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News and insight about working in and with today's contingent workforce.
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Workforce news and insight from Sean Rehder, a former Recruiter, 1099 Independent Contractor Compliance Manager, and Supplier Qualification Program Manager turned web developer.
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Friday, February 28, 2003
 General
News Postings
How To Lead a Rich Life
Can money buy happiness? ( You'd be surprised! ) What is the measure of true wealth? ( Hint: Don't look at your brokerage statement. ) Why do so many people with high incomes have such limited assets? ( Check out your garage...and your pool...and those vacation bills. ) A values-driven guide to mastering the Money Issue.
Small Steps You Can Take Today
Employers can begin developing worklife balance for their employees by simply implementing the following programs:
The Seven C's of Worksite Wellness
At WELCOA, we believe that seven basic steps drive the entire process of building a 'Well Workplace.' Indeed, these seven steps are inherent in initiatives that consistently produce results.
Stress Management in the Workplace
The Stress Management in the Workplace training program delivers trademarked stress management tools that are unmatched in the measured results they will produce for you and your organization.
posted by Sean Rehder at 1:29 PM, (Permalink)
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Thursday, February 27, 2003
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
General Compensation
News Postings
Firms Manage to Maintain Employee Bonuses in '02
It's that time of year again – just as the winter blahs really start to kick in, the much-awaited annual employee bonuses begin to arrive on desks. For most companies, the bonus awarded for performance in 2002 should be right on track.
How to Get Paid
With more than half of all stock options granted in the '90s underwater, you can bet the boss is finding other ways to get paid. So should you — when your turn comes through a job switch or promotion.
In the Spotlight: Exec Benefits No Longer Sprouting Uncontrolled in Light of 2002 Pay Scandals
Legislators, corporate boards, commissions – and others with a vested interest – moved with lightning speed in 2002 to dramatically overhaul how executive officers and corporate directors are rewarded for their services.
posted by Sean Rehder at 2:05 PM, (Permalink)
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General Benefits
News Postings
Few Changes from Family Leave Act
A new study, published in the February issue of Demography magazine, reported that the Family and Medical Leave Act has not increased leave-taking by new fathers at all and has increased new mothers' leaves only slightly.
Employees Often Don't Sign Up for Voluntary Benefits
American companies are making a growing list of "voluntary" benefits available to their employees, but most workers aren't taking advantage of the offerings.
Paycheck Plus
Gone is a packet of cash. Now, employees can get fringe benefits such as health insurance, and even massages at work.
California-style Paid Family Leave Proposed for AZ
State Sen. Bill Brotherton introduced legislation that would pay workers caring for a newborn or sick child as much as $750 per week for six weeks.
posted by Sean Rehder at 2:02 PM, (Permalink)
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General
News Postings
Consumer Confidence Spirals Downward
Consumers have grown extremely wary as the United States inches closer to war with Iraq, driving down their confidence in the economy to its lowest level in nearly a decade.
Labor Leaders Gather Amid Worries
As the nation's union leaders gather at a luxury resort for their annual winter meeting, there is no denying they are in a funk. For many unions — especially the steelworkers, machinists and airlines — the weak economy has meant devastating layoffs as well as pressure for deep concessions.
Why We Work
Today, American society is dominated by work. Some do it for love. Others do it for money. But most of us do it because we have no other choice.
Recovering Addict Suit Goes to Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court took up the case of a rehabilitated drug addict Monday, to decide how a federal disability law treats job applicants who have been cured of the condition that got them fired.
posted by Sean Rehder at 1:59 PM, (Permalink)
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 INSIGHTS - by Jeff Ousborne
We tag along as an expert networker demonstrates the art of the schmooze.
It's 6:50 A.M. at an early-riser business-and-technology conference at the Museum of Science in Boston. A model of Skylab hangs from the high ceiling of the upper concourse, giving the room a dreamy feeling. The attendees, a mix of about 750 entrepreneurs, techies, and venture capitalists, have come to scout clients, money, and jobs.
Diane Darling is hunting clients. If there's such a thing as a professional networker, it's Darling, a business school lecturer and founder of Effective Networking, a company that trains business leaders and MBA students. As the conference begins, she straightens her name tag, pops an Altoid, and strides into the crowd.
1 Don't go in cold
A week before the event, Darling asked one of the sponsors for a list of attendees. "That way I could do a little research on people I want to meet and use that information to break the ice with them," she explains. "Are these people entrepreneurs? CEOs? VCs? I try to know as much as I can about the crowd before going."
