Information technology, although it’s been a part of business for many years it has been a stronger influence lately.  Business has accepted that information technology is here to stay and that a budget needs to be allotted for IT.  While that seems like a simple concept we must consider that IT is its own world with its own language and it changes very rapidly, this can be difficult for business.  IT has been in business for some time and there is talent out there that knows everything…

Should you send just any employee to an IT conference?  The answer is no!  A conference is a great place to build networks by meeting other industry leaders and contacts.  Attending a conference is a great way to boost employee morale and give people a break from the daily grind, should you really send every employee?  Will you foot the bill for a party weekend or a weekend that will bring long term added value to the company?  Not to mention deciding who should attend is an important…

An article in the New York Times suggests that employers and employees alike might be moving toward a temporary-centric staffing model.

In November 2010, 80% of the 50,000 jobs created in the private sector were temporary positions. For all of 2010, a bit more than 26% of 1.17 million jobs were temporary positions. That’s a lot.

What are we to make of such high numbers of temporary…

As of January 1, the minimum wage went up in these states: Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

We’re not talking about a large amount, either for the wage or the increase. In Ohio, for example, the minimum wage went up from $7.30/hour to $7.40, and in Arizona it went from $7.25/hour to $7.35/hour. The federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour, and states are free to have a higher minimum wage. …

The gas price national average is $3.53; the commute for most is about 30-45 minutes, miles put on a vehicle.  How much does that cost every person per year that commutes to work?  The buildings and energy it takes to house a business, how much does that cost every company per year?  These costs have no prejudice; they are fixed except for gas that will probably be higher after you read this.  Information week provided these statistics; the US could save $38 billion dollars annually if 53%…

A while ago, I mentioned to you about how I have a daughter who studies philosophy and literature in college. We’ve discussed multiple different ways her world of arts and my world of business coincide and have even produced a blog from one of those very discussions. This time we have a series of blogs set up for you, this being the first. This day is a day we take some advice from the greatest playwright of our time and apply it to the business world, because what Shakespeare taught us…

An HR thought leader is someone who has innovative ideas and concepts – someone who, despite what is going on around them, defies convention and tries something new and succeeds. It is a term that was coined over fifteen years ago and has a lot of new dynamics in the current age. I have recently written to you about resources for those who desire to be on the track to HR thought leadership but there is more to sharing innovative ideas than just outlets. There are common traits that can be…

When the phrase "Lost Time" is brought up in referrence to Workers' Compensation claims, it usually refers to the money that must be paid to a worker injured on the job to make up for the wages they lose while they are unable to work.  The longer workers are out, the more lost time benefits that must be paid, which results in higher Workers' Comp premiums for your clients at renewal time. But there is another form of "Lost Time" that can be just as costly to your clients.

That is the…

Social Media, recently and over the past few years, has gotten bigger and bigger. With websites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and many others, a whole new path of interaction for businesses and their recruiteres has been opened. It gives companies a chance to make new connections with potential passive contacts. Just like with anything, there are many great ways it can be utilized by recruiters, but there are also a number of potholes to look out for if you want to make sure to use social…

A thought leader is someone who has innovative ideas and concepts – someone who, despite what is going on around them, defies convention and tries something new and succeeds. It is a term that was coined over fifteen years ago and has a lot of new dynamics in the current age. The advent of social media and the continuing advance of technology makes being innovative and sharing those innovative ideas. How do we utilize these things to share our ideas? What things are there for us to use? Here…

In two previous posts I discussed whetherLinkedIn will Replace Monster & Careerbuilder and shared 5 Ways…

Over the course of the last few years, I’ve observed what was once ‘channels for the young’ become channels for any number of purposes including business. It’s my firm belief that the staffing industry too will quickly need to hop on the social train or be left in the station.

I noted in a …

Age discrimination in the workplace is one of those issues everyone knows about, few every admit, and no one speaks about.  Why all the hush hush?  It is against the law however much harder to prove then say racial and sex discrimination as the factors are vague that surround the reasoning.  The whispers in the corner, the discussions in the boardroom, and the smoking breaks all contribute in their separate ways towards the practice.  The executives are thinking cost, the "old timers" taking…

One common thread across all levels of clients has been their internal road blocks to recognizing their accomplishments.  They are so used to living and working day in day out that their record keeping of accomplishments fades into oblivion. Although, there are still the handful that have enough ego for the rest of us, those aren’t the people this blog is meant for – not to mention I am sure many of us wouldn’t mind if there were some choking happening there (wink wink).

When…

Back in 2003 while reviewing submitted hardcopy resumes, there were a number of new submissions that came in with mini-CD disks. Unsure as to what they really were, and concerned of potential viruses our IT department scanned them and once given the approval it was my turn to check them out. To my surprise they simply held the soft-copy of the documents that had been submitted – ok thanks but not needed.

During the Global Career Brainstorming Day (held Dec. 3, 2010) and at…

Take a quick look at part of the post from…

I must say I get more phone calls from professional IT staff looking for new opportunities this year than we did last.  I was asked by one why we do not call every single person that applies back.  I thought about it a moment and actually believe that it would be a huge difference between us and other companies if we simply called each and every applicant.  But the time involved with the amount of applicants would pull key staff away from tasks that are essential to the operations.  I looked…

The recession forced many companies to cut their workforces and learn how to get the job done with fewer employees.  According to a January 7 article by the Society for Human Resource Management, titled "2011:Time to Find the Right Workplace Mix," companies now need to examine how they may need to supplement their downsized workforce to meet future needs.

The article recommends that, rather than just hiring blindly, that employers spend some time determining the right "workforce mix"…

Bringing back retirees on a temporary or contract basis is one of the key strategies employers are using to prevent potential future worker shortages, according to a poll conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and AARP.

The poll surveyed human resource professionals about how they are planning for potential worker…