2011 Healthcare Costs Overshoot Predicted Increase
According to the Health Care Cost Institute's Health Care Cost and Utilization Report: 2011, the amount in average dollars spent on healthcare services in 2011 jumped 4.6 percent, far exceeding the 3.8 percent growth rate in 2010. The average amount spent per person for the year reached $4,547. Not only did average costs rise, but consumers spent more in out-of-pocket expenses than in 2010,...
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New Corporate Wellness App Promotes Brain Health
The Rowing Team, LLC announced the launch of its brand new corporate wellness application, BlueOceanBrain.com. The app provides health and wellness tips and training in a variety of brain-fitness areas including: logical reasoning, visual thinking, and creative problem solving. The application is advertised as "bite-sized" in that training regimens require only small doses of time each day to...
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How do we Approach Millennials?
Millennials. Generation Yers. The group many employers are working to "figure out." People have created so many "how to" suggestions and tips all focused on gaining a better understanding of this generation, especially in the workforce. How to manage Millennials, how to hire Millennials, the characteristics of Millennials, what you can learn from Millennials: The list goes on and...
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What College Grads Don't Know About the Working World
Many recent college grads leave the halls of their classrooms with a fresh, eager zest for the working world. Many send resumes to multiple job openings, attend job fairs in their spiffy new suits, and go to interviews expecting both the best and the worst. What recent grads don't know is that the working world is way different than college. It's also way different than it was ten years...
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Study: Hiring Managers Value Mature Workers over Millennials
A new survey released by Adecco Staffing U.S. has indicated that hiring managers are three times more likely to hire older workers than Millennials, with a total of 60 percent of respondents more likely to hire mature workers compared to the 20 percent preferring the younger set. The survey uncovered a very positive perception of older workers in the job market where they are viewed as...
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Why Millennials Should Be Core To Your International Assignments Strategy
The world of international assignments is set to change dramatically over the next few years; a recent PwC white paper: Talent Mobility 2020; the next generation of international assignments, revealed that over the coming years businesses will have an increasing need to deploy their talent across the world. Not only will the number of internal assignments increase (PwC are expecting to see 50%...
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Is Professionalism Subjective?
Professionalism. Merriam Webster's Dictionary tells us this means the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person. Then what is a profession and what does it mean to be a professional person? Professional: of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession. Profession: a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive...
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US CEOs Plan to Decrease Hiring
A survey released by Business Roundtable, a group of CEOs of major corporations, showed a significant decrease in the number of large companies that plan to hire more employees or add more jobs. The group's CEO Economic Outlook Index dropped from 89.1 in the second quarter to 66 in the third; it is the third-sharpest drop in the survey's decade-long history. The previous decrease was in 2009...
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Technology Hiring Sees Massive Demand Increase for Cloud-Computing Skills
WANTED Analytics has reported that over 10,000 jobs were posted online in August for technology positions requiring experience in cloud computing. As companies continue to migrate to virtual servers, the need for cloud-computing talent is quickly growing. The number of online job postings in August 2012 was up 80 percent over August 2011. The most common job titles for talent with...
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ManpowerGroup: Most Employers Lack Workforce Strategy
A global survey by ManpowerGroup found that, despite the widespread belief that workforce strategies are vital for attracting and retaining talent, most firms aren't prioritizing it as such. In fact, 78 percent of survey respondents reported to either lacking a workforce strategy or struggle in implementing one. Only 38 percent of respondents view HR as a full business...
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Adding the "Bling Bling" to Your Resume
I came across an interesting website called ApplicationBling.com. The "bling" is a colorful Post-it note type of paper that clings to a job application and/or resume. The small attachment lists a candidate's goals, top qualities and achievements. Similar to how a cover letter complements a resume, Application Bling is designed to make an individual's application or resume stand out from...
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New Mobile Matching App Uses LinkedIn Data
CanWe Studios LLC has announced the launch of its new business networking app CanWeNetwork, a mobile business networking tool offering professional recommendations for potential business opportunities. CanWeNetwork analyzes LinkedIn profiles to match people using information such as location, skill-set, experience, shared interests, and personality traits; the purpose of the app being to...
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Buller Group to Host Certified Veteran Recruiter Program
The Buller Group, a worldwide recruiting and consulting firm, is set to host two Certified Veteran Recruiter programs before the year's end. The CVR program is a new training course that helps professional recruiters gain the expertise needed for skillful Veteran talent acquisition. It is designed to establish competency in all aspects of the recruiting lifecycle as they pertain to the military...
