Video Interviewing: Smile for Me!
Video Interviewing. When introduced to the space, it was all people could do to not literally clutch their pearls and faint dead away. What about EEOC? What if someone claimed discrimination? What if the technology was too hard to futz with? It was not accepted with open arms right off the bat. Companies like HireVue, GreenJobInterview and TakeTheInterview tried to explain away...
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Increased Demand for Recruiters: Bad News?
A recent Recruiter.com news report, titled "Employment for Recruiters Increased in 2011 with a Jump in December", caught my eye because it made me wonder whether it could possibly be bad news. How could it possibly be bad? Of course, common sense suggests that when there's an increased demand for recruiters it is because there is an increased demand for other kinds of personnel. More...
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SmartPak Offers Complete Background Screening
USAFact, Inc. has been leading the way as a hiring solutions provider in the area of background screening for more than 35 years and is known for combining the latest Internet technologies with expert researchers to deliver accurate results. USAFact, Inc. has recently revealed their latest "SmartPak" offering. The solution ties together candidate-specific address history plus AKA results to...
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Public Sector Outpaces Private in Union Membership Growth
The U.S. Department of Labor Statistics' report on union members in 2011 has revealed that the public sector outpaces the private sector in number of employees belonging to unions. Unionized public-sector employees numbered 7.6 million members for the year while private-sector workers numbered 7.2 million members. These populations equate to a rate of 37 percent unionization within the public...
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Dept of Labor Reports on Mining Industry Safety
The U.S. Department of Labor has recently reported that 321 citations and other orders were issued during the inspections of 13 mines during December 2011. Of the mines being cited, 10 were coal mines and the remainder were metal/nonmetal mines. In sum, coal mines received a total of 174 citations and 19 orders and metal/nonmetal mines received 112 citation and 16 orders. The inspections take...
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Union Membership Falls Slightly
The percentage of waged and salary workers who were union members in 2011 was 11.8 percent, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rate is only slightly less than the 11.9 percent recorded in 2010. The total number of members ended at 14.8 million for the year; also virtually unchanged over the year. Union membership has continued to decline since data collection began in 1983,...
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You Better Recognize...
Can we all agree that employee recognition matters? If you haven't already seen Daniel Pink's RSA video on what motivates employees, you should watch it. Studies, stats and a mini-flood of new companies in the space confirms that employee recognition is something that could and should be competing for your attention. Fortune and CNNMoney note: Nearly half of the employees surveyed by Randstand...
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Work Space and Office Creativity: Does Size Really Count?
How much space does an employee need in order to be able to think creatively when required or encouraged to? Which matters more: the size of the space, or its quality, e.g., (un)cluttered, sound-insulated or free from unexpected distractions and hazards? A recent joint U.S.-Chinese experimental research study published in the journal Psychological Science and reported in the U.K.'s Daily...
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Unemployment Falls for Week of Jan 21
Initial unemployment claims reported by state programs numbered 414,122 for the week ending January 21, 2012, falling by 112,817 from the prior week. Initial claims fell by about 70,000 from reported claims during the same period in 2011. The number of people having claimed benefits for all state programs combined equaled 7,638,233 for the week ending January 7; a 188,612 claims drop from the...
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Urban CPI Decreases
The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) decreased in the area of New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island. The decline of 0.4 percent continued a downward trend begun in October; the first instance of a three-consecutive-month CPI-U decline since fourth-quarter 2008. The decrease mostly reflected price drops in energy and some...
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Maryland Employment Gains in Focus
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that for the 12-period through June 2011, half of Maryland's eight large counties (75,000+ employed) experienced a surge in employment; Harford County's gains put it in the top 25 percent, for the statistic, nationwide. Harford's gains were up 2.8 percent over the year. Both Anne Arundel and Howard Counties experienced the second highest rate gain...
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OSHA Focuses on Safety in Nursing Homes
Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, has committed the agency to improving safety and health in the nation's nursing homes. Recent data released by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics indicate that incidences of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses that resulted in leave time increased by 6 percent in 2010. At a rate of...
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OSHA Cites Shipbuilder for Safety Concerns
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has targeted Mississippi-based Huntington Ingalls International Shipbuilding Inc., and five of its subcontractors, for citations addressing 50 health and safety violations. The company was brought to the attention of OSHA in June 2011 when a shipyard employee submitted a complaint about safety hazards at the former Northrop Grumman...
