Category: "Opinion and View"
Female business leaders discuss "secrets" to career success
June 12th, 2008"I never use the advantage, or we call it disadvantage, as a woman while at work with my male colleagues," says Dong Mingzhu, President of China's Gree Electric Appliances, the top-selling air-conditioning manufacturer in the world, at a Women CEO Forum of the Global Summit of Women 2008 in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam on Saturday.
"I see no difference between women and men at work...I don't ask for special treatment because I'm a woman. Gender is not important in business. What's important is decisiveness, judgment, and action," says the strong-minded lady, joined by hundreds of other female delegates, who packed the grand ballroom of the Melia Hotel in the downtown area of Hanoi.
The women from about 70 countries, many dressed up in exquisite and colorful traditional clothes, were discussing secrets to career success, and the different working performance between men and women.
Sophia Tong, General Manager of IBM in China's Taiwan, considers loving, caring and considerateness as special gifts for women, which help them deal with things in a more gentle and easily-to-be-accepted way. She also believes women are good at multi-tasking, which enables them to handle different things properly at the same time.
However, she believes that women, especially Asian women, are not as bold as men, thus letting good chances to slip away from their fingers.
"You need to think big, and then take action," she suggests.
Yasmin Mahmood, Managing Director for Microsoft Malaysia, describes women's roles as "jogging plates in the air", like Chinese acrobats, without one plate falling to the ground. "This amazing versatility enables women to move quickly from one style to another. It's everyone's, not just women's responsibility to help women to transform."
In order to become a successful woman in career, Sophia asks all women at the forum to "go global", to gain multiple capabilities, and "most important of all, have a clear self-awareness, to know yourself well, to know what kind of person you are, and what you really want. "
The six panelists, all of them leaders of their respective companies, agree that they are still working in a man-dominant working environment, and it's very rare for a woman to climb to a top position.
Ann Sherry, CEO of Carnival Australia, says that in her company's decades of history, only two women have managed to "climb" to the CEO position, including her.
Yukako Uchinaga, CEO of Berlitz International in Japan, says the top-ranking women in Japanese companies are still rare species, while the middle-level female managers are more and more commonly seen.
"Sometimes you'll have to wait five, or ten years to move from the middle to the top, and many women stop trying during the process," Yukako adds, "So my advice is: don't give up!"
On personalities for a women to succeed in career life, Dong says she believes that passion and confidence are the two vital personalities in a woman's career life. "Passion and confidence will make a woman love the job and be happy," she says.
Ten Tips on Making a Successful Career Change
February 14th, 2008Are you looking for more than just a better job? Are you looking for a more rewarding profession, one that better aligns with your skills, interests, values, and plans for the future? If so, be prepared to face a lot of reflection and planning.
It’s important to take a serious look at the many possibilities and outcomes before you jump into a new career or field. Consider these 10 tips as you make a transition from your present career to your next:
Have a clear plan. The smartest move that you can make is to carefully map out an effective career-change strategy. This should include a detailed action plan that takes into consideration finances, research, education, and training. Keep in mind that a successful career change can take several months or longer to accomplish, so patience is key.
Wait for the right time. The best time to consider a new career is when you are safely ensconced in your existing position. It goes without saying that a steady paycheck can relieve a lot of pressure. There are many ways to take steps toward your new career path; you can volunteer or offer yourself as a freelancer or consultant. This can help you to “test the waters” in your desired new field.
Be sure of your reasons. Just because you’re unhappy in your current job isn’t a strong enough reason to make a total career break. Carefully analyze whether it is your actual career you dislike or whether your employer, supervisor, or office situation is the problem.
Do your research. Be sure to examine all possibilities before attempting a career jump. Talk to people in your network; read career and job profiles; meet with a career management professional. The more information with which you arm yourself beforehand, the more successful you will be.
Decide what’s important. This is the best time for thoughtful self-reflection. Ask yourself what it is you really want to do with the rest of your life. Take an honest inventory of your likes and dislikes, and evaluate your skills, values, and personal interests. Many people who are looking to change careers do so to find a balance between their personal and professional lives, to accomplish the right mix of meaning and money. You may want to consider consulting a career coach and/or taking a career assessment test.
Examine your qualifications. Do you have the necessary experience and education to be considered a qualified candidate in your desired career field? If not, you need to find a way to bridge the credentials gap. This might mean making your goal more long-term while you go back to school or receive additional training.
Learn about the industry. Get a feel for the field that interests you. Read industry journals, attend conferences, and talk to people in the profession about what they do. Learn whether your target industry has growth potential. Trade magazines, organizations, and entrepreneurs have created a slew of Web sites that offer searchable databases where job openings in many specific industries are listed. Start looking at these sites on a regular basis.
Develop your network. Begin nurturing professional friendships early and tend them regularly. Professional organizations and job industry trade associations are a good place to start. Many of them hold networking events and job fairs.
Update your job search skills. It is especially important to polish up your job-hunting skills and techniques before you get out there and start networking. Make sure you are using your time and resources as effectively as possible.
Pay your dues. Don’t expect to begin at the same level of seniority in your new career that you held in your old one. It will take time to move up the ranks, but if you find a new career that you absolutely love, it will be worth it.
What is China doing to its workers?
February 9th, 2008Arvind Subramanian / New Delhi February 08, 2008
Is the dramatic decline in labour’s share of the economic pie ominous.
A silent revolution has been taking place in China. Somehow, without anyone noticing, the capitalists have upended the People’s Republic. Over the past few years, they have effected a significant redistribution of income away from workers. This might well be the mother of all redistributions.
Normally, in most countries, the distribution of income between labour and capital changes not at all or very slowly. For example, in the United States, the share of the economic pie going to workers has been, with some small exceptions, roughly stable in the post-war period. In China itself, this share was roughly stable for over 25 years since the Chinese economy took an outward turn in 1978.
But recently there have been tectonic shifts. Between 2002 and 2005, according to Berkeley economists, Chong-En Bai, Chang-Tai Hsieh, and Yingyi Qian, the share of the economic output going to workers decreased by about 8 percentage points, from about 50 per cent of GDP to 42 per cent of GDP. Which means that China — yes, the People’s Republic — now has perhaps the lowest labour share of any major country in the world.
What does the decline in labour share mean? It does not mean that the absolute fortunes of labour have declined. To the contrary, in China, real wages have been growing at a decent clip of about 7 per cent a year. What it does imply is that real wages have been growing more slowly than productivity. This failure of workers to capture their productivity gains — as economic theory would predict — has proved costly to them. If the sharing of the pie had remained the same in 2005 as in 2002, the average Chinese would have received $160 more than he or she actually did, which represents nearly 10 per cent of current per capita income.
How did this happen? Historically, such major shifts are rare. When they have occurred, they have typically been associated with political transitions as Dani Rodrik of Harvard University documented some years ago. Transitions from democracy to autocracy (Chile in 1973, Turkey in 1980, Argentina in 1976 and Brazil in 1964) led to a large decline in the share of the pie going to labour. In fact, during these four transitions, the share of labour fell on average by 11 percentage points.
Similarly, the transition from autocracy to democracy saw an increase in the share of the pie going to labour. In a few cases — Greece and Portugal in 1974, Spain in 1975 and Chile in 1989 — the increase in the labour’s income share was dramatic — an average increase of about 10 percentage points. Similar changes occurred when Korea and Taiwan moved towards democracy in the 1980s.
The association between political changes and the fortunes of labour has to do with the institutional arrangements that affect the relative bargaining power of labour and capital. Democracies tend to strengthen labour’s bargaining situation, either by allowing greater freedom of association or better means of redress against employers. In some cases, democracy simply encourages greater populism, leading to large and unaffordable wage increases. On the other hand, authoritarian regimes could favor cronyism and strengthen producer interests, resulting in a greater ability of employers to transfer income away from labour.
But China, of course, has not seen any radical political change that could easily explain the dramatic shifts that have occurred. Can market-related developments explain this puzzle? Consider the counterpart of the decline in labour share, namely the rise in the share of capital.
It is well known, for example, that China has a distorted financial, especially banking, system, resulting in cheap and easy credit, at least to those state-owned enterprises that get it. This distortion has if anything worsened over time. Capital has become even cheap relative to labour, contributing to rising investment, from 35 per cent of GDP in 2000 to nearly 45 per cent in 2006, and a growing capital intensity of production. With such high investment rates, it seems logical that capital’s share would have risen.
Actually, standard theory suggests the opposite. The rising capital intensity of production should have reduced the returns to capital, so that the total income accruing to capital should have declined. And this decline in turn should normally have been large enough to reduce capital’s share of income or keep it unchanged. But the opposite has happened in China: the returns to capital failed to decline so that capital’s share of income went up, and by a large amount. So, the puzzle deepens.
One possible explanation is technological progress. China’s intensive use of capital could have been simultaneously accompanied by rapid technological progress which made capital more efficient — or prevented it from becoming less efficient. In fact, there’s some evidence for this in the structure of exports, since over the past five years China has shifted from low-margin “commodity” manufacturing to high-margin “advanced products.” But the shifts are not significant enough to warrant large changes in income distribution.
How might this decline in labour’s share — a source of potential social disaffection and unrest — be reversed? To begin with, it is likely that public pressure will force the government to share the large returns to capital with savers, thereby improving household investment income. Most Chinese savers, who have their money in the Chinese banking system, today obtain zero or negative returns. And they have become wise to this large disparity. Thus, the government has been forced to list more firms in the stock market so that households can enjoy some of the high returns that companies are making. Households have also been investing heavily in the real estate market. But this government strategy has limits because stock and real estate prices are exceptionally high, and as they return to earth, households could be left with depreciated assets and poor returns, which might do little to increase their income.