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Cost of Healthcare Improvements Rising
According to a new report by Mark Farrah Associates (MFA), insurers spent over $5 billion on improvements to healthcare quality in 2011, a more than $100 million increase over 2010. The report, "Health Plans' Quality Improvements Expenditures Rising," found that insurers spent a hefty sum simply preventing the injury and illness of its policy holders. These expenditures are expected to...
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Competitiveness Being Affected by Talent Management Failures
A report by Chartered Global Management Accountants (CGMA) connected weakened financial performance and growth with a failure to fully utilize human capital. The survey found that 43 percent of respondents attributed the failure to meet financial targets at least partially to ineffective people management. A further 40 percent said talent management failures have lead to a reduction in...
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New Tablet App Released for Newton ATS Users
Newton Software, provider of applicant tracking software (ATS) for small and medium-sized employers, announced the release of the beta version of Newton Touch, a free tablet application for users of Newton's corporate ATS. Working from an iPad or Android tablet, Newton Touch performs most of the tasks available for the standard recruiting software platform. Newton Touch users can perform a...
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Indeed Sold
Indeed, the worldwide job search engine, announced Tuesday Sept. 25 that it will be acquired by Japan-based HR company Recruit Co. The acquisition will allow Indeed to continue its rapid expansion while benefiting from Recruit's reach and resources. As one of the largest private companies in Japan, Recruit has 22,000 employees and $10 billion in annual revenue. With its new acquisition, the...
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How Much Should Recruiters Trust a LinkedIn Profile?
One of the key advantages of LinkedIn over the traditional resume is that the LinkedIn profile has an in-built deterrent to its members embellishing their profile, that being the profile is public and therefore subject to public scrutiny by employers or colleagues, who could easily expose a lie. While it is a powerful deterrent to profile embellishment, this fear of public exposure is not a...
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LinkedIn Introduces New Endorsements Feature
Professional social networking site LinkedIn introduced Endorsements, a new feature that allows users to give kudos or endorse the skills and expertise of their connections. With one, simple click, members can endorse their connections for a skill listed on their profiles. Users can also recommend a skill their connection hasn't added yet. For example, if one of your connection's has...
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Three 'You-Shouldn't-Ask' Interview Questions Maybe You Should Ask
It's an exaggeration to say that Socrates invented good questions in general, but tempting to credit him with some doozies, e.g., "What is justice?" So, what would he have asked in a job interview, if he had lost his philosophy day-job? According to one recruiting-industry writer, there are 10 questions he and every job applicant would be wise (enough) to skip. But, after reviewing them,...
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Kenexa Predicts 3 Percent Pay Increase for North American Workforces
HR business solutions provider Kenexa has reported a stabilization of salary budgets as determined by its U.S. 2012-13 National Salary Budget Survey, which also forecasts a modest gain of 3 percent for salary budgets for all employees in the U.S. and Canada. This is an increase over 2009 when salary budgets were at record lows for executives and non-exempt employees, falling 2.5 percent and 2.8...
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Government Shifts Protocol for Background Checks
As of January 1, 2013, the enforcement of compliance rules for the conducting of third-party background checks will transfer from the FTC to the newly formed Consumer Protection Financial Bureau (CPFB), which will require an update to forms used for reporting checks under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Three new forms will be added as appendices to 16 CFR part 698 and labeled Appendices F,...
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The Horton Group Introduces New Tool for Navigating Changing Health Reform Landscape
The Horton Group has announced the release of a new tool to help employers adapt to the changing healthcare reform laws coming into effect in January 2014. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will introduce multiple new legal and tax compliance issues that employers must navigate when creating qualified health plans. The new tool analyzes employee census data, current plans,...
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New Solution Aids in Creation of SBC Documents
A new solution for creating Summary of Benefits and Uniform Coverage (SBC) documents was announced by Tyrula LLC entitled SBC Boxed. SBC Boxed is a complete out-of-the-box solution that helps employers keep their health plans PPACA/HHS compliant. The solution includes SBC Compass, which generates a solution based on employer-specific plan information, SBC Create, which allows users to search and...
