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Christmas Can Come More Than Once a Year!

Don’t worry: the economic meltdown (which needs no introduction) makes everyone feel like a cheapskate. When recruiting online, it’s not uncommon for some staffing professionals to mark the pay rate as “negotiable” or leave out the salary altogether, because not everyone’s quite certain what they can afford. However, eventually it’s time to meet the applicants in person and with yearning in their eyes they’ll ask you, “How much will you give me this year, Santa? I’ll work hard and I’ll be good.”

Okay, you’re not Santa (though you do have merry dimples and rosy cheeks, and you keep a bowl full of jelly in the break room, which is close enough). However, they’ll still want to know how much you’re willing to pay. To be fair, you can check other forums, such as Monster or CareerBuilder to determine the market rate for that particular position. In Hiring Your First Employee: A Step by Step Guide, Fred S. Steingold suggests referring to the following website for average market rates in any given metropolitan area, for any given occupation: php.democratandchronicle.com/RocDocs/pay.

Now, let’s say you’ve checked the median rate, and man is it steep (considering how little profit you’re making this year)! Remember, there are other ways of making your employees happy. It’s July, but everyone could use a little holiday pick-me-up right about now.

Here are twelve incentives to spread some cheer around the office. (You don’t actually have to put them in a velvet sack. Who do you think you are? Santa?)

(My Employer Gave To Me…)

1. Sun Chips and a Pepsi. Some of your employees might lose steam just before lunch hour. You can provide them with snacks and drinks to keep their momentum going throughout the day. They’ll also be saving money on items they would have bought for themselves. Just make sure you know their snacking preferences (i.e. feeding pork rinds to a vegetarian is a mistake).

2. Lunches on Fridays For Free. Some companies adopt a casual-Friday policy, which enables employees to wear jeans on the last day of the work week, or leave a little early. Take it one step further by casually picking up the phone and casually ordering take-out for your employees.

3. Schedule Flexibility. An eight-to-five schedule doesn’t really allow for running errands. Many people are willing to sacrifice a little pay if they can occasionally leave the office to take care of those things that seem to constantly go unattended (such as sanity).

4. Firmer Arms and Stronger Knees. If you can’t afford benefits such as paid memberships to a gym or health club, buy an affordable elliptical machine or exercise bike and keep it in one of the spare rooms. There may be a few people interested in light aerobic exercise (or serious sweating). An energized person is a more productive person.

5. Five Books on Podiatry. Once your employees sink into a routine, they may desire something, well, a little less routine. Not an expert on feet? That was just an example. You can gather all the resources you’ve collected on your particular trade and cultivate a small library.

6. Telecommuting Opportunities. Maybe you’d rather keep your employees where you can see ‘em. But if the work needs little or no supervision, and your expectations can be met via all the gadgets of a home office, why not allow the guys/girls to work in their cozy living rooms?

7. Education or Workshop Series. Extend the number five incentive even further and sign them up for enrollment in a work-related class or workshop. Incentives: cerebral stimulation, occasional complimentary juice and donuts.

8. A Beautiful Lounge Area Filled With Trees. A lounge area can be a good retreat from the shackles of the office. If you’re into interior design, this can be a fun project for you. Fill the area with pots and plants and/or striking artwork. Set a table next to a window in view of the park across the street. Put a jukebox in there. Be wild.

9. Reimbursement For All Gas Fees. If you ask your employees to run personal errands for you, or errands pertaining to the company, reimburse their gas mileage at the standard IRS reimbursement rate, 55 cents per mile. This covers gas and wear and tear on the car. And unless the employee’s car breaks down and he/she needs a new carburetor, it ends up being a paycheck boost.

10. Souvenirs From Various Countries. It’s not always fair that you get to travel the world, while your employees are traversing the Quickbooks reports. If you go on vacation, think about bringing back a little something for the tired worker, such as a Pashmina scarf from Nepal, a beer stein from Germany, or a Matryoshka doll fom Russia.

