I've worked on staff evaluations before, but this year, as I pressed forward on a batch of them, it occurred to me how royally f'd up the system is. With the economy still 'uncertain,' many companies are stingier than ever when it comes to raises and praise. Apparently the two go hand-in-hand. The suits think that if you shower an employee with commendations, they will expect a raise to match. But since it always seems like it's the year of the tightwad, it appears most organizations are holding back in all categories.The annual review is designed to keep employees happy - but not too happy. In other words, staff evaluations are approached as a mechanism to maintain the status quo. As a younger worker, I lived and died by the annual review. Now I see what a useless gauge it really is. Every company handles evaluations and merit raises differently, but in my experience, here are a few reasons why staff evals FAIL.1) Evaluations are like a … [Read more...] about 6 Reasons Staff Evaluations FAIL
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Obama to Hold '09 Job Forum
CNNMoney.com says that President Obama plans to hold a job forum at the White House in December to brainstorm about job creation. Those invited to the forum will include CEOs, small business owners, economists, financial experts, and representatives from labor and non-profits. (Jobacle is patiently awaiting our invite). The president is facing a 10.2% unemployment rate but says there have been encouraging signs of economic growth and a slowing of the loss of jobs in recent months, but also said employers are still reluctant to hire and millions are desperate to find work. Some economists have been arguing for another round of stimulus to ward off sliding into another recession. Not everyone is convinced. And politically, the prospects for passing a single stimulus package with a big price tag are not high. Instead the administration and Congress are looking for smaller initiatives that can be taken both by the government and the private sector. One idea that has been floated to … [Read more...] about Obama to Hold '09 Job Forum
How to Look Productive While Goofing Off
It’s not online Shopping, It’s “Research”We’re approaching that time of year where workers typically develop a case of “holiday distraction disorder.” Most of us become overloaded with holiday plans and the end-of-year work push. (I’ll suggest some stress-busters later this month.)There’s much discussion about being productive in this time of layoffs and working leaner/meaner. But let’s not forget the fine art of looking productive while goofing off. Now, I’m not talking about the slackers in your office - any efforts they make to look busy are useless. I mean those of us normally hard-working types who just need to blow a few hours or a day or two. One maneuver I perfected while working in a hospital-based substance abuse program was the “consult.” Our staff rotated on a “drunk watch” schedule - part of your day had to be cleared to do an assessment if a drunk/addict stumbled into the ER. … [Read more...] about How to Look Productive While Goofing Off
6 Tips to Jumpstart Your Holiday Job Search
Seventy percent of jobs today are not advertised. Unlock the Hidden Job Market, a new book from executive career consultant Duncan Mathison, shows how smart job seekers target the larger hidden job market by approaching it with different attitudes, upgraded networking techniques and job searching tools that are specifically relevant to today’s economy. So what does this mean to those who are looking for jobs during the holiday season?Do not fall into the holiday slump. The dumbest thing a job searcher can do now is put off the search until after the first of the year when there might be more jobs out there. People will be hired after the first of the year, but they will be the ones who got introduced to the hiring manager in the next few months.The smart job searcher who is targeting the hidden job market understands that managers have the most flexibility in creating jobs during the budgeting season when they are looking at priorities and positions. Strike now when … [Read more...] about 6 Tips to Jumpstart Your Holiday Job Search
Softscape Introduces New Job Distribution Service
Softscape recently announced the Softscape Job Distribution Service that utilizes social networking sites and enables customers to reach a considerably greater candidate pool with each job posting. The service is offered as part of the Hiring & Recruiting Suite within Softscape's complete talent management software platform. The Softscape Job Distribution Service taps into social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Improving hiring efficiencies and finding top candidates are constant challenges for any size organization. As the global economy slowly improves and hiring volume increases, rapidly filling key positions ahead of the competition will be essential. This new service offers a simple, automated feed to a number of major social networking websites to help expedite job distribution. People continue to spend a tremendous amount of time on social media sites and this new distribution method enables HR professionals a more valuable way to reach potential … [Read more...] about Softscape Introduces New Job Distribution Service
How Do You Politely Decline the Workplace Holiday Ritual?