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Bureau of Labor Stats Reports Mass Layoffs
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that 2,433 mass layoff events occurred in December 2011. The layoffs affected 263,665 employees nationwide. The number of December events was an increase of 52 over November and equated to an increase of 14,021 initial unemployment claims over November's number. Each mass layoff event affected at least 50 employees at a single employer. Despite...
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KnowledgeVision Creates KVStudio 4.1 For Creative, On-Demand Online Presentations
KnowledgeVision Systems has created an innovative new tool, KVStudio 4.1 that synchronizes video, presentation slides, just-in-time footnotes, and navigation. Known for its cloud-based tools and services, KnowledgeVision Systems is addressing the time and distance challenges for corporate learning in environments with multiple locations. The newly created tool features support for SCORM, the...
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Online Document Management Company Releases HR Module
PaperErasers, Inc. is known for its quality online document management and scanning services for businesses. Due to the struggles that HR professionals are facing today with HIPAA and employment law, PaperErasers has recently created an HR module to address the challenging situation. The pressure for HR departments to keep their record keeping processes in compliance has been increasing over...
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Career Strategy Group Gives Job Seekers 5 Steps To Create A Powerful Social Media Web Presence
Many job seekers today are finding it difficult to find a job due to a variety of reasons, including a poor employment environment and rapidly changing technological requirements. To help job seekers develop an edge on the competition, Aspire! Empower! Career Strategy Group has created a 5-step plan for utilizing social media in job searches. Having a professional and unique web presence may...
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Cloud Based HR Tech Company Experiences Rapid Growth
The amount of companies that use SaaShr.com's software has increased 77 percent from 2010 to 2011. Leading the way in cloud based Software as a Service (SaaS), SaaShr.com is known for its HR software that includes Payroll, and Time and Labor Management services. The reason for the increase is largely due to the channel partner base expanding and platform technological advancements. Bill...
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Enlighted Leadership Solutions Offers: Be A Trusted Leader: Accelerate Your Influence!
With the economy still lagging and some leaders struggling with frustration, Ed Oakley from Enlightened Leadership Solutions is giving away copies of his latest book titled "Be A Trusted Leader: Accelerate Your Influence Now!" to help business owners and managers increase productivity and enhance their influence. The book gives valuable tips and resources at how one can become an effective...
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We must stand for universal human rights
The world has now had a few days to react to Twitter's recent announcement that they will selectively censor tweets based on the local laws of countries. The responses range from people saying that it's a non-issue to downright outrage. Twitter's actions are certainly well in line with other web titans like Google and Facebook when it comes to international freedom of speech issues. Twitter...
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E-Commerce Sales Continue to Outpace Offline Channels
The United States Census reported that e-commerce sales approached $200 billion in 2011 and were increasing faster than their offline retail counterparts. As a concrete example, online sales for holiday purchases in 2011 increased by about 15%, as opposed to "brick and mortar" growth of just 4%. A clear trend is developing that favors products and services that are well-adapted to an Internet...
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Heard about Talent Communities?
Talent communities sure are a funny thing. If you ask some people, they don't exist at all. Others think the entire concept is at best, laughable and at worst, fraudulent. Still more groups laud them as a new frontier in recruiting, brought about by the dynamic shift in the way much of the world communicates. And there are still further folks who have no issue with the concept, save its...
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New Time and Attendance Tracking Application Released By LBi
Lbi Software, a company dedicated to creating software applications for Human Capital Management, has released At-Trac 4.0, a new time attendance tracking application that is now available in the Cloud. Utilizing the latest Web 2.0 and IVR/Speech Recognition technologies, Lbi's HCM products are innovative and save companies time and money. At-Trac is available as Software as a Service...
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Agency Recruiters Can Learn a Thing or Two From Corporate Recruiters
It's round two in the battle of who can learn what from whom. The battle continues between corporate talent acquisition and agency and executive recruiters. It's easy to sit back and say that corporate recruiters have it easy and that agency and executive recruiters have the only legitimate experience when it comes to "hard-core recruiting". Well, there is another point of view. If...