11. Smoking-Cessation Studies. Smoke breaks are a drag for you and your assistant, an apologetic smoker, who feels ashamed every time he needs to go outside to take a puff. If you’ve set aside just a bit of extra cash, but can’t afford to offer a significant raise, a smoking cessation program could be a good idea for an employee on the verge of quitting. Do they actually work? According to the American Heart Association, the success rate is 20-40%, with participants staying off cigarettes for at least a year.

12. A One-Half Hour Freebee. It’s really not a very long time. Let your employees take a breather, eat their ham sandwiches, read their spy novels, and return their missed calls. People are much nicer when they’ve refueled and gotten paid for it. And you need dashers, and dancers, and prancers.

A Facebook profile created specifically to attract employers? Let’s imagine it. If job seekers could be certain that HR managers were browsing Facebook accounts as extended background checks, what kind of virtuous profiles would they create to cater toward employment?

Name: James “Jim” Thompson

Interests: punctuality, flexibility, unreformed workaholism

Activities: hitting the sack by 9pm, reaching spiritual divinity—typing 75+ wpm, jumping when my family or employers call.

Of course, the only photos posted would be of Jim embracing his wife and four daughters, Jim concentrating fiercely at his cubicle, Jim happily swamped with paperwork, and Jim slugging a baseball above a caption that reads, “Our most stalwart volunteer, Jim, bats like a pro for charity.” Un-tagged: Jim at friend’s 40th birthday party, in which he was either dumbly smirking (with face value IQ of 70), or nearly passed out at the table, less than executive material after a few rounds of shots.

It seems logical to assume job applicants would either edit their profiles if they knew potential employers were looking at them, or they would utilize the privacy settings on the social networking site.  But has our casual distribution of personal information lead to an indifferent attitude about what we allow people to know about us?  If everyone else is doing it, it becomes informal and easy; we’re more willing to share. Facebook is heavily slanted toward what we do in our personal time, which is normally not the business of our employers. But if it’s on the internet, it becomes everybody’s business.

Employers and staffing professionals have the right to look at information that is laid out for them.  It’s like evidence presented at a trial.  Everything is fair game, and each juror must decide for him/herself what the evidence suggests about the defendant.  Of course, it’s the juror’s responsibility to remain objective, just as an employer cannot discriminate based on items such as political views, sexual orientation, or religion.  Still, it’s human nature for a person to develop a fondness for another individual with a similar background or similar attitudes, or vice versa; develop an indifference or aversion toward someone who holds much different beliefs.

In a professional setting, an employee might be taken aback if a supervisor asked questions about one of the aforementioned items. “That’s none of your business! If I can do the job well, what does it matter who I voted for in the 2008 election?” On Facebook, this information is often readily available, and the emotional ties associated with controversial topics may erupt and ruin the prospects of professionalism.

What if Mr. James “Jim” Thompson, unconcerned with lurkers, had left his personal Facebook page open for anyone to see?  Consider this very honest exchange between hiring manager and job seeker:

Dear Mr. Thompson,

Despite your flawless resume, impressive qualifications, affable demeanor, and graceful conversational ability, we regret to inform you, you have been denied the position. To be very frank, I was very put off by that picture of you wearing a skirt on Halloween. At your age, shouldn’t you be more concentrated on making the holiday a good time for the kids?  Where were they anyway?  You mention them in your profile, but I see them nowhere in the Halloween album. Perhaps this is a bit biased of me, but this information has tainted the way I see you professionally.

In addition, it sort of bothers me that some of your female friends leave suggestive comments on your wall, yet you claim to be a happily married man. I just don’t think you are trustworthy to hold the esteemed position of Head Data Analyst at our firm.

And what do you mean by “minimalist interior design” as a religious view?  Are you mocking those of us who are religious?

Thank you for your time and effort, but it would have been better if you’d kept your personal information private.