Over a longer period, further economic forces will come into play. New entrants will emerge and bid away the excessive return to capital. But the big question is this: what if these forces are too weak, or too slow, and the public becomes impatient? Will the decline in labour’s share of the economic pie be reversed through political change? That may be China’s big question.
Arvind Subramanian is Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics and Center for Global Development, and Senior Research Professor, Johns Hopkins University
Top 10 Hiring Errors
February 3rd, 2008Hiring in China is still the number one issue and solutions are thin on the ground. Research by Deutsch and Remillard, who wrote the book on hiring, found that there are 10 common mistakes that companies should avoid if they hope to achieve success in hiring. This is a complement to our Top 10 Don’ts.
Job Descriptions. Interviewers tended to focus on experience and skills rather than the company’s expectations for the position. This is a strong mismatch which can be solved by taking it a step further. Check out Peformance Profiles.
Superficial Interviews. There was little in the way of checking or verifying of candidate’s experience and education.
Over-emphasis on Resume. Interviewers focused too much on details in the Resume such as education, technical skills, and industry experience.
Initial Impact. Interviewers relied heavily on first impressions to make their hiring decisions.
Historical Bias. Hiring teams used only past performance to predict future results. This was thought be insufficient.
Performance bias. Candidates who ‘performed’ at interview tended to be chosen over real job performers.
Active Candidates Companies tended to bottom feed and only attracted the active job seeker. Passive candidates were not succesfully targeted.
Best Predictors Interviewers tended not to focus on self-motivation, leadership, comparable past performance, job-specific problem solving and adaptability, and these have been shown to be strong predictors of performance.
Understanding Stars. Companies failed to understand the motivation of Stars and did not structure a process around their needs. It’s worth noting that in China, everyone is a star.
Shallow Approach. Companies did not budget sufficient time and resources for a successful search.
Customer Service: Key to Successful Recruiting
February 2nd, 2008Fast and personal customer service is what I insist is core to being an effective 21st century recruiter. Every candidate should receive a personal response customized to their questions and needs. Candidates should be sold positions on the basis of the goodness of their fit in the position and to the degree they exhibit the skills and competencies needed.
Yet, many recruiters are challenged to provide this level of service. Here are a few quotes from recruiters: "I have received almost 500 resumes. Over 90% of these people are not qualified or not what my company is looking for." Another said, "I have been overwhelmed with candidates. Some fit our needs, but most don't even take the time to read the job description...I wish I could reply to every candidate, but if I did, I would not be doing my job!"
Candidates, on the other side of the fence, say, "Now, as a candidate going through a very bad dry spell in finding recruiting work, I rarely experience this common courtesy among recruiters who post jobs that don't exist and fail to follow simple due diligence." And this: "I'm a downsized corporate executive who has been repeatedly appalled by the way companies and recruiters are treating candidates."
We all, I believe, want to provide candidates with great service, and we all know that those who have been ignored, dismissed as not qualified, and otherwise treated with discourtesy will not forget and may never recommend our firm to friends or apply again, even when they may be excellent choices.
Every act of discourtesy will eventually be incorporated into the overall reputation that our firms have about people and how they are treated. As they say in the customer satisfaction business, for every customer that tells you they are satisfied, there are at least 3 dissatisfied customers who have said nothing. The same applies for candidates.
So, what does the overworked, overwhelmed recruiter do? How can you provide responsive service in the face of huge numbers of resumes? Here are three tips:
Don't Post Job Descriptions, But If You Do, Make Them Precise and Specific
I have taken an excerpt from a job description I found on a website that is representative of many I see every day. The question I ask is who, with even a modicum of technical ability and a dash of experience, will not feel qualified for this job? There are no specifics, no details, and no firm requirements. I almost feel that I could apply for this and justify why if asked.
You're looking for more than just a job in Information Technology. You want a career that challenges your IT experience while giving you the freedom and support to succeed. Look no further than [company name]. Our Professional Services offerings span the entire application life cycle, giving our customers a complete solution and our employees the opportunity to excel on all platforms.
With our technical focus and emphasis on delivery, we strive to hire experienced Information Technology professionals with broad skill sets and the desire and versatility to learn new businesses and skills. We are selective in hiring and serious about retaining those we do hire.
We are looking for candidates with the following attributes:
Oracle Financials experience
Oracle 11i application development experience
Strong PL/SQL
I am sure that this has generated many hundreds of unqualified resumes. Unfortunately, most job descriptions are written this way deliberately so that they will generate a large number of responses. When we lacked technology and reach, this was a marginally acceptable approach. But today, it creates big problems. Most candidates are very concerned with applying for an appropriate job, but how can they really tell from the way descriptions are written? Are the specific requirements spelled out? Are you using technology to screen for these?
We need to focus on a building a new mindset. We do not need mass marketing for most positions, we do not need to generate hundreds of responses to make sure we've "covered the field," and we can't ignore hundreds of applicants because of our own inadequacies. Many of us have attitudes that would be similar to those of a store clerk who, when overwhelmed with customers, simply walks off and leaves them.
We Need to Use Technology, and Use it Better
The new recruiting tools and systems have built-in tools for communicating, screening, and maintaining relationships with candidates. These candidate relationship management tools are not magical, but they ease the burden and automate a portion of the task. However, the sad fact is that after these systems are purchased, only a fraction of recruiters utilize their powerful communication and screening features. Most recruiters are still focused on the zero value-added backend "administrivia" and don't see as clear a connection between the candidate experience and the type of response they get from recruiters.
Salesforce.com and all the larger Applicant Tracking Systems can automate the responses candidates get to various actions they take on the website. They can periodically send e-mails and newsletters, and they can be better programmed to send intelligent responses to candidates' questions.
The bottom line is that all recruiters need to do a better job letting candidates know where they stand in the recruiting process by sending regular updates and letting them know as soon as possible that they are no longer being considered. Even automatic bounce-back responses can be more intelligently written and distributed.
Relationships and Referrals Are Keys to Your Success
I am more and more convinced that posting job descriptions is an archaic process. While I have no doubt that the practice will live on for a long time, it is not the best, cheapest, or faster way to find good people.
Using technology to develop relationships and to communicate regularly with a selected and screened pool of candidates is the key to your real success. By developing and using tools that allow candidates and hiring managers to co-create requirements and refine requirements as needed, more good people will find jobs that fit them better. Posting jobs on job boards and pushing descriptions that seem to have been written by a PR firm out to wary candidates is no longer effective.
Recruiters have to use social networks, referrals, Internet search, and face-to-face conversation to build trust and establish a relationship with candidates that can be leveraged whenever needed. Unfortunately, face-to-face relationship building is slow, expensive, and clumsy. Social networks allow you do this with much greater ease and gracefulness at a lower cost in time and money.
Base your recruiting on the customer service mindset, go for quality (not volume), and do that by building relationships and asking for referrals. If you are generating hundreds of responses to a job posting, you are doing something terribly wrong.
Mandatory Salary Increases for China?
February 1st, 2008By Frank Mulligan – Accetis International, Talent Software & Recruit China
There are looming clouds on the horizon in China with definite signs of wet weather, and not even the remotest connection to the presence of bears.
Self-inflicted rain.
The Chinese Ministry of Labor and Social Security is apparently working on a new law that encourages employers to pay higher salaries. It has not been announced as specifically mandatory, with compulsion for employers, but the fact of it’s consideration is problematic, to say the least.
The logic behind the move is that there is increased inflation in China, and this must be offset with salary increases. The fact that this would feed further inflation seems to have escaped everyone’s notice. No specific details are available but what is confirmed is the linkage between these salary increases and the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
I strongly suspect that this measure is intended to impact the lives of manual laborers but even if it is not a threat to your average Chinese professional in the immediate term, it will be in the medium term. Higher worker salaries mean that China becomes less attractive as an FDI market, and eventually there has to be a spillover effect on professional jobs.
The impact would include factories that don’t get built; factories that don’t expand; factories that actually reduce worker numbers; and those factories that would have come to China but are moved to cheaper countries. Never mind the effect on retail or hospitality establishments that depend so heavily on manual labor. In all these scenarios fewer professional managers are needed to manage the workforce, and that’s not a good thing in a country with so many new workers coming onstream.
It is also odd that this salary increase law, for want of a better term, should be considered at a time when the world’s economy is drifting, if not actually heading to recession. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the pace of the world’s economy will slow significantly in 2008; in fact they cite an inevitable slowdown. Yesterday they warned that restoring world financial markets was going to be a complex and protracted task.
It could be a bumpy ride in China this year. Let’s hope for as few bears as possible.
Regional expertise is a priority in China
February 1st, 2008By Rolf D. Cremer
Published: January 28 2008 05:59 | Last updated: January 28 2008 05:59
Before the mid-1980s, there was virtually no management education in China capable of preparing managers for a new, market-oriented, and increasingly international business environment.
There were no business schools in the western sense, and the MBA was practically unknown.
The business departments of local universities lacked both the quality and the quantity of faculty to offer credible programmes, and they lacked faculty capable of working with senior executives in an EMBA or executive education programme.
Meanwhile, the foreign MBA providers in China did have faculty, and brought them into the country. Their lack of in-depth knowledge of China and lack of real involvement with management did not hinder enrolment because at the time, there were no adequate substitutes.
During this initial stage, the emphasis was almost exclusively on teaching, and foreign providers using western teaching methods. Their market-orientated course enjoyed a competitive edge over rival programmes offered by domestic institutions.
But China’s MBA business has changed fundamentally during the past five years.
The number of domestic universities approved by the Ministry of Education to offer advanced business education programmes has quickly increased.
Today more than 100 universities have been approved for MBA degrees. They offer around 250 MBA and EMBA programmes, roughly 40 of which operate in co-operation with, or as host to, a foreign provider.