2 Travel light
Darling wears a tasteful red jacket. "There are a bazillion blue suits here. I stand out in this jacket-but not in a bad way." She carries only a leather portfolio, about twice the size of a wallet, with two pockets: one for business cards coming in, the other for cards going out. No fumbling.
3 Walk the walk
She moves through the concourse confidently, smiling. "Young people tend to act like beggars when they schmooze for jobs. But that sends the wrong signal. Powerful people come to these events because they want to meet other skilled, talented people. So carry yourself accordingly. Don't fold your arms. Look like you're having a good time."
4 Start with breakfast
Darling's first stop is the long breakfast buffet-but not because she's hungry. "People tend to be very accessible around the food. Talking and eating go together. It's a great way to get started at an event," she says, carrying her orange juice in her left hand so she can shake with her right.
5 Who's who
To scope out the crowd and pick her targets from the hundreds of attendees, Darling circles the large room once, quickly scanning name tags. "Don't read name tags while talking to people. Always maintain eye contact." Besides, sideways glances make you look furtive and shifty.
6 Approach VIPs first
Darling darts over to one of the morning's guest speakers, a Harvard Business School professor, 15 minutes before his presentation starts. "Keynote speakers love to talk and can be great contacts, but after they give their speeches they're always swamped."
7 Spot the lone wolves
The room is crowded, so Darling next looks for people who are standing alone. "It's harder to integrate into a group. Besides, individual contact is best; one-on-one makes for the most effective networking. Just make sure you smile as you approach."
8 "And you are?"
She approaches a man near the podium and very briefly tells him why she's at the conference. "Hi. I'm here because I founded Effective Networking. We train people how to build their businesses and careers," she says to the guy. "My name is Diane Darling." She says her name at the end so he's more likely to remember it.
9 Press the flesh
When meeting others, she's the first to extend her hand. "It's an old protocol, a sign that you're eager to interact," she says later. Also: Make sure to shake hands good-bye, especially if you're a woman. "It's not as natural a part of a woman's repertoire as it is of a man's, so a good-bye handshake will be memorable."
10 Feel 'em out
While talking with strangers, Darling asks open-ended questions to determine quickly whether they'll be of any help. "Don't go into a polished 20-second commercial about yourself. Real leaders are curious. You're trying to pass the test as a personable human being first and as a talented job candidate second."
11 Card exchange
Darling asks everyone she meets for a business card before she offers her own. "It's less presumptuous."
12 Get an introduction
After traversing the room twice, she spots the conference moderator, a player in the Boston media world. He's alone drinking coffee, but rather than approach him solo, she enlists a mutual acquaintance to give her an introduction. "An intro is like an implicit endorsement, and the next time we meet, there will be that association and that context."
13 Give and take
The moderator mentions that he's looking to get in touch with a professor at MIT whom Darling happens to know. She offers to make an introduction. "Always try to be a connector, the person who brings people together," she says. This not only makes Darling looked tapped in but may also make the moderator want to return her favor.
14 That's a wrap
After three hours, Darling has talked with around two dozen new contacts. She leaves the conference with plans to call these leads in the next week. "Remember, you're not there to close deals or get a job. You're there to get the right to follow up with a phone call or a meeting over coffee. Even one contact like that makes the whole day worthwhile."
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2002 issue of MBA Jungle.
posted by Sean Rehder at 1:41 PM, (Permalink)
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Monday, February 24, 2003
General
News Postings
Snow: Economy Strong Beyond Iraq Fear
U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow said on Monday the U.S. economy is strong and robust beyond the geopolitical worries surrounding the possibility of a war with Iraq.
Economy, War Jitters Put Brakes on Hiring
The poor economy and the threat of war with Iraq will likely cause employers across the country to hesitate when it comes to hiring this spring, a new employment survey finds.
Health-care, Mortgage, Legal among Sectors Hiring IT Workers
When will IT hiring pick up again? That's the big question for those trying to gauge the pulse of the local tech economy.
No Way to Treat a Lady?