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Labor Department Continues Funding for Health Insurance
The United States Department of Labor has announced continued funding for jobless residents of North Carolina who require financial assistance in affording health insurance. The funding will work to supplement an initial $2 million awarded to the state in August of 2009 and $2.2 million in June 2010. The previous funds have helped about 4,200 people obtain health insurance by partially paying...
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OFCCP Reaches Agreement in Racial Discrimination Case
The United States Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP) has reached an agreement with JacintoPort International LLC, a government defense contractor, for it to pay $219,000 in back wages and interest to job applicants who charged the Houston-based employer with racial discrimination. The company has chosen to settle out of court the claims of hiring...
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Unemployment Rate Fell in December of 2011
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that unemployment rates, both regional and state, fell slightly during December 2011. Of the 51 states plus D.C., 37 realized unemployment rate decreases, three posted rate increases, and 10 were unchanged. During the period between December 2010 and December 2011, 46 states reported unemployment rate decreases, and four reported rate increases. The...
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Median Weekly Incomes Rose in Q4 2011
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that, as of the fourth quarter of 2011, the median weekly income of the nation's full-time employees was $764; 1.6 percent higher than the same period in 2010. The median weekly earnings of all women were $688 compared to $843 for all men; equating to women earning about 81.6 percent as much as men. As usual, the earnings ratio between the sexes...
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Promology101 Offers Wellness Books To Aid In Corporate Wellness Programs
Atlanta based promotional marketing firm, Promology101, has added new, customized wellness books that will help companies to educate, motivate, and inspire employees. Research indicates that Corporate Wellness Programs increase productivity, save money, and increase employee morale. The number of employers utilizing Corporate Wellness Programs has increased due to concerns about human capital....
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Influence Lists, Twitter Recruitment, and Beautiful People
Firing a salvo at the "influencer list makers" Laurie Ruettimann of The Starr Conspiracy, Matt Stollak, John Nykolasian, Lance Haun and Steve Boese have all banded together to celebrate Tim Sackett Day. Turning an "inside joke" into an actual movement is no small feat, but tired of not seeing their friend on the list, the five (at last count) have created blog posts, Facebook updates and a...
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National Comp Survey Reveals Trends in Employee Benefits
The annual National Compensation Survey, conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in March 2011, has revealed that the most widely available benefit offered by employers is paid leave; offer to 91 percent of full-time employees in private industry. However, depending on organizational characteristics, access and qualifications to receive paid leave varied. Paid vacation availability to...
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DOL Issues $600,000 in Citations against Supermarket Chain
The Boston office of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has lodged a formal complaint against DeMoulas Super Markets Inc; a company with over 60 stores throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's review commission, the complaint seeks an order for the supermarket chain to adhere to OSHA safety standards in regards to protections in...
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IMA Offers Free eBook about Transformational Change
Many business leaders talk about transformational change but the term is oftentimes not fully understood. Therefore, Implementation Management Associates, Inc. (IMA) has released a free eBook entitled, "Get Real About Transformational Change: What Works. What Doesn't." The eBook highlights ten common pitfalls that leaders of transformational change invest in because they don't really...
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Decision Toolbox CEO Advises Companies to Transition to A Virtual Model
Small business leaders are realizing that virtual workplaces will be increasing over the next few years and are planning accordingly. Kim Shepherd, CEO of Decision Toolbox, states, "Though 2012 has just begun, smart business leaders are already looking ahead, planning where their organizations will need to be in 2015. More and more companies are realizing the benefits of transitioning to a...
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Weekly Job Stats Improve
Initial unemployment insurance (UI) claims for the week ending January 14, 2012 fell by nearly 125,000 over the previous week. At 521,613 claims under state programs, the week was also down about 28,000 claims from the same period in 2011. For the week ending January 7, 2012, the total number of UI benefits claims numbered over 4 million and was down about 85,000 claims from the prior...
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Putting Soldiers to Work
It was a quiet end to a war many Americans wished was over long ago, but end the war in Iraq did on December 17th. Many Americans, consumed with economic issues, rising unemployment rates and let's face it, our fair share of ridiculous media, did not realize we ended the war just before the decade mark. Now, as soldiers, some of whom have served 2-3 tours in the 2nd Iraqi War come home, what...