During this growth, China’s management schools have become much more competitive. The financial and administrative ability of the leading universities in recruiting internationally qualified faculty has increased.
The economic rise of China has attracted back the so-called “sea-turtles”, Chinese graduates and faculty with world-class management degrees and teaching or research experience. China’s potential students are now better prepared than ever before.
Employers now also realise the limited value of degree programmes and executive education courses that lack China-relevant content and context.
The time of importing management programmes and faculty into China is now coming to an end. Business schools in China are re-positioning themselves.
China is no longer a passive recipient of knowledge and know-how, but is developing into a power centre for influencing management teaching content and research methodology. In this respect, the world of education mirrors the rising influence of China on world affairs.
The success of China’s re-positioning over the next decade or two within the business education arena depends on three factors.
First, a handful of China-based business schools will need to emerge as an internationally-recognised elite – on a par in performance and reputation with the world’s leading schools.
At present, this is not yet the case, even though a small number of leading Chinese schools are prominent within the country, and are highly respected.
The rise of these schools into the elite will be led by the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua, by the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, and by the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS).
Second, China-based schools will need to align themselves with practical priorities of business.
At present, Chinese and foreign faculty in China are reluctant to commit their research to the region.
With one eye on the faculty market in North America and Europe, they consider publication in leading international (that is, US-based) academic journals as necessary for career development.
But with abundant and exciting research opportunities, good funding sources, and an emerging group of elite business schools in China itself, the future will bring greater alignment with the region.
Third, China-based faculty will need to emerge as leaders in education and research.
This will reduce the passive import of knowledge into the Chinese classroom and will gradually alter the world perception of business. The challenge for education will no longer be: “How can we teach (and sell) western knowledge and know-how to Chinese students in China and abroad?”
Instead it will be: “What can we learn (and apply) from the sustained success of China’s economy, and Chinese businesses?” This development may be hindered by the need to change the Western mindset to embrace the goal of learning from China, rather than lecturing to China.
Co-operation between the leading Chinese business schools and their international counterparts is an important means to overcoming this obstacle.
Rolf D Cremer is dean of the China Europe International Business School
Sales and the Future of Recruiting
January 30th, 2008The business of recruiting is not just about sourcing your candidate and interviewing them. As economic concerns creep, unemployment rises, and competition in the field of recruiting increases, recruiting is more about selling then recruiting. It's more than selling the candidate the position and selling the candidate to your hiring manager. It's about building relationships and loyalty.
As the market continues to tighten, those who sell and understand what both the candidate and the hiring manager want are going to be the clear winners on the staffing battlefield. Understanding your customers (both the candidate and hiring manager) buying motives is an important first step. You wouldn't buy a car without viewing consumer reports, right? So why wouldn't you google your candidate, research the industry and market, and survey recent hires on what motivates them to buy.
What differentiates good salespeople from great salespeople is not the product they're peddling, is the way you relate and engage the candidate. By doing so, you'll be able to make a job offer that is truely customized to the candidate.
As recruiters, it's our job to build those relationships and treat every candidate like a celebrity. I'm not saying roll out the red carpet and ask for an autograph. Small gestures are what differentiates a great sales person from the rest. I am a firm believer in returning each and every candidate's phone calls regardless of if they were selected or not. I send a handwritten note to each and every network contact I meet at a seminar or event. It's the little things that make a lasting impression.
No matter how you look at it sales is an important part of what makes a recruiter successful. Sales techniques can be used in most every part of your everyday life outside of work. Adding these sales tools to your recruiting tool box can only make you a more respected, successful, and confident recruiter.
10 Things Recruiters Should Know About Every Candidate They Interview
January 24th, 2008Interviewing candidates and gauging their fit for a culture and position is one of the most indispensable tasks a recruiter performs. The more a recruiter knows about a candidate, the better equipped they are to add value to the hiring process. That's why getting to know the candidate and understand what they are looking for, along with overall qualifications, is so critical.
But there is more about candidates you should uncover if you want to do the best possible job of providing information (read: value) to hiring managers. Below are ten points in key areas that all recruiters should investigate for each candidate they interview — before they present the candidate to the hiring manager.
Complete compensation details. Understand exactly how the candidate's current compensation program is structured. This means more than the candidate's base salary; the base salary is just part of the overall package. Be sure that you ask about bonuses; if, how and when they are paid out, stock options or grants that have been awarded. Compile a complete list of benefits and how they are structured (e.g. PPO vs. HMO; there is a difference) and know when the candidate is up for his or her next review, because this can alter cash compensation.
Type of commute. Commute is a quality-of-life issue and discussing it is important. A ten-minute commute against traffic is very different than taking the car to a train and having to walk five blocks to the new organization. If the commute to your organization is worse for the candidate than it is in his or her existing job, bring it up and see how the candidate responds. If the commute is better, use it as a selling point. By all means, be sure that you understand the candidate's current commute and how they feel about the new one.
The "what they want vs. what they have" differential. Most candidates do not change jobs just for the sake of changing jobs. They change jobs because there are certain things missing in their current position that they believe can be satisfied by the position your organization is offering. This disparity is called the "position differential" and it is the fundamental reason a person changes jobs. Know what this position differential is and you will be able to know if you have what the candidate is looking for. If so, you will be able to develop an intelligent capture strategy when it comes time to close.
How they work best. Some candidates work best if left alone, while others work best as part of a team. It is your job to know enough about the organization's philosophy and the way the hiring manager works to see if the candidate will either mesh or grind. Beware of recommending hiring a candidate who does not fit into the current scheme, because, at times, style can be just as important as substance.
Overall strengths and weaknesses. Be sure to get some understanding of the candidate's strong points and the candidate's limitations. All of us have strengths and weaknesses (even John Sullivan has weaknesses, but he won't tell me what they are). Our role is to identify them and be able to present them to the hiring manager. Hint: Ask what functions the candidate does not enjoy performing. We are seldom good at things we don't like.
What they want in a new position. Everyone wants something. Find out what the candidate wants in a new position. Be sure to do whatever is necessary to get this information. Feel free to pick away during the interviewing process with open-ended questions until you have all of your questions answered. It is difficult to determine whether a given hiring situation has a good chance of working out if you do not know what the candidate is looking for in a new position.
Is the candidate interviewing elsewhere? This is big; I don't like surprises and neither do hiring managers. I always ask the candidate what else they have for activity. If the candidate has three other companies they are considering and two offers are arriving in the mail tomorrow, this is absolute need-to-know information. If the hiring manager wants to make an offer, it's time to advise them as to what the competition looks like and move this deal onto the express lane, fast.
What it will take to close the deal. This is a first cousin of #6 above but it is more specific and flavored with a "closing the deal" mentality. #6 relates to what the candidate wants in a new position, but this one quantifies that want. For example, if the candidate wants more money, this is where you will assess how much it will take to close the deal. As another example, while #6 will let you know that the candidate wants to work on different types of projects, this one will tell you exactly what types of projects those are.
Can the candidate do the job? Even though, as the recruiter, you might not be able to determine if this is the perfect candidate, you should exit the interview with an opinion as to whether or not the candidate can perform the functions of the position. Furthermore, that opinion must be based upon information that was unveiled during the interviewing process and not just a gut feeling. It has to be based upon what the candidate has successfully accomplished and how that aligns with the needs of the current position. If you can't offer a solid opinion on this one, you need to dig deeper until you have a solid case for why the candidate can or cannot do the job.
Will the candidate fit into the culture? Predicting the future is tricky business, but someone has to take a shot at evaluating a candidate's chance for success. Not everyone that is capable of doing the job will have a successful run at the company, because culture does play a role in candidate success. For example, the culture of a buttoned-down insurance company in Boston is very different than the garage culture of a software startup in the valley. If you have a reason to believe that the person is the wrong DNA for an organization, it is imperative that you raise the issue.
There are few things hiring managers value more than solid candidate feedback based upon a well-executed interview. Convey this information to the hiring manager and take one more step towards becoming a world-class recruiter.
Avoid the Top 10 Résumé Mistakes
January 21st, 2008Most employers are deluged with résumés from eager job seekers. Some human resource managers have hundreds of them sitting on their desks on any given day. With competition this fierce, the key to effective résumé writing means being certain that yours is free of the common errors that many employers complain that they see made over and over again.
A strongly written résumé can be the difference between landing an interview and landing in the “no” pile. Here are 10 common pitfalls to avoid when preparing your résumé:
1.No clear focus. Your résumé should show a clear match between your skills and experience and the job's requirements. A general résumé with no sharp focus is not seen as competitive. Why are you the best person for this particular position?
2.Dutifully dull. A solid résumé is much more than a summary of your professional experience; it’s a tool to market yourself. Avoid phrases like “responsibilities included” or “duties included.” Your résumé should not be a laundry list of your duties but rather an announcement of your major accomplishments.
3.Poorly organized. Information on a résumé should be listed in order of importance to the reader. Don't ask employers to wade through your hobbies first. Dates of employment are not as important as job titles. Education should be emphasized if you are freshly out of school and have little work experience; otherwise, put it at the end. If your résumé is difficult to read or key information is buried, it's more likely to be cast aside.
4.Too much emphasis on old jobs. Résumés that go too far back into the job seeker's work history can put that person at risk for possible age discrimination. Does anyone really need to read about your high school job bagging groceries, especially if that was 20 years ago? The rule of thumb for someone at a senior level is to list about the last 15 years worth of professional experience.
5.Important skills buried. Don't forget to bullet the important skills that make you a standout in your field. Your objective is to play up the value that you will bring to a prospective employer. Emphasize how and what you will add worth to the company, not the reason you want the job. Employers are looking for someone to enhance the organization, not their own résumé.
6.Drab looking. Try to stay away from the cookie-cutter résumé templates that employers see constantly. Show a little imagination when writing and designing your résumé. But don't overdo it. Overly artistic or tiny fonts are a no-no, since they're hard to read and don't scan or photocopy well.