You know it’s almost here; that time of year for the ubiquitous holiday work party/ritual. It started last month with the orange and black cupcakes in the break room and will continue into January. Most companies have wisely jettisoned the office party with booze - too many scary liability concerns. But there will still be potlucks and other festivities. How can you avoid them without looking or feeling bad?My husband mentioned that he’d like to avoid, er, politely decline the December gift exchange this year. His department draws names - kind of grade school-level, I think, complete with the person’s “Santa” list. I should say he is an excellent, thoughtful gift giver and actually has a shopping gene (I worked in retail and can’t fathom it myself), so it’s not a stereotypical guy thing. His colleague said she felt the same way and might suggest the department just go out to lunch instead. Great idea!Some people are able to abstain due to … [Read more...] about How Do You Politely Decline the Workplace Holiday Ritual?
Job Losses to Decrease in Early 2010?
Well, it looks like things are starting to look up! The trend of employment in the U.S. strengthened for the second consecutive month, according to a report released Monday. The Conference Board said that its October employment trends index rose to 89.3 from a revised 88.7 in September, which was originally reported as 88.5. The October reading was the highest since March 2009, but it was down 13.2% from a year ago. "The historical relationship between the index and employment suggests that job losses will end in early 2010," by a source at the Conference Board. "While layoffs have certainly declined in recent months, we still expect to see employers adding hours to their existing workforce before hiring will strongly increase." In October, the improving indicators were jobless claims, the number of temporary employees, industrial production and real manufacturing and trade sales. Last Friday's government report on October employment showed that the U.S. labor markets are … [Read more...] about Job Losses to Decrease in Early 2010?
The Secret First Step of the Job Search
Before you find a job, it is important to know how you'll leave your current one. Do it right, and you could make the next 10 years of your career a lot easier. Do it wrong, and the penalty is severe: no chance of re-employment, no reference letter, and no respect from your peers - who could be tomorrow's stars.I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who take leaving a job so lightly. Every month 33,000 people search "How to Find a job" in Google. Know how many people search "How to Leave a Job"? 390. That's it!You're lucky you stopped by Jobacle today, because now you are aware of the first REAL step of the job search: leaving a job. What appears as "the end" is really the beginning. Maybe not for the new job you just landed, but for the one after it. And the odds are that there will be a next job!Look out for yourself and pick up a copy of The Exit Guide: How to Leave a Job the Right Way.Aside from resignation letter templates, goodbye … [Read more...] about The Secret First Step of the Job Search
7 Reasons Your Company Wants to Cancel the Holiday Party
I heard a beautiful rumor yesterday. Word on the street is that our company holiday party will be canceled this year. That worries me about the financial state of the organization, but since I'm a silver lining kinda guy, it also makes me happy because it eliminates the stress and anxiety of having to suffer through 4 forced hours of awkward conversation as co-workers down alcoholic beverages.The reality is most people don't enjoy these end-of-year celebrations, most of all, company owners, presidents and CEOs. On the risk/reward scale, the former wins. Shaky economic conditions give the Head Honcho the perfect excuse to be a holiday killjoy.Here are the reasons why your company might cancel the holiday party this year.1) MONEY. Economic times are tight and companies are pinching pennies everywhere they can. Even if the company can afford it, have you noticed how expensive basic foods have gotten!? These parties ain't cheap.2) LAZINESS. The … [Read more...] about 7 Reasons Your Company Wants to Cancel the Holiday Party
More Unemployment Relief on the Way
There's another $24 billion in economic stimulus money coming to the unemployed folks who need it most.The new bill provides 14 additional weeks of benefits for people who have exhausted their unemployment bennies or are on schedule to. The length of unemployment pay varies from state to state, averaging around 33 weeks. If your state is in really bad shape, with an unemployment rate of 8.5 percent or above, you will be entitled to an additional six weeks.Approximately 2 million people are expected to be aided via the new monies. It will now be possible to collect unemployment for up to 99 weeks if you (and your state) meet all of the criteria.The Labor Department's Unemployment Report for October is due later today and should be quite telling. Learn more about the bill via the Wall Street Journal video below. … [Read more...] about More Unemployment Relief on the Way