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HR Certification Institute Adds Two New HR Credentials
The HR Certification Institute, the internationally recognized certifying body for the HR field, expanded its advanced credential portfolio to include Human Resource Business Professional (HRBP?) and Human Resource Management Professional (HRMP?) certifications. The additions are for those HR professionals who primarily practice outside of the US. The two new credentials are a complement to the...
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Building a Diverse Workforce
Even in today's economy, we all know how difficult it is to find the right talent. If there was ever a time to expand your network and access a wider audience of potential hires, it's now. Most successful companies understand that attracting a diverse pool of candidates, that includes candidates of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, immigrants, minorities and veterans is no longer a nice...
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4 Ways to Resolve Awkward Office Confrontations
It's 8am. As you make your way into the office, you smile and greet a few other co-workers. You head to the break room for your usual morning cup of coffee, a dash of cream and two packets of sugar. As you walk back to your desk, your paths cross. It's her. The one co-worker you try to avoid. You offer a fake smile and quickly rush to your desk before she can start a conversation. As you sip...
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Snagajob Hiring Survey Indicates 5-Year Holiday Hiring High
According to Snagajob's annual seasonal hiring survey, the 2012 holiday season is expected to have more seasonal jobs available than at any of the past five seasons. The increase in jobs is largely driving by a strong sales forecast. Other key data points gleaned from the survey include: • 63 percent of seasonal hiring managers will be hiring this year, up 12 percent over last year. •...
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Feds to Help Stimulate Economy if Jobs Don't Increase
According to an article from the Associated Press, several Federal Reserve officials explained that Chairman Ben Bernanke supports the nation's central banking system's efforts to stimulate the economy if unemployment doesn't decrease. The Feds made a decision to purchase $40 billion a month in mortgage bonds, its third round of bond buying. The effort is to make home buying more...
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Should Recruiters Pin their Hopes on Pinterest?
Sure, Pinterest has over 10 million users, according to a September Information Week article, and is growing phenomenally, but now that the dust has settled after the hype at the start of the year, it seems like a good time to take a calm, sober look to see what Pinterest has to offer to the recruitment professional. We know that the huge Pinterest user base is a potential goldmine of talent;...
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What It Takes to be Great
A year ago I had the opportunity to meet motivational speaker Don Yaeger after he presented for the company I was interning with. He talked about having what it takes to be great, taking various qualities from the numerous people he's met and worked with in his career—people such as Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Warrick Dunn and Coaching legend John Wooden. Yaeger left the audience with a...
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Google Named the World's Most Attractive Employer
Global employment branding expert Universum released its "The World's Most Attractive Employers 2012" (WMAE 2012) rankings, and for the fourth consecutive year in a row Google took the number one spot. The WMAE rankings are divided into two categories: business, which reflects the top employers for business students and engineering, which displays the most attractive engineer...
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Automated HRA Cost-Sharing Solution Released for Pharmacy-Specific Expenses
Consumer-directed benefits program provider Choice Strategies announced the launch of its new automated health reimbursement account (HRA) solution, RxAbility, for pharmacy cost-sharing. The debit card-based solution allows employers and employees the ability to customize cost-sharing arrangements for out-of-pocket pharmacy expenses. The solution works on a per-transaction basis at the point of...
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Get the 4 Career "Rights" Right
Hard work. Skill mastery. A variety of experiences. A remarkable portfolio. These are the primary ingredients to landing your next big job or promotion... or so you thought. Of course, these factors are major influences on how your career advances, but there are a handful of other factors – the four "rights" – that have nothing to do with your performance. Put bluntly, most of these...
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Online Payroll Popularity Signals Death of Paper Statements
America's leading payroll education and training company, American Payroll Association, has revealed that 76 percent of employees prefer viewing their pay stub online, according to the 2012 Getting Paid in America survey. A further 15 percent of employees were ambivalent and would be open to a switch to a paperless-only delivery method. Just 9 percent were against the use of such a program. The...
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Towers Watson Projects High Commitment to Continuing Healthcare Coverage
With the new healthcare reform law approved by the U.S. Supreme Court, employers had to decide whether or not it was worth carrying on with providing healthcare coverage to their employees. According to Towers Watson, 88 percent of employers have committed to continuing healthcare benefits into the foreseeable future. Despite a projected healthcare cost increase of 5.3 percent in 2013, employer...