7.Too personal. If your Web site includes photos of your cat or your personal blog about what you did over the weekend, don't steer prospective employers there by including it on your résumé. Keep your personal and your professional life separate in order to be taken seriously.
8.One typo too many. Your résumé is your one chance to make a first impression. A typo or misspelled word can lead an employer to believe that you would not be a careful, detail-oriented employee. Spell-check software is not enough, since sentences like “Thank you for your patients” would get the thumbs up. Ask several people to proofread your résumé to be sure that it is free of typos and grammatical errors.
9.Stretches the truth. Everyone wants to present his or her work experience in the most attractive light, but information contained on your résumé must be true and accurate. Whether you're simply inflating past accomplishments or coming up with complete fabrications, lying is simply a bad idea. Aside from any moral or ethical implications, chances are that you'll eventually get caught and lose all credibility.
10.Skips the extras. A common mistake is neglecting to mention any extra education, training, volunteer work, awards, or recognitions that might pertain to your particular job area or industry. Many employers view such "extracurricular activities" as testament to a well-rounded employee, so leverage such things as assets to distinguish your résumé from the hordes of others out there.
Confronting Asia's recruitment challenge
December 2nd, 2007By Isabelle Chan, ZDNet Asia
commentary Market reports show that employers are using financial incentives to retain their staff. That's almost welcome news.
Who doesn't want their salary to increase? But I hope employers are not offering better pay only as a counter-offer when an employee resigns.
Understandably, businesses have salary bands, and they need to keep their hiring costs in check. But there are companies which avoid paying salaries that commensurate with a candidate's experience and the job responsibilities, and for these employers, they should know that it works in their favor to pay a fair and competitive salary at the onset. Why wait until an employee announces his or her intent to leave to offer a raise?
But it often isn't about the money, as one ZDNet Asia reader pointed out in response to last week's commentary. It is the total package that counts, by that I mean salary, plus challenging work, a competent and understanding supervisor, great coworkers, and opportunities to keep learning and to move up the ranks.
Recruiters say finding good talent and keeping them is a challenge. I will not argue with that, but I believe more can always be done, and earlier rather than later. In fact, I believe employers can take proactive steps to preempt resignations and to give their staff a reason to stay, way before their staff even start to entertain thoughts and offers of employment elsewhere.
In most cases, bosses should generally have an idea--even if it is vague--of what his or her employee is seeking. And they don't need to wait until the annual year-end appraisal to find out. Supervisors can conduct midyear or quarterly reviews, or simply chat with their staff over coffee. It doesn't have to be a formal setting. Supervisors can find out a lot more about a particular staff, and if he or she has personal or work issues, if he or she didn't see it as a formal review session.
Of course, there are other factors like work culture and environment that come into play, too. Hell, even how good the restroom smells could help sway some people into staying or leaving. A friend once told me how quickly she made up her mind about a potential job, even before stepping into the interview. She decided, almost immediately, that she couldn't possibly work in a place that had filthy restrooms.
Okay, not everyone will give up a perfectly good job opportunity just because the toilet smells of pee, but that's a non-financially motivated reason for employers to think about.
With younger and more tech-savvy men and women joining the workforce, one area that HR departments might want to start thinking about is their policy on Internet use, if there is one.
According to a recent survey conducted by Sophos, one in seven respondents "bring their Facebook addiction to work". Slightly over 37 percent of the respondents only visited the site once or twice a day, 8 percent admitted using it up to 10 times a day, and 14.8 percent, or one in seven, confessed to being logged onto Facebook almost permanently during their work day.
The Sophos report goes on to warn businesses of the potential productivity implications for businesses that allow their employees to access Facebook during office hours.
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said: "The results show that more than one-fifth of these Facebook users are actually Facebook abuses. They're seriously struggling to tear themselves away from the Web site when they should be concentrating on their job--disturbing news for all organizations that are still allowing employees uncontrolled access."
With such statistics suggesting that more employees are loafing at the workplace, what should employers do? On the one hand, businesses are told to build a tech-savvy workplace and look toward new media for ideas, as that's where new market opportunities lie. On the other hand, there is now this potential issue of employee loafing.
I believe it goes back to the issue of placing trust in employees to do their job. Focus on the key performance indicators, and if they meet their deadlines, exceed their targets, and continuously offer new ideas, it's a win-win for both employee and employer. Reward those who exceed expectations, show a can-do, will-do attitude, and are willing to learn.
According to Hudson's fourth-quarter report of employment trends in Asia, low employee tenure is a problem for employers in China, Hong Kong and Singapore, with one-third of employees leaving within two years.
Google was voted No. 1 on Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list, and it is its unique culture that catapulted the Internet giant into this top position, not so much the perks and benefits alone. Google achieved another milestone this week. Its shares crossed the US$700 mark for the first time, ahead of analyst expectations.
So, tell me, is money the answer to Asia's recruitment and business challenge?
Recruiting the Web 3.0 way!
November 23rd, 2007Many companies are still getting their heads around Web 2.0 and how they can use the real interaction it brings, to engage more effectively with job seekers and potential employees. There are some great sites, notably the new Microsoft site but in reality the vast majority of companies have struggled to grasp the Web 2.0 concept. Well all the geeks in geek land have come up with the next level if interaction - Web 3.0 aka The Semantic Web. In simple terms it means information that is understandable by computers without human intervention - enabling computers to perform more of the boring work involved in finding and sharing information on the Web.
So what will that mean to anyone who uses the web to recruit (nearly everyone!!)?
The search engine spiders that find web pages based on certain keywords will gain an understanding of natural language. They will be able to read the pages rather than simply respond to given words and so will be able to deliver more targeted contextual jobs. There will also be software applications that we will all have called Intelligent Agents that will make decisions online for you without the need to ask you first. As an example; a job board wants to send you the jobs that it thinks fits your criteria, but first it has to 'communicate' with your intelligent agent. Think of the intelligent agent as your personal PA - if it doesn't think the job is for you it simply won't tell you about it!
So, this creates an interesting future problem for companies, as they have to 'sell' their jobs on two levels - firstly to get past your non-human intelligent agent, and secondly to appeal to the emotional real human, namely you!! So for recruitment advertisers of the future, just simply writing adds 'appealing to your emotions' will not get past your new PA! This will get all you SEO specialists thinking hard now, won't it!!
Obviously, Web 3.0 is a little way off, but companies can start to think about some of the forthcoming challenges of the SEO, by looking at your current way your company brand is perceived by job seekers and future employees. Balance the rational and emotional messages you are giving out to them, and realise that to be a recruitment success in the future, these new PA's will make more decisions than the candidates will!!
12 Questions to Measure Employee Engagement
October 30th, 20071.Do you know what is expected of you at work?
2.Do you have the materials and equipment you need to do your work right?
3.At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?
4.In the last seven days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5.Does your supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about you as a person?
6.Is there someone at work who encourages your development?
7.At work, do your opinions seem to count?
8.Does the mission/purpose of your company make you feel your job is important?
9.Are your associates (fellow employees) committed to doing quality work?
10.Do you have a best friend at work?
11.In the last six months, has someone at work talked to you about your progress?
12.In the last year, have you had opportunities at work to learn and grow?
Learning to mind your own business
October 25th, 2007ASPIRING entrepreneurs now have access to an innovative, government-funded course with practical tuition on starting their own business ventures.
The course, which started at Shanghai University yesterday, will feature a series of lectures teaching students how to discover opportunities, and implement team-building, networking, marketing, investment and financing plans.
It is the result of a joint project between the Shanghai Technology Entrepreneurship Foundation for Graduates - a government-backed organization funding student companies - and local universities.
A group of renowned entrepreneurs from both home and abroad will be invited to share their own business-starting experiences with university students or Master of Business Administration candidates during the courses.
For instance, David Dan, former president of Intel China who has started the company D Square Transformation Consulting, gave the first course session about business-starting opportunities in China to more than 50 Shanghai University MBA students yesterday.
Foundation officials said entrepreneurs' sharing their real-life experiences made the course stand out from similar courses run by other universities.
"We came to be aware that business-starting is a totally different practice in which hands-on experience is a must," said Li Jun, a foundation official.
Li said the Ministry of Education started the country's business-starting education effort at nine domestic universities in 2002. But the training was less than effective because most of the courses were taught by academics.
Key issue for China's new labor law: enforcement
July 2nd, 2007By Jude Blanchette | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor
Shanghai, CHINA - The comprehensive labor law that China's top legislative body passed Friday includes provisions that have appeared in previous legislation. But what may be different this time, some observers say, is the government's willingness to enforce mandates protecting workers' rights.
Scheduled to come into effect on Jan. 1, 2008, the law stipulates that employment contracts must be put in writing within one month of employment. It also says that employers must fully inform the worker of the nature of the job and of their working conditions and compensation. Furthermore, it limits the ability of employers to use temporary laborers.
But the law's impact lies in how the government interprets and enforces it. "As is always the case with China's laws, the real question will be in whether the new laws are enforced, how they are enforced, and against whom they are enforced," says Dan Harris, an expert at the law firm Harris & Moure.
But, he adds, "there is a feeling the new labor law is more likely to be enforced than the old and, in particular, will be enforced against foreign companies."
Indeed, organizations representing firms doing business in China have objected to certain provisions they say are unclear. In comments last year, the US-China Business Council warned, "The Draft Law may … reduce employment opportunities for PRC workers and negatively impact PRC's competitiveness and appeal as a destination for foreign investment."
On Friday, Xin Chunying, the deputy chairwoman of the National People's Congress Law Committee, tried to allay the fears of foreign companies. "If there were some bias," she said, "it would be in favor of foreign investors because local governments have great tolerance for them in order to attract and retain investment."
