From our local Pioneer Press: A specialist veterinarian in Eden Prairie, Goullaud regularly receives letters from faraway clinics imploring him to “join our team.” Glossy recruiting brochures breathlessly promise him the chance to practice veterinary medicine “the way it could be the way it should be” if he would just relocate.The age of high-tech, big-bucks veterinary care has arrived, and specialists like Goullaud are riding high. With pet owners willing to pay more than $3,000 for canine pacemaker surgery, $1,250 for a stent and $600 for a CT scan, clinics are clamoring to add upscale services. I’m stunned at the fact a canine pacemaker even exists let alone the cost.… Read More
Continue ReadingWhat Will Your Raise Be In 2007?
Less than 4% just like the past few years according to Fortune. That is unless you have specialized skills in office administration, the law, IT, and accounting and finance. In the case of an office administrator, you can expect: Senior executive assistants’ pay range in 2007 is expected to rise 6.5 percent, while senior office managers’ salaries are projected to run 8.2 percent higher than in 2006, reaching $52,000 a year at the high end.The salary guide also suggests ways to boost your market value: Add 9 percent to the salaries listed in the guide if you are bilingual, up to 10 percent if you hold a Microsoft Office Specialist… Read More
Continue ReadingA Failure To Communicate
From salary.com: 82% of managers believe they provide clear goals to their employees prior to their formal performance review, but only 46% of employees say the same. Nearly half of the employees surveyed said their performance has at some time been reviewed against goals that were not previously communicated. A bit of an indictment of manager’s communication skills. Of course, employees have been known to hear only what they want to hear also. Whatever the reason, may I suggest assessing your existing team to ensure you are communicating with them in the most effective manner? Part of our business is solving these problems for companies by identifying the ideal communication… Read More
Continue ReadingAre Your Employees Looking?
Apparently yes. From a recent poll conducted by Career Journal of nearly 500 employees: 41% of respondents admitted they are actively searching for a new job 35% considered themselves passive jobseekers 21% indicated they were not looking for a job at all So the obvious question is what are you doing to change those numbers within your organization? With 3 out of 4 of your employees potentially leaving, are you properly rewarding and motivating them on an individual basis? No two employees are the same so understanding their rewards and motivations will help ensure that your team is happy and content.
Continue ReadingSocialize With Your Younger Employees
From Rasmussen Reports – Younger Workers Want More, Connection That Is. Not really a surprise here, but a reinforcement: On top of everything else, Generation Y employees also prefer more frequent social interaction with their managers. One-quarter (26 percent) would like to socialize with their boss at least monthly. This is compared to 21 percent for Generation X, 16 percent for Baby Boomers and 17 percent for Traditionalists. That seems to be a strong trend towards socializing amongst the younger workers. If you have a retention problem at your company, this survey provides a good place to start correcting it.
Continue ReadingTattoos and Piercings
In the last few of weeks I have been in a doctor’s office numerous times for different procedures. On one of these visits, I read an article in a dermatology magazine but I cannot recall specifics or find it on the web. I did find the the study which was conducted by American Academy of Dermatology. The article stated that 48% of American workers between the ages 18 to 29 have a tattoo or a body piercing other than in the earlobe. In my prior life I worked in corporate America and remember the issues we ran into with tattoos and tongue piercings. I remember at one point that neither… Read More
Continue ReadingHow to Hire a Gifter
I never thought I would write this, but you may be too rich if you need a “Santa Gifting Service” – Santa’s ‘Gifting’ Helpers Handle Holiday Shopping for the Wealthy. I read this article and was laughing and mildly disgusted all at once. Here’s why: To some people, hunting for the perfect gift is more of a hassle than a holiday. Some of the wealthiest consumers across the country turn to consultants to find ultra-exclusive, money-is-no-object gifts from around the world. First of all, spending money is one of my specialities. I like to say I didn’t earn it to save it. It is usually at that point I realize… Read More
Continue ReadingEuropean Vacation
Millions of vacation days go unused caught my eye this morning. A week before Christmas is a good time to release an article on this topic. One statistic worth noting: In 2005, U.S. workers left a total of 424 million days on the table, Expedia also found. That is a lot of days to forfeit. However, that number does speak to the drive of the American worker. I see a number that large and instantly think of what a pioneering, resourceful country we have. Of course, there should be an appropriate level of work-life balance in one’s career especially since there are tangible benefits. He pointed to findings of the… Read More
Continue ReadingCoffee Shop Culture
I write this post from a coffee shop in one of Minneapolis’ suburbs. I’m chuckling because just 6 feet from me is a salesperson doing a presentation to a customer while sitting on overstuffed furniture. His laptop is sitting on the coffee table between both people. This scene is replayed thousands of times every day across the country. My quick analysis is that the salesperson is doing quite well and the customer seems to be sold. We conduct many meetings in coffee shops and it is a great meeting location for informal sales meetings. I don’t think this is a revelation for many sales managers, but if you aren’t taking… Read More
Continue ReadingAre Employees Satisfied with Their Compensation & Benefits?
In Segal Sibson’s 2006 survey of employee satisfaction, employees responded that their overall satisfaction with their benefit plans was droppiong. Satisfaction with their pay level dropped from 66% in 2000 and 2003 to 55% in 2006. In terms of benefits, I was surprised to see that healthcare benefits didn’t have the largest drop, it did drop to 54% from 60% in 2003, but the largest drop came in retirement benefits, dropping to 42% all the way from 56% in 2003. An interesting point that Segal Sibson made was that one company in particular had made a huge investment in retiree medical coverage, but very few of the employees (even those… Read More
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