
How to Successfully Hire, Manage and Engage Remote Workers [Part 1]
The days of sitting behind a desk are fading fast, a desk inside an office, that is. More and more Americans are turning to the telecommuting lifestyle with an estimated 13.4 million now working from home. And studies predict that by 2020, more than 40 percent (60 million people) of our nation's workforce will be freelancers, temporary and contract workers. How should employers approach this new...

Redefining 'Emotional Labor': A (Slightly) Whimsical Kid-Focused Analysis
How would you like a job that pays you to do little more than relax, indulge your hobbies, play whatever sports you enjoy, spend time with your friends, dress as you please or expensively, get pretty much whatever you might ask for (within reason and budget), watch lots of big screen TV and roll on the lawn with your dog and a stick? The only catch: You have to make sure that...

Overcoming the Obstacles of the College-to-Job Search Transition
Graduating from college is one of the crowning achievements of one's life, but most-recent grads know little to nothing about the job market that they are forced to dive into head first. For starters, you usually cannot expect to walk into your dream job right after school. Finding your best fit takes a lot of preparation and involves leveraging modern technology in your job search while also...

Fidelity Reports 401(k) Contributions Continue to Increase as Year Progresses
As 2012 moves into its third quarter, Fidelity Investments has announced that 401(k) contributions by both employers and employees continued to rise throughout Q2, over the year. Stronger adoption of Roth plans and target date funds were measured by Generation Y participants when compared to other age groups. Since 2009, Fidelity's in-house analysis of its accounts has shown that contribution...

Kronos Incorporated finds Retail Hiring still not at Pre-Recession Levels
The July 2012 release of the Kronos Retail Labor Index has uncovered a bevy of statistics regarding the current state of labor market in the retail sector. Key facts found in the report included the following: • The Retail Labor Index (RLI) ticked up 0.1 percent in June rising from 4.1 percent in May to 4.2 percent in June reflecting a continued decline in applications and hiring. The RLI is...

Recruiting robots
An interesting article in The Huffington Post told a story that could leave many working class folks sleepless tonight. The article listed obsolete jobs that Generation Y may not see in their real working lives—such as telephone switchboard operators. Many other professions, such as bank tellers and toll booth operators, are falling by the wayside today thanks to technology. And with...

Your Worst Job Nightmare: The Scenarios
What could be worse than losing a job? In some circumstances, keeping it. What kinds of circumstances? That's a question worth answering, because the job you are offering or being offered may, in fact, be a nightmare waiting to engulf the unwary. The most interesting answers to this question, strangely enough, are probably not vivid, detailed very specific horror-movie scenarios, but more...

Why Older Workers are More Cost Effective
More employers are finding it cost effective to hire older workers as they will often take a part-time or temporary assignment for less than the hourly rate they commanded when they were working full time. In most cases, employers do not have to pay benefits for part-time/temporary or project-based hires. At will, employees can be off boarded with little or no expense and can usually be hired...

Is that your Klout Score or your Shoe Size?
How important is your Klout score really? Some think that it's gaining importance. Jeanne Meister from Forbes says, "In the next year, your Klout score will find a prominent place on your resume and LinkedIn profile, and may even help you get your next promotion." It all comes down to influence. Klout's site states, "Influence is the ability to drive action. Influence is when you share...

Summer: the Perfect Time for Stay Interviews
We are entering the silly season in terms of job search, i.e. the summer months, particularly August. August is the time of year when candidates, hiring managers and recruiters take holidays and when you can never really get in touch with anyone or get anything done. Recruiters' contracts go cold as critical elements of the supply chain disappear at inconvenient moments, e.g. the hiring manager...

I-9 Remediation Solution for Large Orgs Eliminates Millions of Dollars in Compliance Risks
Hiring compliance solutions firm Tracker Corp has announced I-9 Resolve, an I-9 remediation solution that uses embedded logic and manager self-service to eliminate millions of dollars in potential I-9 compliance liability. The expense in money and time traditionally necessary for correcting I-9 errors in large organizations typically comes from the need for hiring specialists or the dedication of...

Social Media Costing More Candidates Potential Jobs in CareerBuilder Survey
A nationwide survey released by CareerBuilder has found that 43 percent of hiring managers that use social media for candidate research have found information leading to a candidate not being hired, a 9 percent increase from last year. The survey also found that the number of companies using social media sites for researching job candidates rose from 37 percent in 2012 to 39 percent today. There...