The law gives oversight power to labor unions for collective agreements and the implementation of new employment regulations, but because independent labor unions are illegal in China, this duty will fall to the government-sponsored All China Federation of Trade Unions, an organization with deep ties to the Communist Party and local government officials.
Since the first draft of the law was made public in 2005, it has gone through three drafts and elicited more than 190,000 comments from the public.
In a statement issued Sunday, the European Chamber of Commerce welcomed the law's passage, in part because it moved the labor market in the direction that many European countries have gone. According to a statement posted on their website, "After the comprehensive drafting process, the European Chamber is not concerned about the effect of the law on European investment in China."
Since its emergence as an economic powerhouse more than 20 years ago, China has been dogged by criticisms of poor working conditions, the use of child labor, and willingness to placate multinational corporations.
Friday's law comes as the government tries to deal with these complaints and dampen social unrest in rural areas. Indeed, the government is in the midst of a campaign to reduce the impact of the recent discovery of slavery-like conditions in Shanxi Province's brick factories.
Early last month, more than 400 parents from Henan Province whose children had been abducted posted an open letter on the Internet. Their children, it came out, had been sold to work in brick factories in Shanxi Province.
It has since been revealed that thousands of others have met similar fates at brick kilns, many of which are unlicensed After Chinese journalists picked up the story, it rapidly spread around the world, causing outrage and shame in China.
Last week the draft law was amended to punish officials who ignore labor abuses with prison time or other penalties. Ms. Xin said that "The labor contract law makes detailed provision concerning this issue following the exposure of the forced labor scandals."
China, India pose different hiring challenges: survey
June 29th, 2007By Susan Fenton
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Multinational companies in China have a hard task hiring people with leadership skills while in India they face unreasonably demanding fresh graduates, a survey shows.
The fast pace of business expansion in Asia's two emerging economic powerhouses has created a talent shortage and a host of challenges for employers.
"Staff are impatient and there are a lot of jobs out there," said Shalini Mahtani, chief executive of Hong Kong-based Community Business. "If companies are not providing good career opportunities, staff will leave."
Community Business, an organization promoting corporate social responsibility, conducted the survey in Shanghai and Mumbai with Schneider-Ross, a UK-based business consultancy.
Pay is still important as staff in China have no qualms in leaving a company to pick up a higher salary elsewhere, according to the survey. In India, employers say younger professionals are demanding excessive compensation packages, inflated job titles and immediate opportunities for overseas assignments.
One multinational talked of a fresh graduate who came for interview saying he had four job offers on the table and how could the company better that. Such demands were not unusual, the company said.
Pay is talked about openly in India and employees are liable to switch jobs if they know that their fellow graduates from business school are earning more. This makes it difficult for companies to reward good performance, survey participants said.
In China, competition for staff is so acute that one company reported losing a junior member of staff to a local company that more than doubled her salary and offered a position for which she did not have any experience.
The survey interviewed 25 senior managers and HR directors at foreign companies in Shanghai and Mumbai and conducted a focus group in each of the two cities.
A lack of leadership skills among staff poses a real challenge in China and many employees there leave a company because of the attitude or behavior of their boss, survey participants said.
Western multinational companies are no longer routinely seen as the preferred employer, as staff in both countries often see local companies that are expanding globally as a better opportunity to gain visibility and climb the career ladder. Multinationals now are having to approach second and third tier colleges for staff.
Diversity in the workforce, whether by gender, generation or culture, is also difficult to implement because local managers either are not sensitive to the issue or business is growing so fast they have no time to focus on it.
In India stereotyping of women is still common.
"There's an assumption that women will get married and they'll leave the workplace," said Mahtani.
In China, poor leadership skills means companies often havean.
How to fix service at Chinese banks? Yup. Up wages. Hire more tellers
June 28th, 2007MUCH has been said recently about domestic retail banks doing all they could to pacify unhappy customers who suffer long hours of waiting in line.
Major domestic banks are now three months into their campaign to improve their customer service. I decided to make some observations to see if what we read and hear are what we get.
My first stop was at a China Construction Bank branch in Shanghai. Certainly fewer customers were in queue but only two counters were open during lunch hours. Behind the two cashiers were empty chairs.
Why do the bank's staff have to go for lunch together? Must lunch hours for retailers be the same time as for the customers, who obviously have less than an hour to return to their workplace?
As I planned to withdraw 3,000 yuan (US$394), I happily queued at the ATM behind a guy whom I later believed came from another city.
I walked off after waiting more than 15 minutes and made a suggestion to the floor manager. You see, this chap seemed to have an unlimited number of ATM cards and the beauty of it was that he probably did not realize he could withdraw a maximum of 2,500 yuan at one go. He kept punching in 500 yuan per withdrawal.
I then made my pilgrimage to Sichuan Road. Amazingly, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China there was closed for lunch.
Finally, China Merchants Bank's main hall was less crowded and the service speedier.
It seems that Shanghai has a dire shortage of cashiers - tellers. I can think of only one solution.
Yup, up their starting wages and reward the good and faithful ones.
China's software power
June 18th, 2007It's a brave new world for China's software firms as they come of age
WHY China? Even two years ago, Ben Wang had to answer the question every time he tried a sales pitch for software service contracts from overseas clients.
These days, instead of answering the question, Wang asks the questions as he meets executives from scores of companies every month, all keen to outsource software work to his company.
"China is becoming a top destination for software outsourcing," says Wang, CEO of Beijing-based Beyondsoft Co Ltd. His company, started in 1995 with only four people, now has an army of 2,000 engineers, providing outsourcing services for tech giants such as Microsoft and IBM.
China's fledgling outsourcing companies are now expanding rapidly, trying to woo multinationals scouting for low-cost information technology (IT) talent. By trying to pry open the US market, they now aim to become international players like their successful counterparts in India.
But they are not the only ones driving China's IT outsourcing dreams. Leading IT services companies such as US-based EDS and India's Satyam have mapped out aggressive expansion plans in the nation. Some are even looking at acquiring local players to speed up the process.
"It's a critical time for Chinese outsourcing companies," says Wang.
"We will either grow into giants or will be gobbled up by a giant."
Unlike their Indian cousins, Chinese outsourcing companies usually made their first millions in Japan rather than Western countries like Britain and the US.
In 2006, China's software outsourcing companies raked in US$1.4bil in revenues, up more than 40% compared with a year earlier.
And 60% of this revenue came from the Japanese market.
Yet, compared with the US and Europe, the Japanese market is still a small pie. According to IT consultancy IDC, North American and European markets accounted for 75% of the world's US$320bil IT service and outsourcing market. And these two markets are expected to expand more than 60% annually in the coming years, almost twice the speed of the Japanese market.
With the US market firmly in their sights, Chinese outsourcing companies have kicked off an acquisition spree, trying to gain access to it.
In March this year, Beijing-headquartered hiSoft Technology International bought out Envisage Solutions, a California-based IT consulting firm that boasts a client base of biggies such as Novell and General Electric.
Despite their ambition to go global, Chinese outsourcing companies are facing increasing competition in the neighbourhood. As salaries for software engineers keep rising in India, the world's leading outsourcing giants are now eyeing China's universities as the new sources of low-cost software talent.
Tata Consultancy Services, one of India's most powerful IT outfits, established a new outsourcing joint venture in Beijing with Microsoft and two Chinese partners this February.
The company expects the venture to increase its headcount in China tenfold to 5,000 by 2010, and help it become one of the biggest players in China.
Two months later, India's fourth largest software exporter Satyam kicked off a global delivery campus in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province as part of its efforts to increase its number of engineers to more than 3,000 by 2008.
"The labour cost in China could be 15% to 20% lower than India's," Satyam chief executive officer Rama Raju said during the opening ceremony of the Nanjing centre.
"Besides organic growth, we are also studying the possibility of acquiring local companies to speed up our expansion."
Another six best practice for a Sourcer
June 13th, 20071) Automated sourcing and candidate mining should be used.. Spiders, bots, search engines etc..
web spiders should be programmed to crawl, retrieve, and upload candidates into the applicant tracking
system based on both current and future needs.
Infogist , Talenthook , AIRS OXYGEN, comes to mind.
I heard of horror stories on someone sitting in the headoffice making the decision on what tools should be used.
Rather have inputs from actual users.
2)Better use of the new recruits. As they are the trusted sources for their ex-colleagues.
Its not about bombarding them with Employee Referral program message rather recruiters should take the
time out (just take them for lunch) and network with them.
3) Companies are doing exit interviews but never follow up. Does your recruiter gets a feedback why the hire left?
4) Ex Employees and contractors (who worked through third parties) who turned the offer down in the past or left the company. These candidates already know the firm, the culture and might be a easier hire.
5) A culture and environment must be created and a strategy in place to source passive candidates. Sourcing should be based on future needs rather than current or immediate needs. . This process must be a constant building of proactive pipelines of passive candidates.
6) Try new methods of sourcing like job networking sites, podcasting, blogs ,bountyjobs , jobster,
virtual recruiting etc. etc. Reach out to niche sites as many allow you to do free promotion for you.
Legal Recruiting in Mainland China
June 9th, 2007(by Asian Legal online & DaCare Legal)
Over the last year or so the number of clients, both private practice and in-house, seeking to recruit lawyers for their operations in Beijing and Shanghai has seen a steady increase and this is expected to continue throughout 2004. Mainland China is a vast and complex market for most businesses and the position is no different for law firms operating there.
Recruiting the right people for offices on the ground is very difficult and for law firms it is often the case of making the upfront investment in people with the returns on the investment lagging far behind. Not only do language skills play a big part but also experience in the local markets is increasingly important. Beijing and Shanghai are different legal markets and if a client is recruiting for example in Shanghai their clear preference is to have someone already in the local market. The trend in the past has been to relocate people with the necessary skills from Hong Kong and, while this will continue, there will be a developing market in both Beijing and Shanghai for people already on the ground moving firms.