Sincerely,

Disturbed Hiring Manager

Dear Disturbed Hiring Manager,

I’m sorry you feel that I am not the right fit for this position, but it seems you’ve misjudged me.  The conclusions you made were at face value, and my individual personality and work ethic are much more complex than that.

My wife, Janelle, and I, asked her sister to take care of the kids on Halloween.  We are a family of six, and it doesn’t always give me and Janelle much time to spend together.  We decided to dress up, because, yes, even at our age, we like to have fun.  I am strictly professional in the office, and any “wild behavior” that you detect in these pictures can only be translated as open-mindedness and a thirst for adventure.  In a professional setting, these traits would allow me to be cooperative with my co-workers and accept challenging assignments that other people wouldn’t dare take.

I don’t understand what you mean by “suggestive” comments.  My wife, though she prefers not to maintain a Facebook profile, looks at my own information all the time.  She has not had any trouble with the comments that were posted on my wall. I said I was a happily married man, and I continue to be.

I apologize if you took offense to my “religious” preference.  Though I am a very spiritual person, I choose not to practice a religion.  I am, however, very interested in interior design, especially modern minimalism.  I thought my remark was appropriate given my religious-like devotion to this art form.  I enjoy learning about other religions, and would certainly never mock you for being a devout anything.

It is very unfortunate that you stumbled upon my profile on a social networking site, but how can I say you are out of line for browsing the information?  This is just a consequence of the times in which we live. Please accept this letter as a more accurate representation of my potential contribution to your firm.

Sincerely,

The Once-Revered James Thompson

PS.  I’ve just made my Facebook visible to my friends only.  Thanks for the tip.

In the dark? Billions of dollars were doled out under the economic stimulus umbrella. Yet the question remains. When do dollars translate to jobs?

Unemployment rates continue to rise with over 500,000 jobs lost in the month of May. Of those unemployed 21% have been out of work for at least 15 weeks. People need work, and a paycheck.

Approaching or continuing your job search leaves some questions to be answered. Where to look next? Do I start asking for less money? How can I standout as more and more people are looking for work?

Simply looking to whether the economic storm? Diversify. Working in industries that are new to you might offer more success in a bad economy. Find out what industries are doing best and look for work there.

Leisure and hospitality, education, and health services faired the best employment rates as unemployment climbed from 8.9% in April to 9.4% in May.

If you plan to fish it’s worth being sure there is something in the pond. Being an experienced professional and having a desire to continue along your established career path can make a layoff more difficult. It’s worth knowing what you’re up against. The most jobs lost in May: Manufacturing 156,000, construction 59,000, and professional and business services 51,000.

If your industry is fairing worse than others as you look for work preparation and informed tactics are a must have. With over 500,000 jobs lost in April one question job seekers are asking is, do I ask for less money? As an established professional you are already attune to salary levels and compensation structure in your industry. And if you are approaching a field of work new to you, be sure to do your research. Asking for less money can make a statement about your value as an employee that you would want to avoid I am less valuable.

Continue to treat inquiries for salary requirements as usual. This may not be the time to look for a raise but give an honest salary history and agreeable compensation can be settled after the position has been offered.

Increasing joblessness brings employers one blessing, an ever-increasing pool of candidates. Job seekers need strategy to rise to the top.

Resumes should constantly be reevaluated. We all reach a point where we feel our resume is complete. This is the ideal time to share your resume with friends, family and trusted colleagues. Ask this group to look for specific things, a critique on content for example. Verbiage choice, tone and voice can all be examined and constantly refined.

Your resumes aesthetics are just as important. Using Microsoft Word has limits. Template programs, no matter how expensive they are deliver one thing, a template resume.

Consider Adobe Illustrator as an alternative solution to creating a resume that stands out. The program consists of a series of tools allowing you to create a visual presence free from template. Use unique but subtle color. Find fonts that are not only different but extend your personality. Choose a layout that best features your credentials, rather than force fitting them into a template.

