Today, I was contacted for the third time about a temporary consulting assignment. I find this interesting for two reasons:
1) If three different search firms felt I was worth looking at, why didn't the client?
2) Each time I am contacted about this job, the hourly compensation has been less than prior inquiries, yet the need to fill this opportunity becomes more urgent.
A company's attitude about its employees is often demonstrated in the little things. Hmmmm...
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Follow the Signs
I admit I am superstitious. It's probably the Irish heritage, or the Scottish. Whatever the reason, I am a big believer in reading the signs.
Today's Wall Street Journal talks about companies starting to implement pay increases in 2010. Of course, that doesn't mean anything for those of us still out of work. Never the less, it's a sign.
Whenever there is a recession and people are laid off, the survivors are pushed to the limit. There's more work, more pressure from management to make numbers, and the overall dread of feeling that if you don't produce in double-time, you will be the next one to go.
Companies do not love giving raises, especially in a flat economy. So I think it's a sign that companies are talking about it...at least enough to generate a newspaper article.
2010 is going to be the year when many companies lose good employees, when the economy will recover just enough for the "A" employees to jump to new opportunities. When companies, yet again, are going to wonder why their employees don't appreciate them for saving their jobs. When companies wonder if they should yet again think about that retention strategy they never implemented.
Companies are not intuitive....they never read the signs.
Today's Wall Street Journal talks about companies starting to implement pay increases in 2010. Of course, that doesn't mean anything for those of us still out of work. Never the less, it's a sign.
Whenever there is a recession and people are laid off, the survivors are pushed to the limit. There's more work, more pressure from management to make numbers, and the overall dread of feeling that if you don't produce in double-time, you will be the next one to go.
Companies do not love giving raises, especially in a flat economy. So I think it's a sign that companies are talking about it...at least enough to generate a newspaper article.
2010 is going to be the year when many companies lose good employees, when the economy will recover just enough for the "A" employees to jump to new opportunities. When companies, yet again, are going to wonder why their employees don't appreciate them for saving their jobs. When companies wonder if they should yet again think about that retention strategy they never implemented.
Companies are not intuitive....they never read the signs.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Rambling in the RV
Did you know that there are currently middle-class people who have decided, after losing their jobs, that middle class America is just not worth the stress? They have sold their houses, arranged to home school their children, and have taken to the road in their RVs.
It would certainly be cheaper to live, after the RV investment. No mortgage, no Con Ed bill. The freedom of the open road. I could go live on a beach in CA and take one of those internet jobs which don't really pay much but it wouldn't really matter if my car was also my apartment.
That's my escapist fantasy today.
It would certainly be cheaper to live, after the RV investment. No mortgage, no Con Ed bill. The freedom of the open road. I could go live on a beach in CA and take one of those internet jobs which don't really pay much but it wouldn't really matter if my car was also my apartment.
That's my escapist fantasy today.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Interviewing is to Dating as...
...HR Recruiters are to blind dates??? Probably not the best analogy, but I've never been all that good at analogies. Honestly, when have analogies been that useful since passing high school SATs? Which is the point of today's post.
I recently applied for a senior position at an organization, was funneled through to the web application form, and required to state my SAT scores....one of those "you cannot move forward until you answer this" questions.
Seriously???? For a position with 15+ years of experience?? Was I supposed to remember those scores forever? I know they were good. They got me into college but was I really supposed to remember? Should they be in my wallet next to my blood type and my emergency numbers???
Companies spend thousands and thousands of dollars on ATS systems which offer lots and lots of options and solve the problem of time management in staffing. But one of challenges HR Departments face is keeping the candidate's happiness in mind. No, I'm not kidding--I'm actually serious about this.
Like dating, finding the right employee for your company is like finding an individual with that unique set of qualities that make them right for the organization's culture. Any current CEO will tell you that employee satisfaction and productivity are a cornerstone of the company's success plan. And, believe me, SAT scores have very little to do with anything in the world of work.
I recently applied for a senior position at an organization, was funneled through to the web application form, and required to state my SAT scores....one of those "you cannot move forward until you answer this" questions.
Seriously???? For a position with 15+ years of experience?? Was I supposed to remember those scores forever? I know they were good. They got me into college but was I really supposed to remember? Should they be in my wallet next to my blood type and my emergency numbers???
Companies spend thousands and thousands of dollars on ATS systems which offer lots and lots of options and solve the problem of time management in staffing. But one of challenges HR Departments face is keeping the candidate's happiness in mind. No, I'm not kidding--I'm actually serious about this.
Like dating, finding the right employee for your company is like finding an individual with that unique set of qualities that make them right for the organization's culture. Any current CEO will tell you that employee satisfaction and productivity are a cornerstone of the company's success plan. And, believe me, SAT scores have very little to do with anything in the world of work.
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