The development of local law firms is also worth noting. The writer on a recent trip to Shanghai met with a number of successful local firms who also face complex recruitment issues. While not an immediate trend, it is envisaged that major local players will eventually seek to recruit lawyers from Hong Kong for their offices in Shanghai or Beijing. The practising rules and CEPA already envisage this kind of movement with the only obstacle being the discrepancy in salary levels.
The Mainland in-house market will also continue to develop at a pace. Of all the legal recruitment markets over the last year, the in-house market has held up well. There is an ever-increasing need to recruit good quality local lawyers for in-house positions with multinationals. There already exists a well-organised in-house lawyers group whose members are being presented with an ever-increasing range of in-house opportunities.
There is no doubt that the legal market in Mainland China will continue to grow - the challenge for everyone involved will be how to attract the right people and how to make a return on the investment involved - there will be no easy fixes in this regard.
Search Firm: DaCare Legal Search
Website: www.dacare-legal.com
Office: shanghai, beijing, china
Keywords: legal recruiting, law jobs, attorney jobs in China
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Sponsor Link: DaCare Legal Search (China)
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China's new employment law gets negative response from multinationals - survey
May 20th, 2007BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - China's proposed employment contract law has created growing feelings of uncertainty and pessimism among foreign-invested enterprises, according to a survey conducted by law firm Baker & McKenzie and HR consultants Hewitt Associates .
The draft legislation was submitted to the National People's Congress this week for its third and final reading but the survey found that the majority of respondents had a negative view of the new law.
'Almost no company expects an overall positive impact,' said Susan Derkach, senior consultant at Hewitt Associates, Beijing.
'Over one-half of participants believe that when implemented, the new labor contract law will have a negative or very negative impact on their daily business,' Derkach said.
After he first draft of the law was published last year it prompted 191,000 comments from the public to the government.
This prompted amendments to the second version including changes, such as an increased emphasis on open-term contracts, non-compete and confidentially agreements, training contracts and probationary periods, restrictions on fixed-term contracts, more specific definitions and limitations concerning mass-layoffs.
'Overall, there seems to be a great degree of uncertainty among the participants about the potential implications of the new law on their companies. Similarly, the majority of participants do not seem to be sure how they should prepare for passage of the law,' Derkach said.
'We believe that companies should aggressively pursue the following three actions: a comprehensive review and redrafting of the work force planning process and strategy; a comprehensive audit and redesign of all HR policies, manuals, collective agreements and employment contracts; strategic decisions on employee representation and collective bargaining,' she said.
The new law is expected to take effect from Jan 1, 2008, but implementing it will challenge most companies, other experts said.
'The law as it stands is very opaque and it is unclear as to how it will actually be implemented,' said Andreas Lauffs, head of the employment group at Baker & McKenzie, Hong Kong.
'So far there has been no mention of grandfathering or of any transition period,' Lauffs said.
Further concerns of respondents to the survey related to trade unions and employee representation.
'This could be an issue in the face of recent moves by China's trade federation to unionize some high-profile multinationals,' Lauffs said.
Both McDonald's and KFC recently came under pressure from the state-controlled All China Federation of Trade Unions to cooperate with the formation of unions in their outlets.
The survey showed that almost half of the 436 participants have no employee representation while 89 pct are not covered by a company or industry collective agreement.
'Only a small number of companies seem to have specific plans to address the potential new requirement to negotiate a collective agreement with their workforce,' Susan Derkach said.
Those surveyed included wholly owned foreign enterprises, join ventures, representative offices, non state-owned enterprises and state-owned enterprises.
Ways to Recruit Online
May 10th, 2007There are three major avenues in online recruiting.
You can advertise your job openings in the online equivalent of classified want ads and wait for jobseekers to contact you.
And you can browse online resume sites for likely candidates and contact them yourself.
You can also get professional assistance from recruiters and employment agencies who advertise their services online.
We'll be covering each of these hiring opportunities in this Buyer's Guide. An article from the AllBusiness.com Business Advice section, "Recruiting in the Internet Age," gives you a quick overview of these main recruiting avenues ¨C print ads, the Internet, recruiting firms, and referrals.
Leadership - 12 Ways To Tell Your People They're Important
April 29th, 2007There's an old saying¡± ¡°Your actions shout so loud I can't hear what you're saying.¡±
Many managers feel constrained by the rules and regulations of their organizations. They feel that their hands are tied when it comes to rewarding their people ¨C that their actions are controlled by others, and there is little of any real value they can do to motivate their people. Leaders understand that recognition and reward applied on a one on one level is essential to success.
They understand the greatest sense of accomplishment and importance often comes from non ¨C monetary actions and rewards, and from positive recognition from the person who is the boss.
What are the ways to make your people know they are important?
Way #1 ¨C You have to believe the work performed by your people is important. This may sound pretty basic, but if you do not really believe that, there is simply no way you can convince your people that what they do is important.. How often have your heard ¨C or been guilty of saying ¨C or thinking ¨C ¡°Oh, she¡¯s just the receptionist¡± or, ¡°He's just the janitor¡± or ¡°They're just trainees¡± or ¡°They're just a staff weenie¡±?
Way #2 ¨C Expect the best from everyone, and settle for nothing less. Nothing makes people feel more important than high expectations for their performance. Just make sure they share in setting the expectations.
Way #3 ¨C Create goals that are shared and that show the tie in of individual work with the success of the organization.
Way #4 ¨C Select the best ¨C in every opening you have. Use every tool you can to ensure that you have made a good decision on who you select.. Your people watch carefully to see who you pick ¨C involve them in the selection process. If your actions communicate that you are not careful about who you select, your people will see that as a direct reflection on themselves.
Way #5 ¨C Make sure you are your people¡¯s institutional champion! What's that mean? When their pay is wrong, you act to get it right. When their reviews are scheduled, you act to ensure they are done accurately and on time. When their raises are due, you make sure they are handled properly and on time. Jealously guard your relationship as the go to person for your people ¨C the institutional support people can help, but you are the person you want your people to seek out.
Way #6¨C Be absolutely intolerant of unsafe, disruptive or other negative behaviors. Act on them quickly and decisively, and never let your people see you knowingly ignore a bad situation. It will not go away, regardless how much ¡°wish'in and hop'in and pray'in¡± you might do.
Way #7 ¨C Remember that trust and respect are not the same thing as being liked. It is nice to be liked, it is absolutely essential that your people trust and respect you. As a comedian said: ¡°If you want to be liked, get a dog.¡±
Way #8 - Cultivate a climate of civility for your people. In your relationships with your people, ensure your actions and theirs reflect a fundamental respect for each other, and for all the others they come in contact with.
Way #9 ¨CGet everyone of your people some form of self development activity on a regular basis. It may be a seminar, it may be tuition refund, it may be a book, it may be a CD set, it may be a Community College course ¨C it does not have to be expensive and time consuming, but the act of creating added value through the investment of personal effort supported by organizational resources is a powerful way to say you care.
Way #10 ¨C Respect your people's time ¨C it's their most valuable asset. Start meetings on time, end them on time, keep meeting commitments. Do what you have to do to ensure your people have access to as much of their work time as possible.
Way #11¨C Keep the rules and policies to an absolute minimum. If you have a workable set of cultural and organizational ¡°Way¡¯s Of Doing Things¡± you have the basis for treating your people with individual regard. If you have managers that are not comfortable doing that, either they change or get different managers
Way #12¨C Celebrate all the successes ¨C create the opportunity for group recognition to happen all over the place ¨C if Safety is an issue, create a Safety Award process that celebrates progress.Make the events frequent, and the rewards modest ¨C but do it all the time. Frequency of awards and the opportunity for celebration are as important, actually more important, than the annual lunch or dinner or whatever. Make it fun. Make it part of your enterprise.
Did you notice one thing about all 12 Ways? Not one of them deals with lots of money, or more capital, or new policies or procedures. All do require beliefs and behaviors ¨C and they are the most challenging, most high leverage efforts we can make to improve our organizations. It's always tempting to do a feel good seminar, or buy something ¨C or take some action that shows just how committed we are. But the truth is that the way to greater success is through a focused, day to day effort to improve the level of commitment of the people in an organization, and that takes hard work and the acceptance of change. If you can see Ways that can help you organization or your work group or yourself in this article, take them and run with them ¨C they are the basis for successful managers becoming successful leaders.
How Do I Hire an IT Consultant?
April 18th, 2007Technology changes quickly. When choosing a consultant try the following:
Look for a recent, relevant work record.
Contact references who have first-hand experience of the consultant.
Check with businesses similar to yours, professional organizations, the local Better Business Bureau or chamber of commerce, or even your accountant or attorney.
Some vendors, including Microsoft, IBM and Sun, offer official certification programs that keep consultants current on new technology. You should also ask whether a consultant belongs to a recognized professional organization such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
China Impacts The World
March 18th, 2007By Frank Mulligan - Recruit China
By now I am sure you have seen the headlines. ’Chinese stock plunge sets off a worldwide sell-off’, and ominously, ‘It began in Shanghai’.
If you haven’t been paying attention to this story maybe it is time to take a look. It looks and sounds like the beginning of a Hollywood thriller except that this time it’s for real.
Putting aside the negative consequences of the world-wide stock sell-off, it is clear that China has come of age. Ten years ago, or even five, no one paid any attention to the stock markets in China. There was little incentive to do this as the exchanges in Shanghai and Shenzhen were inaccessible to foreigners. Additionally, the stocks themselves were not of sufficient quality to grab anyone’s interest, and the market was extremely opaque.
It was more akin to gambling than investing.