Your end goal should be to create a resume that is well written, visually pleasing, and stands out as an extension of your personality. Once taken care of a few other tactics can aid the job search.

Let people know that you are unemployed. Sounds strange? Letting friends, family and colleagues know that you have lost your job can work to your advantage.

Often, job openings are spread through social and professional circles well before they are ever publicized. Simply informing others of your employment situation may lead you to positions that have yet to be advertised, allowing you to enter the candidate pool early.

Consider further publicizing your unemployment. Blogs are becoming increasingly popular and using them to document your job search can be advantageous. A blog presents you with the opportunity to write relevant articles offering your knowledge of an industry, demonstrates to employers that you are constructively using the time your unemployment has afforded, while also presenting an opportunity to publicize your credentials. Visit Brittany Ward’s blog for an example of constructively blogging your unemployment.

Professional events are another venue you should plug yourself into when looking for work. Meetup.com and LinkedIn.com offer an endless number of groups and professional events in nearby areas. Professional events allow you to meet more people working in your field, increasing your professional network and potentially clue you into career opportunities.

With economic stimulus uncertainties, increasing unemployment and a growing need to find work it’s necessary to make every effort to win over employers. Tact and attitude can be your most valuable tools when approaching these difficult times. Periodically reevaluate your resume, confront unemployment with proactive networking and lend attention to what industries are fairing best.

Help choose our next logo. Eleven logos to choose from, only one winner. Tell us what you think, review the logos, vote and share your thoughts. Click the image to have a closer look. What are you thinking? We would love to know…so tell us below, why you voted for which entry.

 Put your best face forward…good advice when engaging the job hunt, interviewing for a promotion or exuding plain old good demeanor. We don’t issue advice unless we practice it ourselves. With that said, MyJobSearcher is looking for the right logo to send forward as the face of the best place candidates and employers come to connect online. Your input means the world to us, and for sharing it we say THANK YOU!

Faster, simpler, convenient and cost effective. Reaching thousands of qualified candidates, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week has its appeal. The Society for Human Resources Professionals (SHRM) says more than 90% of HR professionals are using the Internet for recruiting.

How about niche markets? I have spoken with recruiters hiring developers requiring specific training and software licensing. Cutting edge IT needs can bring a wave of resumes, but a need for candidates with specific training may leave recruiters scratching their heads in cyber space.

With time committed to job board posting: logging in and out over and over, repetitive copy-pasting, and hundreds and thousands of dollars needed to access popular boards like Monster and Career Builder, recruiters and staffers need to enter the online recruiting community aware of what works and what doesn’t.

What’s working for you?

(more…)

In tougher economic times, employers are less likely to provide Christmas bonuses to their staff. Although there are strong economic reasons for this, it is not always in the best interest of the company overall to omit the Christmas Bonus and the Christmas Party.

There are traditions in our country that extend into the workplace. One of those traditions is the celebration of Christmas. Although it should be noted that as more and more religions gain in numbers, this is often renamed to the Holiday Season. Tracking back to the very beginnings of our country, people have come together at Christmas to celebrate and revel in the warmth and good cheer of their friends, family, neighbors and co-workers. No matter what we call it, or how it has blossomed, it is still that special time of year.

It is ingrained in the blood of the people and the work force.

Tough economic times can cause many employers to simply find themselves without the wherewithal to provide bonuses for their staff. Staff, on the other hand often depend upon the bonus to help make ends meet during the holiday season when work hours are cut back, and when more shopping is done.

How does the employer and the employee solve the dilemma?

The first action is with the employer. If the employer is not able to provide a Christmas Bonus, he needs to inform his staff of this as soon as he possibly can. He needs to do it with tact and grace. He needs to address with the employees all the excellent things that they have done for the company and their coworkers and he needs to make it perfectly clear that the bonuses are not being given because of only one reason, tough economic times have prevented the company from bring in the gross revenues required to operate and expend a higher than normal outgo.