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CPI for Urban Customers Announced
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), which reports on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for goods and services, remained stagnant for the month of December 2011. While the all items index rose by 3 percent over the previous 12 month period, declines in both the energy and gasoline indexes offset gains in other indexes....
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Hourly Earnings for Employees Trend Up
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that real average hourly earnings for all employees increased by 0.2 percent between November and December 2011. Over the same period, real average weekly earnings received a 0.5 percent boost thanks to the combined real average hourly increase and a 0.3 percent gain in the length of the real average work week. Since peaking in October 2010, real...
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OSHA Protects Whistleblowing Pilot
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have demanded the reinstatement of a pilot fired by AirTran Airways for whistleblowing. The former pilot had initially been let go in August 2007 after he reported various concerns about mechanical malfunctions on planes he piloted. Before the pilot's dismissal, AirTran removed him from flight status pending an investigation into the...
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Stats Signal Good Employment Growth
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the number of nonfarm payroll employees increased by 200,000 during December 2011, while the unemployment rate, currently at 8.5 percent (as of January 2012), continues to fall. December's employment increase was well above the year's monthly average of 137,000 jobs. December gains in private-sector jobs were 212,000, bringing the yearly total...
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Return on Energy Proposes Ways to Increase Employee Engagement And Productivity
R. Michael Rose, founder of the Return On Energy, Inc., is due to launch a new book in February entitled ROE Powers ROI: The Ultimate Way to Think and Communicate for Ridiculous Results. The book explains his Return on Energy business methodology and provides solutions for companies struggling to get the right people into the right positions within a company. Rose's Return on Energy personal...
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Kilmann Diagnostics Updates Conflict And Change Management Courses
In an effort to better manage conflict and change, Kilmann Diagnostics (KD) is offering five online courses that can now be purchased in a bundle package. In the past, KD has only offered these courses individually, but is now offering The Complete Program comprised of both basic and advanced training in Conflict Management, Culture Management, Critical Thinking, and Team Management. The...
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Where is Recruiting Tech Going?
HR Tech has been a hot topic of late, with the new year posts petering out into funding announcements and speculations. Nothing wrong with that of course, but as I read differing opinions from journalists, analysts and industry pundits, I can't help but wonder if anyone has a long-picture view of what's happening. On HR Tech Europe, there is speculation that the culture changes within...
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What do you do when you finally get a job order?
You've been cold calling like a maniac for 6 months to the same contact. You mailed her so many brochures that you get VIP treatment at the post office. You sent more emails than a "free Rolex" spammer. And then it happens.... All your efforts finally paid off and you got a job order! Now what? What do you do when you finally get a job order? Seriously, that's not a rhetorical...
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UK Job Board Adcaster Adds Video CVs
Adcaster, a UK based company, is an online multifunctional video job board that is helping recruiters find job candidates easier than simply using traditional resumes and CVs. Their website hosts thousands of jobseeker profiles that can now upload video CVs to showcase their skills and stand out from the crowd. In a virtual library, recruiters can now host a candidate's traditional CV and...
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Employment For Recruiters Increased in 2011 with a Jump in December
According to WANTED Analytics, jobs posted for Recruiters and Employment Specialists increased during the month of December 2011, with more than 3,900 job ads placed. This was a 4 percent jump from December 2010, a 45 percent increase from 2009, and a 50 percent increase from 2008. A 37 percent increase was reported in the number of companies who posted jobs for Recruiters, with 1,700...
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Corporate Wellness Program Expands at ACI Specialty Benefits
ACI Specialty Benefits has expanded and is now using innovative, cutting-edge user tools to be better accessible, increase engagement, and reduce costs. The new CORE Wellness program is based on a personalized program for each employee depending on individual needs and desires. Various initiatives are used and programs are customizable for maximum results. Erin Krehbiel, ACI Senior Vice...
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Is Long Term Care Insurance a Critical Employee Benefit?
As the population of people ages 65 and older rapidly increases over the next 30 years, more and more adult children will be taking care of their parents. In fact, in the last 15 years the percentage of employees acting as parent caregivers has tripled, with about 57 percent providing 16 or more hours of care on a weekly basis. At the same time, employees that have chronic health conditions will...
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