The situation has changed a lot since then but it is still hard to come to terms with the fact that the Chinese stock exchanges were the first to fall and that they triggered a world-wide panic. It’s a bit like growing up. Suddenly you have all these additional skills but don’t know how to use them.
The source of the sell off appears to be the idea that the former US Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan suggested a recession in the United States, and soon. The good news is that if you look at his comments, he did not specifically say that he expected a recession in the US. What he said was ‘ While, yes, it is possible we can get a recession in the latter months of 2007, most forecasters are not making that judgment and indeed are projecting forward into 2008 … with some slowdown’.
Not exactly the sky falling down, is it?
Here in China the upside of this is that the narrative of a recession and a falling stock market may cause companies in China, both foreign and local, to hold back investments in new factories and offices. Big companies are like that. Staffers don’t make strategic investment in uncertain times.
This should trickle down to a slowdown in hiring, albeit small, just at a time when it would normally increase rapidly. Candidates might also absorb the current headlines and become a little more conservative. The net effect might be an increased stability in retention patterns. So look out for a little fewer resignations than usual, which is a definite positive.
On the flip side you may have a harder time convincing candidates to join your company if you are new to the China market or the role is risky.
51job: Set to Capitalize on China's Evolving HR Market
March 18th, 2007Ashish R. Thadhani (Gilford Securities) recently sent a note to clients raising his price target for 51job, Inc. (JOBS) based on the Company's strong Q406 results. Key excerpts follow:
* Investment Conclusion. After incorporating stepped-up S&M – funded by lower G&A and near-term taxation -- we are maintaining our estimates: 2007 GAAP EPADS at $0.60 on net revenue of $100 million (20% YoY growth and up from our prior $99 million projection); and 2008 GAAP EPADS at $0.80 on unchanged net revenue of $122 million (22% YoY growth). Due to the late Chinese New Year, our 1Q07 assumptions reflect a shorter peak recruiting period of five weeks vs. eight a year ago. We are raising our target from $26 to $28. In 12-months, this would correspond to 35x forward GAAP EPS of $0.80. Our recommendation is backed by an EV of $344 million or 20x forward earnings plus continued purchases by CEO Yan. We also point out 1) recent newspaper alliances in the U.S. should validate the 51job online/offline model to maximize local reach; and 2) 2007 is expected to be the last year in investment mode for rival ChinaHR.com, which remains much smaller and less profitable than 51job.
* 4Q06 Results. GAAP EPADS of $0.09 vs. $0.08 a year ago on net revenue of $20.8 million (23% YoY growth) matched our $0.09 estimate on net revenue of $20.1 million. Non-GAAP EPADS of $0.14 vs. $0.10 also met our $0.14 expectation. 51job posted positive variances in print advertising revenue and G&A expenses – offset by gross margin and S&M spend. Non-operating interest, subsidies, forex and tax variances offset each other. Revenue was driven by online recruitment services, which advanced 37% YoY to 34% of the total. Operating income of $2.6 million (12.6% margin) was right in line with our estimate of $2.5 million (12.5%). Other highlights included diminished seasonality (-4% QoQ) and clear market leadership based on online postings, traffic quality and pricing -- despite competitor claims to the contrary. Metrics showed growth in print advertising page-count (+33% YoY from a depressed level) and lower revenue per page (-14% in dollar terms due to seasonal promotions and city-mix); and moderating growth in the number of employers using online services (+30%) with steady revenue per employer (+5%). Net cash climbed to $111.3 million (~$3.90 per ADS) from $104.5 million on September 30.
Noteworthy developments
December 2006. In an SEC filing, Recruit Co. disclosed an increase in its holdings to 5.1 million ADS equivalents (18% ownership stake).
November 2006. CEO Rick Yan reported additional market purchases totaling 317K ADSs at an average price of $16.04 between November 13-22. This activity took his ownership to 8.6 million ADS equivalents or 30% of the total. Separately, the class action lawsuit against 51job and its officers, which followed a 4Q04 EPADS shortfall, was dismissed.
September 2006. CEO Rick Yan reported market/private purchases totaling 818K ADS equivalents at an average price of $14.57 during the 30 days ended September 13. This activity took his ownership to 8.2 million ADS equivalents -- well above what is covered under the agreement with Recruit.
August 2006. 51job announced an exclusive partnering agreement with CareerBuilder.com (owned by Gannett, Tribune and McClatchy), under which the two sites will have links that provide job posting and resume access.
June 2006. Mr. Charles E. Phillips, Jr. – President of Oracle (ORCL) – resigned from the board citing personal reasons. Mr. Phillips had served as a director for two years.
April 2006. In a private transaction, existing shareholders comprising management and Doll Capital Management [DCM] sold to Recruit Co. the equivalent of 4.2 million ADSs (or 15% of the total) at $26 each (47% market premium). Recruit holds a three-year option to purchase an additional 25% stake from these shareholders at the higher of two prices: 1) floor of $26 per ADS – as long as JOBS does not drop below $10 at the time; or 2) 15% market premium with a $51 cap. If exercised, management ownership would decline (from 50% before April 2005) to 35% and that of DCM (from 25%) to nil. Separately, 51job entered into a business alliance with Recruit that will explore new information service opportunities in China. Founded in 1963, privately held Recruit is the leading provider of HR services in Japan. It also provides information services across diverse businesses such as learning, real estate, automobiles and coupons. In fiscal (Mar.) 2005, Recruit operating income exceeded $1 billion on sales of $3.5 billion.
October 2005. 51job signed a letter of intent to purchase a $14 million service and headquarters complex in Shanghai, which it began occupying in late-2006... July 2005. The Chinese government changed its currency policy. Over time, anticipated Renminbi appreciation should translate into higher dollar-denominated operating income, offset by near-term currency translation losses.
May 2005. Shareholders approved a $25 million stock repurchase program over a 12-month period. In 2H05, 51job repurchased 686K ADSs at an average price of $13.65.
February 2005. Monster Worldwide acquired a 40% stake in rival ChinaHR.com for $50 million – or 9x 2005E revenue of $14 million (up 100% YoY and 70% online). At the time, ChinaHR.com had 3.2 million registered users and 480 employees in 10 major cities. In 1Q06, Monster increased its ownership to 44.4%. It acquired shares from existing holders for $20 million, implicitly valuing ChinaHR.com at $450 million. Monster expects to assume full control of this subsidiary in early-2008. Financial backing by Monster has not altered the competitive landscape materially. However, 51job does anticipate heated competition until such time that ChinaHR.com – which is likely to remain unprofitable through 2007 – becomes directly answerable to public shareholders.
January 2005. 51job pre-announced a 41% shortfall vs. 4Q04 EPADS guidance due to unprecedented revenue softness in late-December. The sudden (post-IPO) slowdown was attributed to a shift in budget allocations to earlier quarters of the year – borne out in 4Q05 – and moderation of overall demand from ~70% YoY growth.
September 2004. 51job raised net proceeds of $76.8 million from its IPO at $14 per ADS.
Investment Thesis
51job is enviably placed to capitalize on the rapidly evolving market for HR services in China – by applying a proven business model across its vast labor force (5x U.S.). Compared with traditional job search channels such as referrals and fairs, pioneers like 51job offer significant reach and speed advantages. Favorable demographic drivers include GDP growth (~10% in recent years), Internet usage (ranked #2 behind the U.S.), an aging workforce and increasing private, urban and service sector employment. iResearch forecasts that the total recruitment market in China will increase from $570 million to $1.26 billion in 2005-10, implying 17% compound annual growth. During this period, the online recruitment segment is expected to advance from $100 million (18% of the total) to $570 million (45%), or 42% compound annual growth. Superior positioning includes: premium brand/pricing; a comprehensive online/offline offering; wide geographic presence (25 cities); large direct sales force (over 1,200 representatives); and unmatched job seeker database (access to more than 11 million resumes for professional, clerical, industrial and hourly jobs). EPS visibility stands to benefit from top-line, profitability and taxation drivers. Specifically, ramp-up of online subscriptions (from single-digit penetration of client budgets at present); a scalable model offering 30%-plus operating margin (excluding share-based compensation); and initiatives to avail of tax incentives.
JOBS is suitable for aggressive investors. In our opinion, principal risks include the following:
* Deterioration of economic conditions in China, slowing of hiring activity or a “hard landing” scenario.
* Competition from ChinaHR.com and Internet portals could pressure future profitability by way of lower pricing and/or higher marketing expenses.
* Rapid online migration could result in cannibalization of offline revenue.
* Despite recent improvement, 51job has an inconsistent execution record.
* Uncertainties in the PRC regulatory and legal system, particularly laws governing foreign ownership and licensing/operation of HR and Internet business entities. Note that 51job is incorporated as a holding company in the Cayman Islands.
* Disruptions such as spread of the H5N1 virus or a recurrence of SARS, political unrest, breakdown in relationship with a major publishing/distribution contractor, etc.
* Influence of Recruit Co. and current management over all matters requiring a shareholder vote.
* Correction in the U.S. markets.
Recruiting on Asian Job Boards
March 13th, 2007With Internet access spreading across Asia, employers can tap a growing array of online sites for sourcing candidates.
By Fay Hansen
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Vault.com is a well-established hunting ground for job candidates looking for U.S. job postings and inside information on employers. Recruiters post 500,000 openings a month on the site¡¯s job board and monitor the message boards to track candidate and employee postings about their company.
Vault analyzed its traffic data in 2005 and discovered that many of the users on its U.S. site were job seekers in Asia looking for career information and insider perspectives on U.S multinationals. To meet this obvious need, Vault launched its Asia site a year ago. Vault Asia now averages more than 200,000 unique visitors a month and posts jobs for employers across Asia.