Study: Critical Thinking and Written Communications Most Important Skills for College Grads
According to the latest Student Advisory report from Kaplan University (KU), critical thinking and written communication skills are the most important skills college graduates in business and information technology (IT) programs need to succeed in today's challenging economy. The inaugural report, "If I Were You," comes from a survey of more than 250 KU faculty members nationwide. According...

SCOTUS Ruling on DOMA Signals Major HR Changes
The Supreme Court's recent ruling that the foundational provisions of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) are unconstitutional is going to trigger a major overhaul of federal rules governing the administration of employee benefits and payroll. And with the striking down of the law prohibiting federal recognition of same-sex marriage, benefits managers must also wait for the inevitable cascade of...

Business: Why it's the Most Popular Major in America
Saying that today's job market is ultra competitive is an understatement. The economy isn't in the best shape, job security is a sought after (and rarely found) commodity, and the competition is truly fierce in every sense of the word. It's no longer enough to have a solid employment history and a good work ethic behind you. Today's employers are looking for that extra edge, so it's...

5 HR Forms Websites for an Organized Company
Just starting your career in HR? Been in the field for years? Then you'll know that the key to a successful Human Resources department is organization. From the recruitment process throughout the employee lifecycle, staying organized means a productive workforce through exceptional performance reviews, data management and reporting. Here's a look at our top 5 HR forms websites, where...

New Mobile Sales Tool Lets Teams Present with a Unified Voice
A new cloud-based iPad app and web sales enhancement tool from Access Mobility 24, Perfect Pitch 24, is now providing any sized organization with a centralized content management system for all sales materials. With this mobile app, sales reps always have access to the most current sales and marketing videos, images, and documents in order to present a unified voice regardless of the selling...

Halogen Software Offers Self-assessment Tool, Helps Benchmark Succession Programs
Rothwell Associates and Halogen Software's unique succession program assessment tool helps organizations of all sizes to measure their succession program effectiveness against standard best practices. And despite the recognition that succession planning is critical to a successful talent management program, only 23 percent of organizations have implemented a succession program and over 70...

EnterpriseAxis to Help Streamline Operations with Innovative Feature Set
EnterpriseAxis Office Network is a cloud-based SaaS HRIS platform that integrates an organization's key functions in order to streamline business operations and provide a global view of an organization's efficiency. The product includes a core set of features, including Human Resources administration, recruiting, employee self service, and data security. Other advanced features may be added...

FORMCEPT's Big Data Recruitment Product Automates Finding the "Right Fit" Candidate
The recently released HR Intent platform from Big Data analysis company FORMCEPT is designed to help recruiters automatically find the best-fit candidate for a given job description. In addition to optimizing the hiring process, HR Intent can be used by candidates to create resume infographics sharable with recruiters and others. The recruiting software is built upon FORMCEPT's Big Data...

InterviewStream Launches One-Way Professional Video Messaging Tool
With the announcement of ivMessage, interviewing solutions company InterviewStream has launched the first "humanizing" video messaging tool for business communications. The technology lets professionals send unlimited one-way video communications over the Internet to anyone with only a webcam. For message recipients, ivMessage presents an easily viewable video watchable from any web browser...

Economic Growth Rate Slower than Anticipated for Q1 2013
After a revision brought on by unexpectedly low consumer spending, the U.S. economy is reported to have grown at an annual rate of 1.8 percent during Q1 2013, down from the pre-revision 2.4 percent. However, the rate is still significantly faster than the 0.4 percent rate during Q4 2012. The revision may also change current predictions of growth for Q2, which currently is already expected to be...

Linking Talent With Organization Growth
Talent is the very core of corporate success. It is easy to give products or services all the credit, yet behind a company's offering are people that made it all possible. The quality of people behind an organization will dictate its success; retaining talent and developing them over time further sustains it. Longevity today is not all about size or influence, but about eagerness to learn and...

Monstery Survey: Accounting and Finance Workers Most Satisfied with Jobs
Monster.com recently released its Workforce Talent survey of nearly 6,000 registered Monster users, and results show that, when it comes to finance, engineers and finance professionals are the most satisfied workers. More than one third (36%) of finance and accounting professionals reported being fully satisfied with all aspects of their job. Accountants, management analysts, market research...