As a sex discrimination suit unfolds, studies of Wal-Mart practices show a big gap in the status of men and women. Even after accounting for seniority, store location, and other factors, a study found that women earned from 5% to 15% less than men in each year from 1996 to 2001.
posted by Sean Rehder at 11:40 AM, (Permalink)
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Friday, February 21, 2003
General
News Postings
Get a Grip on Job Stress
The dizzy spells started in January, says Michelle Ryan, a 28 year-old commercial litigation attorney from suburban Philadelphia. Ryan felt unsteady and lightheaded continuously for six weeks. The problem began to interfere with her ability to perform day-to-day tasks. "When I realized how many yellow-turning-red lights I blew through, I realized I shouldn't be driving," Ryan says. After a series of visits to specialists, doctors determined there were no physical causes to explain Ryan's dizziness and advised her to start managing her stress.
The Best Tools for Telecommuters
When youre working from home you need tried and tested tools, not gimmickry gadgets.
Life-Work Balance
For years we've heard the concern for work-life balance. The shift we're sensing is to life-work balance. It's a subtle shift, but an important one. People are putting life before work, instead of work before life.
posted by Sean Rehder at 2:32 PM, (Permalink)
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General Recruiting and Staffing
News Postings
Indian Nurses Sought to Staff U.S. Hospitals
Across India, thousands of nurses are studying for licensing exams and dreaming of better-paying jobs in the United States, where an acute shortage of American nurses has sent hospitals scrambling to recruit in an ever wider network abroad.
Using Performance Profiles to Achieve Diversity and Affirmative Action Goals
A candidate's skills, years of experience, academic background and industry exposure are far less important in deciding whether to interview and subsequently hire the person than what the person under consideration has actually accomplished. That's why you need to focus on what a person has achieved with their skills and experiences (the doing part), not the absolute level of these skills and experiences (the having part).
Startling Economic Discovery: New Jobs
Employers eager to promote and produce new products and services are gradually replacing workers lost through layoffs and attrition. Other jobs are being created through acquisitions and business expansion.
posted by Sean Rehder at 2:23 PM, (Permalink)
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Thursday, February 20, 2003
General Employee Development
News Postings
Who's Afraid of Performance Management?
Is it like pulling teeth to get your supervisors to conduct performance reviews fully and on time? It’s like that in lots of organizations: Bosses apparently prefer root canals to the process of evaluating their subordinates. Here are some tips from several authorities on persuading your managers to do it and do it right.
E-learning Wins Converts among Major Companies
Bechtel is an apt example of what is happening across the nation as companies continue to adopt so-called "e-learning" systems. In recent years, Internet-enabled education has spread beyond just the high-tech companies that were its earliest adopters in the middle of the 1990s.
The New Face of Confidence
While virtually all the entrepreneurs who were interviewed for this story identified confidence as one of their key assets, they disagreed sharply on the specifics: what confidence feels like, where it comes from, how one gets it, and how one gets it back.
LifeSphere's Front-line Staff Gets "Fun" Day
It happens once a year at Maple Knoll Village, a Springdale retirement community that's part of the LifeSphere organization. Front-line workers gather for a one-day seminar on a topic of their choosing. The event is catered. There are door prizes and games. Each year, a different speaker is hired.
posted by Sean Rehder at 12:54 PM, (Permalink)
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General
News Postings
Building Cultural Bridges Key to Site Safety
Safety initiatives tailored to your work force can help bring about an accident-free record.
Are We Out of Options? Employee Ownership.
They were the currency of the American dream. Now they are worthless paper -- a symbol of CEO greed. What went wrong with stock options? Where do companies go from here? Our only option: Visit one of the world's leading authorities on employee ownership.
Jobless Claims Jump in Latest Week
The number of claims for first-time unemployment benefits rose 21,000 last week, the government said Thursday in a report that painted an unexpectedly downbeat picture of the labor market.
Ethical Dilemma in Business School
In the aftermath of recent corporate scandals, business schools take a hard look at how "and how much" they can teach ethics to their students
posted by Sean Rehder at 12:52 PM, (Permalink)
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General
News Postings
Building Cultural Bridges Key to Site Safety
Safety initiatives tailored to your work force can help bring about an accident-free record.
Are We Out of Options? Employee Ownership.
They were the currency of the American dream. Now they are worthless paper -- a symbol of CEO greed. What went wrong with stock options? Where do companies go from here? Our only option: Visit one of the world's leading authorities on employee ownership.
Jobless Claims Jump in Latest Week The number of claims for first-time unemployment benefits rose 21,000 last week, the government said Thursday in a report that painted an unexpectedly downbeat picture of the labor market.
