2010 Unemployment

9.3 to 9.7% That’s right, that is the expectation for the 2010 unemployment rate from the Federal Reserve based on this abcnews.com story.  I find that number shockingly high, but it is realistic. Then there is this bit of information from Reuters (emphasis mine): Speaking at American Economic Association’s mammoth yearly gathering, experts from a range of political leanings were in surprising agreement when it came to the chances for a robust and sustained expansion: They are slim. Many predicted U.S. gross domestic product would expand less than 2 percent per year over the next 10 years. The depressed economy combined with the high unemployment numbers has started to change… Read More

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An Alternative Trend

We get many press releases every day that mainly announce new products.  However, I did get one from CareerBuilder.com that was fairly interesting.  The topic is sales hiring in 2009 and, not surprisingly, many companies are going to be “cautious.” The format is basically a survey of 2009 trends and the press release lists highlights of their findings.  I apologize for not having a link though I suspect it may be on the CareerBuilder website now. Here is what caught my eye: 2. More Flexibility – Flexible work options continue to be an important benefit for sales employers to provide workers. Nearly four-in-ten (37 percent) of sales employers will provide… Read More

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2 Jobs In 1

The Wall Street Journal offers an article about companies combining 2 jobs into 1 and then hiring based on the lower level job.  The author explains it better than me: Some job hunters have been encountering a new kind of downsizing: companies that aren’t eliminating positions entirely, but are combining a mid-level position with a more junior one — then advertising it as a junior slot and offering a lower salary. I’m not sure this is the best approach to hiring in that you often get what you pay for.  One of my suggestions would be to assess the candidates if you go this route.  There are many talented, young… Read More

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First Round Cuts

The frequency of layoffs has started to rise as the economy continues it’s slow progression (no, it hasn’t recessed).  Up here in Minnesota we have experienced some large layoffs recently.  But there is an interesting point in all of these layoffs when it comes to salespeople. Many times the underperformers are released first as a method for upgrading the sales force. One of the large corporations up here announced a sizeable layoff that reduced their employee count by 5%.  Yet, the following week they had multiple employment ads on multiple sites looking for different levels of salespeople.  This approach is not surprising as you will see it often during slow… Read More

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The Key To Sales Retention

Listen, according to this Selling Power article: “One of the mistakes companies have made in the past is that they make decisions without real input from the people who are most affected by the hiring decisions,” says Opton. “Companies need to realize that they always have two sets of customers – internal and external. The minute that someone comes to work for them, that person becomes an internal customer to the organization. The organization needs to listen to what their needs are and act on those needs.” The article references a survey regarding executives’ wants, but it is representative of employees also.  The interesting stat that always seems to come… Read More

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