7 Ways to Handle a Disappointing Salary Offer
No matter how passionate you feel about the position you are applying for, or how much you want a job, the topic of salary is going to be an important aspect of the hiring process. Though not always the biggest factor when choosing a career, salary is extremely important—and you're going to want to ensure that the salary you earn is appropriate for your experience and the amount of work that...

The Irresistible Rise of the Contingent Worker
One of the biggest trends that is currently affecting the HR and recruiting arena—which will impact it heavily throughout 2013—is the continuing and seemingly relentless rise of the contingent worker, or temps, part-timers, interns, consultants, contractors and outsourced workers. It has reached a point where many commentators suggest that at some point in the next 10 years, the contingent...

Time Management "Truths" that May Actually Harm Your Productivity
Sometimes, conventional productivity wisdom can actually be counterproductive in that the net effect of putting the advice to use is a lower level of productivity. This typically occurs when you have misunderstood some key aspect of the advice or are applying certain time management practices when they aren't relevant to your situation. Instead of simply heeding this seemingly ubiquitous...

Hurry Up and Wait: Why Software Stinks
If you know me, you know that I am "catch me if you can" kind of gal (unless I'm in heels, which are exhausting). So doing things as quickly as possible appeals to me. Just like most people who bill hourly, I like to get as much done as possible in the smallest amount of time. Which is why software sucks. Actually, I'm not sure if it's my software, internet, memory or what. All I know is that...

4 Innovative Ways to Botch an Application and Get the Job
By now, everybody is familiar with the common ways to botch an application or interview, e.g., bad grammar in the resume or the interview, incomplete contact information, pestering the company for a fast response or displaying an arrogant attitude. But most of the blunders are surprising only because they occur at all, not because they are exotic. There's a funny thing about exotic, truly...

Bloomberg BNA: No Real Gains in Jobs or Layoffs in Q4 2012
Bloomberg BNA's Q4 2012 Employment Outlook is projecting no real gains in job opportunities but also quells fears about prospective layoffs and job loss during the autumn months. After a period of notable gains in 2010 and early 2011, hiring prospects have stalled while the job market has given little indication of any sustained growth. However, prospects for non-management...

iCIMS Unveils Hire Expectations Institute to Address Talent Acquisition Gap
In an effort to aid HR professionals in keeping up to date in sourcing, recruiting, and onboarding strategies, SaaS talent acquisition solutions provider iCIMS, Inc. has announced the opening of a new educational site dedicated to innovation in talent acquisition practices. The Hire Expectations Institute (HEI), as the site is known, is aimed at growing businesses looking to find...

Employee Engagement Platform Teamphoria Released by SPARC Company
Software development company SPARC has announced its release of Teamphoria, an employee engagement platform to help organizations quantify the quality of their company culture while also aiding in the creation and maintenance of an effective culture. As a growing suite of apps, Teamphoria focuses on specific elements of employee engagement including recognition, communication, camaraderie,...

Virgin HealthMiles Survey Examines Cultures of Wellness in the Workplace
Virgin HealthMiles' newest survey of nearly 1,300 businesses has found a crucial connection between the effectiveness of an organization's cultural wellness and the wellness of its employees. A healthy workforce helps ensure increased morale, job satisfaction, and a general commitment to performing at top levels. The survey found that while 87 percent of employees think that...

4 Reasons your Hiring Process Stinks
Don't be your own worst enemy by not stepping back and taking a look at your hiring process. Keeping a foot in the candidate's world can help you to see what is working and what is not, what's annoying, and what's attractive. All the pay, company culture and branding in the world won't get some great candidates through a painful hiring process. For candidates whose skill sets are in high demand,...

4 Mistakes Every Job Seeker Makes—and How to Avoid Them
With a slow economy and a serious shortage of job openings to deal with, you're not alone if you're unemployed and searching for a new job. It seems like landing the right job is getting tougher every day to boot. Naturally, it could pay off in a big way to set yourself apart from the competition any way you can. However, playing up your assets and putting your best face forward is only...

The 4 Fundamentals of Virtual Team Management
Today's economic difficulties and talent shortages are leading companies to hire virtual talent in different cities, state, countries and continents. The average virtual web team might have some programmers in India, some mobile apps developers in the Middle East, a designer in New York and a content team dispersed across multiple home-based locations. It is one of many virtual team scenarios...

