warning signs which...
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Profiles International Launches QuickCheck Assessment Solution for High-Turnover Positions
The new QuickCheck assessment solution from Profiles International has been released to help recruiters, hiring managers, and other participants in the hiring process evaluate applicants for positions that are high volume with high turnover rates. These positions are typically those businesses rely on to build, sell, or maintain profit-generating products. The average turnover rate for hourly...
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Nelson Mandela: 4 Lessons His Legacy Can Teach Us All
On Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, the world lost a leader, activist, fighter for freedom, and a universal symbol of peace and equality—Nelson Mandela. At age 95, Mandela lived not only a long life, but one of inspiration for us all. To honor his legacy, I thought we'd take a look at the former president's life, because although his path was one most of us will never have to endure, every...
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Officescape's Telework Platform Now Includes Task Creation, Prioritization and Tracking Capabilities
Officescape's latest development for its telework management platform, a tool for helping companies manage their telework programs, involves a metrics-driven, transparent tasking and productivity tool that simplifies the daily productivity management of mobile workers. The development's real-time reporting capability ties directly to corporate projects and goals. The tool is also useful for...
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6 Ways Marketers can Better Manage their Time
In light of the economic struggles of the past few years, companies have cut costs and staff across the board, which means those of you lucky enough to still be employed are finding yourselves busier than ever – and this is especially true for marketers. Now that the economy seems to be out of the woods and consumer spending appears to be on the rise, company executives want to get their brand...
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Top 10 Most Useful Country Stats for International Recruiters (Part 1)
Globalization, national talent shortages, and the threat and potential of emerging economies are forcing businesses to become more global than ever. Several studies (including one from Towers Watson) predict that there will be increases in international assignments throughout 2014, and the main reason for this is business expansion overseas. This means we can expect to see increasing activity in...
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Online Teams Assessment Unveiled by Aperian Global
Global talent development firm Aperian Global has announced the launch of GlobeSmart Teaming Assessment (GTA), an online assessment that creates a quick way to determine the effectiveness and performance levels of teams. Based on and updating Aperian Global's Team Effectiveness Model, GTA measures seven elements of global team performance identifying the strengths and weaknesses of teams and...
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Are you Having these 3 Common HR Department Issues?
This one goes out to HR pros and management alike. We have some issues here, and I do mean we. I ran into an HC Magazine article that brought up some great insights into HR-management issues from both sides. I love niche sites like this, because the comments usually end up being just as interesting and insightful as the post! You Hired Them? Seriously, Them? The HC article states that 58...
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SCORE Launches Small Business Video Contest
The "Counselors to America's Small Business" SCORE has partnered with Brother International Corporation, a leading provider of office technology products, to launch "BizClips: The Small Business Productivity Makeover Video Contest." All qualifying small businesses across the U.S. are invited to make a short video telling how their company can benefit from a productivity makeover and SCORE...
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Dressing for Success without Adding Stress
While even "noob" office professionals have a general intuition of what should and should not be considered office wear, new employees often still tend to dress down (and sometimes up) and breach the often unspoken mores and protocols of a given corporate cultural. Given how greatly culture changes from one organization to the next, it can be tricky when determining just how to give the right...
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New Job Doesn't Offer Onboarding? Tips for A Successful Transition
Occasionally, a select few lucky corporate employees can expect to be gently guided into their new position through a step-by-step training plan designed to effortlessly transition them into their job. What most people actually receive, however, is a brief initiation and a hard push into a foreign land where you learn what you can and do your best to tread water until you can come to grips with...
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Past Employer Won't Let You Go? Learn How to Reject a Counter Offer
Leaving a job without burning bridges and with references in tact is difficult, especially when you are jumping ship for a better position elsewhere. But what about when your current employer doesn't just sit back and let you leave? Once you've found a new job, you enter into a transitional state as you prepare to enter a new environment with new responsibilities and expectations. So, what do...
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What Company am I Applying To?
I can bet that probably every job seeker—at one point in time—has come across this type of job ad: Interesting title (Marketing Coordinator) Appealing salary range ($55k-$60k) Duties in line with your own experience(s) Requirements that you possess (3-5 years experience, 4-year degree) Even the job location is a place you desire to relocate to. Everything looks good,...
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How a $26 Trip to Walgreens can Improve Your Professional Life
The 40-hour workweek used to sound like a good deal of work, until it crept up to the 46-hour workweek. That's the equivalent to working three extra 8-hour days per month. We spend a lot of time at work, and we aren't exactly in a bubble. Matters will arise, lunch dates will happen and you need to be prepared. These are the 5 must-have items for any desk, which probably aren't in...
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Randstad: Healthcare Workers More Confident in Economy, Job Security
According to the Q3 Randstad Healthcare Employee Confidence Index, healthcare employees are confident about the economy, their job security and the future of their employers. The survey of 170 healthcare professionals recorded a confidence level of 59.2, which is the highest among healthcare workers since Randstad began tracking the index in Q1 2012. "Healthcare organizations continue to...
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You Say Goodbye, and I Say Hello: Millennials, Boomers and the Beatles
Succession planning has never been more complicated, or more important. For a good long while, a scary picture was painted for us, featuring a sort of rapture, or mass exodus of the Boomers. One day we were going to wake up and they would all be retired. Things haven't exactly gone as predicted. Boomers are sticking around for longer, and many leaders have adopted the "let it be" mind...
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Should Job Promotions Be Random?
I am guessing that not one situation springs to mind where it might seem justifiable to operate a policy of random promotions. However, the incredulous nature of the question, "Should promotions be random?" did not stop a team of researchers from the University of Catania in Italy from conducting research to find out if employees promoted via random promotion could outperform those hired...
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