Ethical Dilemma in Business School
In the aftermath of recent corporate scandals, business schools take a hard look at how "and how much" they can teach ethics to their students
posted by Sean Rehder at 12:52 PM, (Permalink)
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The Top 6 Career Blunders
By Shari Caudron
When a CFO's career tanks, it's usually due to self-sabotaging behavior. Finance executives who have seen the enemy within speak out about the mistakes they've made and witnessed in the workplace.
Over the last 18 months, companies in almost every sector of the economy have been hammered. Stock prices have fallen, profits have not matched expectations and investors have closed their wallets. This is all bad news, right? Not necessarily. If you're a finance professional looking to advance your career, now may be a great time.
posted by Sean Rehder at 7:58 AM, (Permalink)
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Wednesday, February 19, 2003
General
News Postings
Plenty of Jobs in Healthcare
As the staffing agency has taken on a more prominent role in the healthcare industry, opportunities for qualified professionals able to work with both candidates and clients have increased not only in numbers, but in variety.
America's Most Admired Companies: One Nation Under Wal-Mart
How retailing's superpower--and our biggest Most Admired company--is changing the rules for corporate America.
Workplace Piracy Targeted
Trade groups for the movie and music industries took their fight against online piracy to the workplace, asking major corporations to curb illicit file-swapping by employees on company time.
Snowed in? Keep working!
The big winter storm that shut down many federal government operations in the District of Columbia didn't hurt Mattress Giant Corp. That's because of a company decision to make teleworking an essential part of its IT strategy.
posted by Sean Rehder at 8:36 AM, (Permalink)
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Tuesday, February 18, 2003
General
News Postings
Workers' Comp Claims Level; Rates May Rise
The number of workers' compensation claims in Hawaii leveled off last year after a four-year decline — a bad sign in light of rising health-care costs.
Just 23% of Small Firms See Economy Recovering
Small companies, amid escalating tensions between the USA and Iraq, are growing more pessimistic about prospects for economic recovery.
CFOs: We Plan to Hire More in Q2
CFOs: We Plan to Hire More in Q2 Almost 1 in 10 plan to expand finance staffs; business-services sector will see the biggest pickup. Also: Government report shows Enron's top 200 executives received whopping pay packages in 2000. Plus: Corporate profits up last quarter.
Bad Timing Could be Good Luck for Technology Startup
Oddpost is different. The six-person company, which began creating a Web-based e-mail application in late 2000, is a product of the region's economic downturn and bears little resemblance to the extravagant, venture-funded dot-coms of yesteryear.
posted by Sean Rehder at 12:12 PM, (Permalink)
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Friday, February 14, 2003
Thursday, February 13, 2003
General Recruiting and Staffing
News Postings
Recruiting Technology Trends for 2003
2002 was a year that brought major changes in the size and structure of recruiting departments in corporate America. For the most part recruiting departments were significantly reduced, if not completely decimated. As the economic recovery continues, the process of rebuilding will begin, which will definitely include the utilization of technology.
The Plight of White-Collar Reservists
Corporate America has little trouble plugging holes when a military call-up involves low- to mid-level workers. All companies have to do is tap a temp agency and raid the legions of eager unemployed. It's far more daunting when a key executive or manager has to be replaced virtually overnight.
Screening Tests: What Can They Add?
Properly designed and validated tests can play a major role in predicting training success by contributing significantly more information about an applicant's ability than interview data, resume screens, and background checks combined.
posted by Sean Rehder at 11:40 AM, (Permalink)
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Tuesday, February 11, 2003
General HRIS
News Postings
Using VMS Technology to Achieve Diversity Goals
Have you ever thought how HR and recruiting technology can help with corporate diversity spending initiatives and programs? Read on to find out how vendor management services (VMS) technology for HR and recruiting departments can help companies achieve these corporate diversity spending objectives through the acquisition of contingency labor.
Wireless for the Clueless
Wireless, we keep being told, is the wave of the future. It's the next big thing. After all, the San Jose, California research firm Infonetics estimates that the market for WLAN hardware ( that's equipment for wireless local-area networks ) will grow to approximately $2.3 billion by 2005.
A CIO's First Year on the Job
Jim Milde, CIO of Sony Electronics, talks about working with the business side and improving the overall efficiency of IT in his first year on the job.
Squeeze Play
CIOs scratch for yet more ways to hold down IT spending.
posted by Sean Rehder at 9:55 AM, (Permalink)
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Thursday, February 06, 2003
General Employee Development
News Postings
Creative Rewards for Employees
In many companies, employees are rewarded for hard work in traditional ways: Christmas bonuses, benefits, paid vacations. However, employers are searching for new ways to reward their employees.