Two Nonprofits Partner to Add 17,500 Jobs to Youth Jobs+ Program
DirectEmployers Association and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) have pledged to participate in the Youth Jobs+ program, adding a combined 17,500 job openings to the Youth Jobs+ bank. The program stems from the 2012 Summer Jobs+ initiative, both deriving from President Obama's challenge to businesses, non-profits, and government to work together to provide steps to...

Don't Let the Wrong Clothes Cost you the Right Job
It goes without saying that preparing for a job interview is a bit of a stressful process. You must prepare your resume, ensuring it's up to date. Then you'll need to think about the potentially complicated interview questions and how you'll respond. Plus, putting the icing on the cake—assembling your best references. However, choosing an appropriate and professional outfit to wear...

8 Common Job Search Mistakes from New Grads
According to The Atlantic, more than 50 percent of college graduates are unemployed or underemployed. This means that if you want a job – especially as a new graduate – you will probably run into some competition. The most important way to stand out from other candidates is to understand where you may be falling short, and to remedy the situation. Here are some ways that a new graduate's...

Hire 'Neurotics' Instead of 'Extroverts'? Think Again!
Are neurotics really better team players than extroverts? If so, should they really, as has recently been widely claimed, be given preference in hiring for team-based jobs? According to a very eye-catching UCLA Today report, "Extroverts Promise, but Neurotics Deliver as Team Players" and a Forbes article that agreed with the conclusions of a study conducted by associate professor Corinne...

3 Ways to Make Your Resume Stand Out From the Crowd
You know what they say about first impressions: bad ones are incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to get past; so, it's important to make sure you're putting your best foot forward right from the get-go. When it comes to the job market, your first impression is made by your resume. This means that an awesome resume can really increase your chances of landing that plum position you've...

Top 50 Metro Areas See Increase in Job Openings in July, reports SimplyHired
SimplyHired's newly released August 2012 Employment Outlook reports that nationwide job openings reached a 4.5 percent increase month-over-month and a current 9.9 increase year-over-year. Job competition was seen to have remained at a proportion of three unemployed workers to every one job opening. "With nationwide job openings increasing for the third month in a row, we see an improved...

District Court Temporarily Strikes Down NLRB's New Election Rules
A D.C. district courts has struck down the so-called "quickie election" rules recently adopted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), but only for a limited period. The new NLRB regulations went into effect on April 30, 2012 in an attempt to hasten the union elections process through the postponing voter-eligibility arguments under after balloting. The full list of changes brought...

8 Ways to Get your Recruiting Career Off to the Right Start
Decided to become a recruiter? Congratulations on choosing a career path that promises to be exciting, fulfilling, and, if you're successful, highly lucrative. If you're like most recruiters, you didn't plan on entering the field. Perhaps you had a positive experience as a job seeker and wondered what it would be like to be on the other side of the phone. Or maybe one of your friends is a...

4 Questions to Avoid Asking During a Job Interview
Some things are simply inevitable when it comes to job interviews. While it's nerve-wracking enough figure out what to wear and how to navigate tricky interview questions, things can be just as frightening when it's your turn to ask the questions. I've been working with my younger cousin lately on job interviewing tips as she searches for the oh-so familiar summer job. After a recent...

Why Line Managers are Your Most Powerful Retention Tool
Even though the job market is improving, research from OIPartners shows that many employers are becoming increasingly concerned about losing talent in the year ahead. Yes, the survey showed that the number of firms experiencing higher turnover this year increased dramatically from last year with 51 percent having higher turnover in 2013 compared to just 30 percent who had higher turnover in...

How Video Interviewing can Rescue your Summer Vacation
The sound you should be hearing right now is your vacation calling you. It might be the ocean, the mountains or a dude ranch with a fly-fishing river running through it. The fact is recruiters are exceptionally susceptible to burn out at the same time that they are the employees least likely to use up their vacation days. So many recruiters leave vacation time on the table because they feel as...

Know What You're Recruiting For
As I have gotten more mature, my expectations in a romantic relationship have changed. There are certain qualities my future mate needs to possess in order for a successful relationship to emerge. When I was younger, I often found myself in relationships where I had to discover painfully that my needs and wants were not being met. Fortunately, one of the perks of growing up is seeing things much...