However, it should be noted here, that a wise employer prepares for downturns in the economy and uses an old accounting procedure known as a set-aside to acquire and keep safe important monies for the company. This practice, when in use, can prevent an employer from finding himself in a position of having to deny his staff such an essential part of their holiday paycheck.

Another concern for the employer who has opted not to provide a Christmas Bonus is the message he is sending to his staff. The staff can hear loud and clear that it is the Christmas bonus being cut now, but what will the next cut be? Is the company that bad off? Is their future employment guaranteed? There is great concern and potential instability sent out to a staff when the employer does inform all that there will be no bonus. The ripple effect must be greatly considered.

The second action is with the employee. If your company has not announced whether or not there will be bonuses, and you know that the company coffers are not as full as they should be, then you should not assume that bonuses will be distributed. You need to be a little proactive and simply inquire. You may find that your inquiry saves you much financial hardship in January, or that you may go on about your Christmas planning as usual, without due concern for what January will bring. Just don’t assume that you are getting it when you know there are tough economic times.

Employer references have always been a key aspect of the job interview process.  People on both sides have valued what a past employer can say.  Yet more and more employers and employees are less and less willing to use this valuable resource.  Let’s take a look at what lies behind this changing trend.

More and more as time goes by, fewer and fewer employers are asking for references.  Although there are probably more reasons why this has happened, the two main reasons are listed below.

1.Sometimes people put down fake references.  Employers have discovered on more than one occasion that the references a person puts on their resume were people that they had never worked for, and are often just good friends who agreed to say some positive things about the individual they are inquiring about.  This, of course, is bad for the person who attempted such an action as truthfulness is an important part of any interview process.  Unfortunately the practice of a few has caused many employers to lend a skeptical eye to the whole area of references.

Taking a deeper look into why a person may feel he needs to “pad his references”, it normally stems from a fear or concern that his past employer will not give him a good reference and thus blow his chances of gaining a new position.  Sometimes this fear may be based on less than ideal reasons for leaving the past position, or sometimes it may be based on basic insecurities the individual may be having regarding the hiring process in general.

Although it is understandable that a person wants to have positive references for the potential employer, the better solution to this is to arrange with the past employer that he can be used as a reference, and agree to what the past employer will say.  If the person is not satisfied with the proposed reference statement, the person can choose not to use that individual as the reference, or he may request that only confirmation of employment be given.

2.Some past employers are worried that if they do not give a suitable reference it will come back to them in the form of a lawsuit. This concern started cropping up more and more in the 1990s.  For example, in 1998, The Buffalo Business Journal, published an article entitled, “Giving References Termed ‘Lawsuits Waiting to Happen’”.  The article discuses how the subject of references has actually become uncomfortable for employers and employees.

The employees are concerned about what the past employer may say about them that has negative connotations, and the employers are worried that references given, if not satisfactory with the past employees’ expectations may lead to lawsuits claiming defamation, retaliation, or even fraud.  This situation was being identified as the underlying cause for employers adopting more and more the policy to provide nothing thing more than confirmation of employment and dates of employment.

There are some companies however, that have resolved this issue by developing policy and procedure for the giving of references.  Examples of successful reference policies include providing only written references, only giving references in response to requests, and references only being provided by a limited number of people, such as the direct manager or the appropriate person in the Human Resources Dept.

There are now states, such as North Dakota that have enacted laws that grant immunity from civil lawsuits to employers who provide references.

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Anne Duffy wrote this article for the American Staffing Association explaining that Milwaukee has passed a ballot that requires private employers to provide paid sick leave for their employees:

Thanks to a ballot initiative passed Nov. 4, Milwaukee has become the third U.S. city to require private employers to provide paid sick leave for their employees. The ballot initiative passed with 69% of voters approving it. Milwaukee joins San Francisco and Washington, DC, in mandating paid leave for employees who suffer from an illness or need to care for a sick child.