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Companies with Bad Reps Shunned Even by Unemployed Workers
Corporate Responsibility Magazine and AllegisTalent2 announced the results of their first corporate reputation survey revealing that 75 percent of Americans would avoid applying to companies with poor corporate images, even the unemployed. "The results of the new survey underscore American's desire to align themselves with organizations that do more for society than increase their bottom-line....
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Oracle Adds Social Recruiting to Talent Management Cloud
The frenzy over social recruiting continues! Oracle has announced the acquisition of cloud-based social talent sourcing firm SelectMinds to expand Oracle's own talent-management cloud capability. The SelectMinds' product permits recruiters of the use of social connections to distribute job opportunities, source referrals, and market their corporate brand. The Oracle/SelectMinds combo...
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The Rise of Video Interviewing [INFOGRAPHIC]
With the economy in a rut, many companies are starting to reevaluate the traditional hiring process. After all not only is the traditional process long, but it can be surprisingly inefficient. A great way employers are looking to update and shorten this process is with video interviews. There are several ways to utilize video interviews in the hiring process and they bring their own unique...
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HR Directors and CEOs Butting Heads over Talent Management Investments
A report performed on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) has discovered that over three-quarters of CEOs believe their firms will decrease spending for workforce training, skills, and qualifications within the next year and a half while just about 18 percent of HR directors agree. The finding...
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Diversity Hiring: Because We Want To, Not Because We Have To
We hear a lot about the need for diversity within organizations, with the most obvious reason to spring to mind being the need, or indeed legal requirement to comply with equality in the US, UK or which ever country in question. Another oft-cited reason for the need for workplace diversity is due to the demographic shifts that are taking place, meaning that businesses must develop a...
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Monster Upgrades Semantic Search and Analytics Recruiting Platform, SeeMore
Monster.com, the worldwide employment site, recently introduced SeeMore, the company's newest 6Sense product. SeeMore is designed to handle recruiting needs for small and mid-size (SMB) employers. SMB customers from the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia all now have access to a tailored version of SeeMore, which will help them efficiently manage resumes and quickly hire quality...
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New Partnership Spawns Next-Gen Video Recruitment and Branding Solution
Staffing firm Allegis Group Services (AGS) and multimedia recruitment and employment branding platform Job Search Television Network (JSTN) have partnered to produce a next-generation talent acquisition solution to boost branding and recruitment efforts. Offered exclusively to AGS clients, users are enabled to create, distribute, track, and measure recruitment videos through AGS's talent...
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2012 Your HR Department Survey Released by BLR
The newest release of the Your HR Department survey by BLR found that the majority of HR professionals are employed by small departments who provide services to small to medium-sized employers. In total, 59 percent of respondents provide HR services to employers with workforces of 1 to 250 employees while 16 percent provide guidance to companies employing 251 to 500 employees. Additional survey...
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SelfStir.com to Offer 360-Degree Leadership and Personal Development Tool
SelfStir.com, a unique feedback development portal developed by Lebanese company Xismat, is set to offer a free 360-degree leadership and personal development tool to those in the workplace or anywhere else. The site was developed on the premise that a combination of coaching and 360-degree feedback can be an effective development tool for executives. The portal encourages engagement and...
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Sales Leaders Provided with Real-Time Talent Information with My Virtual Coach
Monarch Sales Advisors, partnered with viaPeople, Inc., announced the launch of a new software solution designed for sales leaders who require access to real-time talent information on the on-the-ground sales force. My Virtual Coach automates field-sales and sales performance development processes helping sales leaders document an action plan for performance measurement and monitoring. This is...
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Softgarden Releases Jobs-for-Friends Social Recruitment Tool
Germany-based erecruiting company Softgarden recently released its social recruitment tool, Jobs-for-Friends. The platform allows both recruiters and hiring managers to promote jobs within their colleagues' networks. Once a job is described, the recruiter's or hiring manager's colleagues get an invitation by email to share the job(s) within their own networks. Networks may include LinkedIn,...
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Do you Ignore the Unemployed? 5 Ways to Spot Unemployment Discrimination Practices
There is certainly a stigma that comes with being unemployed. As if losing a job and being forced to spend countless hours applying to various companies isn't enough of a headache, now people have to bear the burden of an unfair label society slaps underneath their unemployed statuses. It's the un prefix that does the trick; the reversing of whatever follows it, the "not." When we...
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