I’ve been reading up on articles that are discussing how to use email for prospecting as opposed to the traditional cold call. The process has some merit since email has become so ubiquitous and accessible(BlackBerries, PDA cell phones, etc.). The cold call is an interruption in the prospect’s day no matter what time you reach them. Caller ID tied to voicemail provides a great screening tool for prospects. Email has a unique property to it – people do not view it as an interruption since they can check it at times that are convenient for them. Also, most people still enjoy receiving emails. I know spam is an issue, but… Read More
Continue ReadingCEO Trend
I’m a fan of Anthony Meaney’s blog over at Recruiting.com. He has a great riff today on an interesting trend – publicly traded company CEOs leaving to join privately held equity firms. The reason from Anthony: Private equity firms are not publicly traded and are not beholden to shareholders, activists, wall street analysts or reporters. Therefore they don’t have to produce unrealistic linear growth every quarter and can make financial decisions for the long term. I am all for CEOs receiving the best pay package they can. It is a free market which means the market will determine the CEOs value to the company. Plus, not all CEOs are crooks,… Read More
Continue Reading“Don’t Hire In December”
Wrong. There are many myths regarding December hiring, but we have found it to always be an abundant time for sourcing salespeople. A Recruiter’s View: Five Myths About Holiday Job Hunting discusses the most common myths. A couple specific points from the article: 3. Positions open up in late November or early December because many professionals quit their jobs this time of year. As David Knowles, a senior recruiter with Excel Unlimited, an executive search firm in Houston, says, “The holidays can bring on a time of longing to be closer to family, roots and people. If no bonus is involved, people often will quit Dec. 1, and give two… Read More
Continue ReadingPresenteeism?
Sick? Your Boss Wants You to Stay Home, Survey Says. Did we really need a survey for this? I have never encountered the word presenteeism: 56 percent of employers now report that “presenteeism,” when sick employees show up for work, is a problem for them.Just 39 percent said that in a survey two years ago. We may need to add a new category to The Hire Sense . . . epidemic. I had to mention this article to reveal a company secret – The Rock Star suffers from presenteeism.
Continue ReadingNo Email Fridays
I am an email junkie so I wasn’t aware of any “problems” until I read this BusinessWeek article – *!#@ The E-Mail. Can We Talk? The problem isn’t the distraction of spam or stuffed inboxes. Nor is it the potential for legal liability. The concern, say academics and management thinkers, is misinterpreted messages, as well as the degree to which e-mail has become a substitute for the nuanced conversations that are critical in the workplace. I think almost all of us have experienced the misinterpreted email issue. I have sent them and ignited a thermonuclear response and I have received what was supposed to be an innocuous email and found… Read More
Continue ReadingWork/Work Balance and Money
And now for a brief follow up to my previous post. From foxnews.com’s business section – Money Might Buy At Least a Little Happiness, Study Shows. A strange survey for sure, but one that illustrates that there is some happiness to having money. That I don’t doubt. But two excerpts from the article are quite fascinating. First: Does money make you happier? Or does being happier in the first place allow you to earn more money later, maybe by way of greater creativity or energy? Or does some other factor produce both money and happiness? There’s evidence for all three interpretations, Lucas says. I am partial to his second question… Read More
Continue ReadingWork/Work Balance
I hope this isn’t a trend – Extreme Jobs Mean Long Hours, Little Sleep — A Lot of Money. The example in the article is a trial lawyer working to make partner (reminds me of John Grisham’s book The Firm). How about this (my emphasis): A new study in the upcoming issue of the Harvard Business Review estimates that 1.7 million Americans now hold extreme jobs. The study defined “extreme” as any job that requires more than 60 work hours per week and fits various parameters regarding work flow, travel, responsibilities away from the office and outside commitments. A further description of Mr Shontz (the trial lawyer): Shontz is almost… Read More
Continue ReadingCEO’s and Shareholder Value
A quick story from the Pioneer Press – Early exit cuts Stroucken pay package. The departing CEO of H.B. Fuller located north of St. Paul is taking a compensation package with him worth $18.5 million. The article simply states: The news release noted Stroucken is receiving $4 million less than he would have had if he had stayed through the March 31, 2007, the end of his contract. There is something you don’t see too often in today’s world – a CEO who could have made much more had he completed his contract that ends in 6 months. Obviously, he is leaving with a lucrative compensation package, but here is… Read More
Continue ReadingFlexibility and Loyalty
More from the work-life front of management: Flexibility with holiday schedules can boost worker loyalty. Absolutely true. I know, many people will comment about the abusers of such flexibility. You know, if they are abusers, they are currently applying their trade to some other area of your business. Best not to punish the upright workers due to the deceivers. Here is a good reminder for managers any time of the year: First, an owner needs to have the attitude that a worker’s personal life matters, even if the staff is small and there’s plenty of work to be done. So true of the younger generations no matter what the season.… Read More
Continue ReadingWhere to Find Your Next Job
WEDDLE recently surveyed visitors to their website and asked where they expected to find their next job. A total of 1,270 people participated in the survey. Here is where those surveyed thought they would find their next job: 57.6% Responding to an ad posted on an Internet job board 16.8% Networking at business and social events 7.2% Responding to an ad posted on an employers website 7.6% Sending a resume to an employer by mail 3.9% Receiving a call from a headhunter 1.9% Receiving a call from a staffing firm 1.9% Attending a career fair 1.6% Responding to a newspaper ad 0.7% Joining a social networking site
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