Ethical Litmus Tests for the Workplace
Knowing what's right is critical to good ethics at work. This sounds easy enough, but beyond generalities, it seems impossible for people to agree on what is “right.”
How Sharp Is Your Intuition?
Some of the best business decisions--including whom to hire--are based on "gut feelings" rather than hard facts. Even if you are a 'facts and figures' person, there are ways to get better at intuitive thinking.
Set Groundrules for Healthy Meeting Environment
Are you looking for a way to improve your meetings? Why not come up with a set of groundrules that everyone agrees to live by? It will give the leader —- and participants -— a way to rope in disruptive behavior and set expectations that will create a healthy meeting environment.
posted by Sean Rehder at 9:50 AM, (Permalink)
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Monday, February 03, 2003
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Weblogs that list current hiring needs and contact information. |
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Sean Rehder is a Contingent Workforce Developer who administers this site and specializes in building online solutions for workforce issues. Also, a former Independent Contractor Compliance Manager and Program Developer for such companies as Oracle, Cisco, Seagate, Inktomi, Ariba, CommerceOne, etc.
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Sue Becker is the owner of From Piles to Smiles™ professional organizing service. She is a C.P.A., and spent 20 years in various auditing, accounting, finance, and marketing positions at a variety of companies, including The Quaker Oats Company and Ameritech. The organization and time management skills that she used in these positions led to numerous accolades, including a prestigious leadership award. She started From Piles to Smiles early in 2000.
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Alice Snell is Vice President of
iLogos Research, a division of Recruitsoft. As a leading industry analyst, Ms. Snell has authored numerous
articles and reports on recruiting technology issues including best
practice staffing management methodologies and jobseeker behavior online.
Ms. Snell has been frequently called upon to provide expert commentary and
analysis regarding staffing management technology issues and is quoted in
leading media including The Boston Globe, Chief Executive, The New York Times
, PC Week, IT Recruiter, Chicago Tribune, and CNBC.com.
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Simon Meth builds rock-solid staffing systems. Incorporated are all facets
of the recruitment process including recruiting, identifying, behavioral or
competency based interviewing, selecting, and hiring the best-and-brightest
candidates for his clients. These people make a difference each-and-every
day.
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James R. Ziegler, Ph.D. is author of the "Contract Employee's Handbook", a free,
online resource for technical and professional contractors. Dr. Ziegler is also the Founder and Executive Director of
the Professional Association of Contract Employees (P.A.C.E.),
a unique employer of record service for Contract Professionals.
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As a Passion Catalyst (sm), Curt Rosengren helps people discover their passions and create careers that ignite them. His work is based on the Occupational Adventure Guide (sm), a passion pursuit / career development model he created to offer people an easily understood and effective approach to finding the career of their dreams.
Curt shares his thoughts daily at the Occupational Adventure Blog, "an ever-unfolding mixed bag of nuts, loosely clustered around the the central theme of Occupational Adventure - that is, a career that really gets you juiced." He also writes a monthly passion pursuit e-newsletter called Passionkey (sm).
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Jason Butler is the editor of numerous workforce related sites including "The Job Blog" and "The HR Blog" on the BostonWorks.com website. He has also written for the past three years on his personal blog, at jpbutler.com. Jason has worked in the Internet space since 1997, as a project manager for PlanetAll, as a program manager for Amazon.com, and as Director of Product Development for Abuzz, a division of New York Times Digital.
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Allan Schweyer has been involved in Internet recruiting since 1994 when he pioneered e-recruitment solutions for Human Resources Development Canada. He also currently consults with large organizations on HR strategies and specializes in e-recruitment projects. Alan is a senior researcher and analyst with HR.com and the guest editor of the HR.com staffing vertical.
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Tom Mochal is President of TenStep, Inc., a methodology development, consulting and training company. He has published a book on project management called Lessons in Project Management (Apress 2003). He has also developed a complete portfolio management process for companies called PortfolioStep (www.PortfolioStep.com), a project management methodology called TenStep (www.TenStep.com) and a framework for implementing and supporting project management within companies called PMOStep (www.PMOStep.com). Tom has over 23 years of IT experience, at Geac Computers, The Coca-Cola Company, Cap Gemini E&Y and Eastman Kodak. Tom has published hundreds of columns, and has presented and trained on project management and life-cycle topics around the world.
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