That is the average length of a job in the U.S. according to The Career News newsletter (sorry, no link). I find that number almost shocking, but the newsletter does not call out the criteria for their average. I’m thinking part-time, minimum wage, seasonal and other positions could drag that number down. At any rate, it does provide a bit of an eye opener to how our job market is changing. Gen Y is typically not a generation to be known as “lifers.” They begin their work career without discussions of pensions and retirement. Those days are long gone. Instead, they are focused on skill development, jobs that interest them… Read More
Continue ReadingLinkedIn Registrations Booming
Seems like LinkedIn is benefiting from the recent financial industries crisis. According to a post at Cheezhead they have had significant increases in registrations and in recommendations: The site has reported a 17 percent increase in registrations in the last two weeks. They are now claiming to reach 28 million users, up one million from last quarter. Reports show that memberships from people representing the financial sector have also doubled after thousands of people have been laid off or threatened with termination as closures and mergers usurp industry leaders and rattle the core of the sector. The site also claims to have seen a 14 percent increase in recommendations, most… Read More
Continue ReadingQ4 Hiring Stats
I think it is safe to say that predictions in this economy are difficult AT BEST to make accurately. However, CareerBuilder has come out with their Q4 hiring forecast that contains some interesting information: HIRING IN Q4 2008 Going forward, 23 percent of employers plan to add full-time, permanent employees in the next three months, a slight decline from the previous quarter. Ten percent plan to decrease headcount while 63 percent anticipate no change and 4 percent are undecided. I always find the “no change” group as being rather esoteric – I assume that means no expansion or contraction. But what of replacement? If their company has normal attrition, will… Read More
Continue ReadingSocial Network Sleuthing
Let me state my position – I believe employers should research all sites when considering a candidate for hire. That includes social-networking sites. I know there are arguments for both sides of this new debate and I am not completely sold on my position. However, it appears that the trend among hiring managers is to use these sites in their hiring process: The study, reported by Reuters, found that out of 3,169 hiring managers, 22 percent of them (about 698 managers) used social networking sites to find out information regarding potential candidates. This is up from 11 percent, or 349 managers, since 2006. Even though 22 percent may not seem… Read More
Continue ReadingReturn Of Middle Management?
Here is a trend I have not heard of recently (emphasis mine): The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports about 45 percent of U.S. job openings through 2014 will be in the hidden middle-level job sector, most of them technical jobs that cannot be outsourced. Mid-level means middle management, right? Ok, maybe not. Nonetheless, I still have not heard of this trend until reading this short excerpt from The Career News newsletter. And one last piece of information to offset a popular misnomer: Charted on a graph, the image of a robust technician economy belies a popular misconception. Most assume the job market is heaviest on the low-end of the spectrum… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Philosophical Ad
I’ve been reading through some sales ads and am seeing a trend regarding the introduction. Many ads are now describing their company in, for lack of a better word, philosophical terms. For instance, this excerpt is from a cell phone company’s ad: Are you ready to join _______ and Live Life in the Now?” “At ______, “NOW” is not a mantra, it’s not a demand and it’s not a time in space. NOW is a fact. It’s a lifestyle. It’s the way we conduct business with each other. And it’s the very essence of the experience we deliver to our customers every single day. We believe in the now. We… Read More
Continue ReadingPsychological Recession
I’m not one to head into a weekend with a downer of a post, but this article from CNNMoney.com is fascinating. The author is explaining how the US economy is not in a recession. The twists begin early with this stat: After all, most of the CFOs questioned in a recent poll agree that the U.S. is in a recession; among the general public, 76% said the U.S. was in a recession six months ago, and other polling suggests most people believe things have grown worse since then. I have seen this belief firsthand which always catches me off-guard. I have even heard people talking of another depression. I suppose… Read More
Continue ReadingTattoo Youth
Ok, lame play on words for a title so my regrets to the Rolling Stones. The tattoo topic is one that seems to be ever-present. What should companies do about employees with tattoos? The Herman Trend Alert (sorry, no link) provides the data as to why this topic is so common: Thus, it is no wonder that over 32 percent of young people aged 25 to 29 and 25 percent of folks aged 30 to 39 have followed suit (Harris Interactive, 2008). A 2006 Pew Research survey found 36 percent of people ages 18 to 25 had tattoos, while a full 40 percent of those 26 to 40 sported them.… Read More
Continue ReadingUsing Social Networks For Conducting Background Checks
In catching up on some posts and articles from the weekend I came across a survey from CareerBuilder on Cheezhead. The survey is looking to see how many hiring managers use social networking sites for conducting background checks. Here are the findings: Of those hiring managers who have screened job candidates via social networking profiles, one-third (34 percent) reported they found content that caused them to dismiss the candidate from consideration. Top areas for concern among these hiring managers included: 41% – candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs 40% – candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information 29% – candidate had poor communication skills 28% –… Read More
Continue ReadingIM Efficiency
How about this from the Herman Trend Alert – Use IM to Reduce Interruption (sorry, no link). Most people believe using “instant messaging” (IM) software to chat at work leads to an increase in disruption. In fact, a study published recently by researchers at Ohio State University and University of California, Irvine found that workers who used IM on the job reported fewer interruptions than their colleagues who did not. The research showed that IM is often used as a substitute for other, more disruptive forms of communication such as the telephone, email, and face-to-face conversations and thus it actually leads to an increase in productivity. Dr. R. Kelly Garrett… Read More
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