Under the measure, Milwaukee employers are required to provide their employees with a minimum of one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 72 hours of paid sick leave per employee per calendar year. Milwaukee’s definition of employee means “any person who is employed within the geographic boundaries of the city by an employer, and includes a part-time or temporary employee.” Employees of employers with fewer than 10 workers can accrue a maximum of 40 hours of paid leave in a calendar year.

Although employees begin accruing leave at the commencement of their employment, they are not eligible to use accrued sick leave until the 90th calendar day of their employment.

Opponents of the law criticize the ordinance for its overly broad language. The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce plans to challenge the new law in court. MMAC president Tim Sheehy said, “This costly, one-size-fits-all government mandate will have a devastating impact on city businesses in an already unstable economy. This mandate will make the city of Milwaukee an island of regulation, discouraging business development in the region’s core business district and scaring away potential employers that want to locate in the city.”

After reading this article a called a friend Nebi Torbica who owns a bar/lounge called Moct in downtown Milwaukee to ask him what he thought and what other business owners thought. He was very upset and said that most business owners in Milwaukee are upset. His thoughts are:

“…that we are entering a slow time for business because it’s the end of the year, the holidays, and the economy is at its worst in years. This is not the time to introduce something like this. It boggles my mind that these politicians don’t put all factors in consideration before approving or passing a ballot.”

Other cities are also looking to make some changes and follow Milwaukee, but we will see if they will wait or execute immediately.

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Whether a large company or small, whether there is a human resource department or the hiring manager is dealing with advertising, the job description for an open position is a crucial tool in the hiring process. A job description will serve many purposes. First, it will allow candidates the opportunity to evaluate the precise qualifications and skills necessary for the job. Next, it will allow the hiring staff to assess a prospective employee based on quantifiable criteria. It will also assist in creating pertinent interview questions tailored specifically for the job opening and help determine pay grades for employees based on actual skills that can be compared to others. Finally, it will allow the company to maintain a professional atmosphere in the hiring process so the exposure to legal issues regarding discrimination is limited.

In addition to the hiring process, a thorough job description will give employers a solid means by which to evaluate an employee’s performance after hiring for pay increases and performance reviews. However, careful thought should be taken when creating a job description. The job description should be evaluated regularly to ensure it accurately portrays the qualifications necessary and expected goals. This is especially true when a position opens and the job description will be used for advertising purposes to attract potential new employees. It should not be outdated or based on previous candidates but written with an eye toward future goals and expectations.

There are some key factors in creating a job description that should always be included:

• Relevant practical details – this will include the job title, department, manager and a summary.
• Educational or credentialing requirements – if a job requires a particular specific educational background this should be stated and adhered to. If education is preferred but relevant work experience can be substituted, this should also be outlined.
• Experience – If previous work experience within the industry or particular job is necessary, this should be defined. Clearly state experience requirements that are non negotiable and outline preferred but not required experience as well.
• Responsibilities – Outline specific duties required for the position in order to be successful in the job. Do not be vague but use precise descriptions to better evaluate potential candidates.

A job description is a useful tool for hiring managers and human resource personnel to effectively screen potential employees based on quantifiable criteria. Care should be taken in writing it to ensure all duties, responsibilities, education and experience requirements are carefully outlined. Evaluate the job with a critical eye, taking into account the goals of the particular job and how it fits in to the bigger picture of the company as a whole. An effective job description can prove invaluable in the screening, interviewing and hiring process.

Separate work and life- You should have separate time away from work to focus on personal issues. When you are planning, work and life should be allotted in different time slots to maintain an equal balance.

Plan ahead- Plan your day, your week, and your month in advance. Having a plan going into each day, week, or month, allows you to focus on the specific activates on hand and will also allow you keep moving positively throughout the day.

Prioritize- After having planned events for each day, week, or month, all activates should be prioritized. Ideally you should work on your toughest and hardest task first. Completing the toughest task first allows you to focus your energy and complete the other tasks much quicker and easier.

These are some helpful tips to maintain a positive work and personal life on a daily basis. Hope it helps.