Recruiters and job seekers can now find detailed information on the interview process for a technician at Ikea in Shenzhen, China, or the signing bonus for engineers at Qualcomm in Hyderabad, India. New hires freely report their experiences with the recruiting process and salary offers at major companies.
This year, Vault will break up the Vault Asia site into targeted sites for individual countries, with new sites for India, China and South Korea going live in the first quarter of 2007.
"Hiring is through the roof in Asia, particularly in China and India," says Edward Shen, general manager of Vault Asia.
Vault is part of the boom in career sites and job boards that is sweeping Asia. Internet recruiting has become a primary recruiting method in China and India, where economic growth is fueling nonstop hiring across all industries.
Recruiters are posting on the sites as soon as they appear. On January 11, NewChinaCareer.com went live. One month later, postings on the site for jobs in China included 296 positions at Microsoft, 320 at IBM and 492 at GE. Recruiters are using the site to source candidates with fluency in English for jobs in all the major cities in mainland China plus Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.
Growing access
Job growth is explosive across Asia. China¡¯s major cities generated 12 million new jobs in 2006, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of China. GDP growth in China hit 10.7 percent in 2006, a full point above expectations.
India reported GDP growth of 9.2 percent for 2006 and surpassed South Korea to become Asia¡¯s third-largest economy, after Japan and China. Job growth is soaring at both foreign and Indian multinationals.
"Accenture is hiring 500 people a month in Bangalore alone," Shen says.
This volume of hiring is possible only when sourcing is fully automated through employment sites. The major players are job boards such as ChinaHR.com, which posts nearly 1 million jobs each day and offers 10 million registered job seekers. ChinaHR, the oldest employment site in China, sold a 40 percent stake in the site to Monster.com in 2005.
Recruit.net, a fully trilingual job search engine based in Hong Kong, posts 2 million jobs a month in English, Chinese and Japanese for positions in China, Japan, Australia, India and Singapore.
"Throughout Asia, the major job sites are becoming very important parts of the culture of each country," Shen says. "They have a major presence through advertising."
The number of Internet users in Asia is approaching 400 million, up 241 percent from 2000, according to Internet World. Although the Asian Internet penetration rate is only 10.5 percent overall, penetration in South Korea, Singapore and Japan is roughly equivalent to the U.S. rate of 69.6 percent.
China had 137 million Internet users by the end of 2006, up 23 percent from 2005, according to the China Internet Information Center. In Beijing and Shanghai, penetration is approaching 40 percent; in Hong Kong, it is 68.2 percent.
"In India and China, Internet use among the younger generation is at the same level as in the United States," Shen reports. "Our surveys of Vault¡¯s Asian members show that they are starved for information about careers and employers. The focus on careers among recent graduates is greater than what we see in the United States."
Rapid growth and high turnover drive constant recruiting. "Young professionals in China will change jobs two or three times a year and leave a company for a small salary increase at another company," Shen says.
Private-sector wages in China rose 11.4 percent for the year ending in the third quarter of 2006, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of China.
High demand is balanced by a high supply. Vault¡¯s recruiting contacts in China and India report that the supply of candidates is strong and that many companies say they have too many applicants.
"InfoSys in India had 1.3 million applicants in 2006, with a large portion of this coming in through the company¡¯s Web site," Shen notes. "Young professionals are focused on brands, so a company like InfoSys receives many r¨¦sum¨¦s."
In China, multinationals and top domestic companies are looking for specific skills from native Chinese with English-language skills, so the challenge is to identify the right people, Shen says. Multinationals recruiting for professional positions on local job boards receive an extraordinarily large volume of responses and need to be prepared to target individuals.
Global partnerships
The online recruitment market in Asia is still far behind that of the United States, according to Maneck Mohan, director of Recruit.net. In Recruit.net¡¯s markets, Australia is the most mature and China the least developed in the transition from traditional offline media job postings to online postings.
"In the United States, 80 percent of the Fortune 500 companies now accept only online job applications," Mohan says. "For the Asia 500, this number is just below 25 percent, and we expect it to reach 40 percent by the end of 2008."
Because the site drives targeted job seeker traffic to the job listings on the company¡¯s Web site, all information flows directly into the employer¡¯s application tracking system.
Companies that use Recruit.net¡¯s premium services can tap the site¡¯s pay-per-click system. The companies define their own budget and then only pay for job seekers that click through to their job listings instead of paying for each posting.
Recruit.net also offers job-seeker analytics to measure the effectiveness of job advertisements and to collect information on job seeker behavior.
"For example, companies can track the keywords that job seekers used to find their job, how many times the job was displayed and the percentage of displays that resulted in a job seeker click-through," Mohan reports.
The jobs are also syndicated across a network of partner sites and distributed to niche sites, forums and blogs.
"This dramatically increases the reach and visibility of the jobs to a passive, highly targeted job seeker audience," Mohan says.
In November 2006, Recruit.net entered into a partnership with the U.S.-based DirectEmployers Association, which maintains JobCentral.com, an employer-owned search engine. Many of DirectEmployers¡¯ members are large U.S. multinationals. Jobs posted on either of the two sites now automatically appear on both.
"U.S. employers with operations in Asia are the primary users," says Bill Warren, CEO of DirectEmployers. "It gives them another outlet and a much more cost-effective way to reach job seekers in Asian locations." More than 140 U.S. employers are now using the Recruit.net site for posting jobs at their Asian locations.
The flat membership fee of $12,500 a year for DirectEmployers companies includes international job postings. Non-member companies can post a position for $25.
Job seekers who are interested in a job posted on JobCentral.com are automatically routed to the company¡¯s Web site, so DirectEmployers does not have information on the final outcome for candidates or employers.
"But the member company renewal rate is 95 percent, indicating a high level of satisfaction with the offerings," Warren says.
Warren believes that the rapid expansion of global recruiting conducted through the Internet will continue.
"Over the next few years, we¡¯ll see more of the upward spiral in usage," he says. He notes that both Monster and CareerBuilder are pushing for an international presence. The number of employment Web sites stands at 40,000 worldwide, according to the International Association of Employment Web Sites.
"Also, international job listings will become a commodity as they are now becoming in the U.S, with no charge for the listings and all revenues for the site driven by advertising," Warren says. "We see this approach now with the rise of Google, which will have a huge impact on Internet recruiting over the next few years. Developments overseas lag three to four years behind the U.S."
The technology is in place for global recruiting and true workforce mobility, but it¡¯s difficult to project political developments with respect to visa regulations, Warren says. With Asian multinationals now investing heavily in the U.S. and Europe, however, the push for simultaneous job postings across all regions will accelerate.
As Asian multinationals continue their cross-border merger-and-acquisition activities and buy up more U.S.-based companies, job postings will flow out from the Asian firms and create new opportunities for global job boards and for recruiters working in the U.S. and abroad.
A Systematic Process for Hiring Top Talent
March 2nd, 2007Hiring top talent has always been the goal, but these lofty results are rarely met. The primary reason is the lack of a simple and scalable hiring process that line managers will willingly use. Performance-based Hiring is a proven field-tested process that changes the rules. Using it, leading-edge companies have an opportunity to make hiring top people a systematic business process.
It starts by implementing a talent centric hiring strategy based on how top people looks for new opportunities and how these great people make career decisions. Unfortunately too many companies have implemented poorly integrated processes and systems band-aid style in the hope that something will work. Shifting worldwide demand for top talent requires a complete rebuilding of the hiring process.
Companies as diverse as the YMCA, AIG, Broadcom, Cognos, Wells Fargo, the National Health Service of Scotland, HealthEast Care Systems and Red Bull are now experiencing the benefits of Performance-based Hiring. Isn¡¯t it time to evaluate the impact Performance-based Hiring can make on your company?
Are You Wasting $25 million or More on Bad Hiring Decisions
$25 million represents the annual salary and benefits of 300 new people. Twelve simple factors indicate whether your company is spending this money wisely. One is whether members of the hiring team use an up/down voting system when deciding to extend an offer, rather than some type of balanced evidence-sharing process. Voting is not how other important business decisions are made. Email info@adlerconcepts.com to find out where your company stands on the other 11 factors.
Five Tips for Resumes When You Can List Only One Employer
February 13th, 2007When you've worked at only one employer for your whole career, writing a resume that wins interviews may be no easy task. The reason: Some hiring managers and recruiters may take a dim view of your single-company job history. While you might see signs of loyalty or job security, they may wonder why you haven't moved to a better opportunity or been recruited, among other questions.
"It's an absolute red flag," says Daniel Barr, a partner with Christian & Timbers, an executive search firm in New York. "I would proceed with caution before recommending someone with a real long tenure with one corporation to a client." His main concern, he says, would be a candidate's ability to adjust to a new work culture.
If you have been with one company, it's important to quickly defuse any qualms a hiring manager might have about your job history.
To lessen the odds that it will hinder your efforts to move on, organize your resume using these five tips.
1. Show progression.
If you've been promoted, your job titles are likely to reflect your career advancement, says John Marcus, a resume writer and job coach in Sarasota, Fla. For example, you may have gone from accounting supervisor to assistant controller to controller.
Start your "Job History" section with your employer's name as a heading in bold, says Ms. Kursmark. On the same line, list your starting and ending years with the company, she says.
Emphasize your titles by giving each its own treatment, says Ms. Kursmark. List each one, flush left, and in bold, and, if you have been promoted consistently, provide the dates. If your most recent position has been for four years or longer, Mr. Marcus advises leaving dates out to avoid raising doubts about your potential for promotion.
For each position, list your achievements and responsibilities in bullet points, says Ms. Kursmark.
2. Show adaptability.
When Harvey Brackett, 42, of Fresno, Calif., wrote a resume after leaving his employer of 21 years, he listed each of his past positions separately and added descriptive bullet points. For his position as a co-manager, he stressed management skills, and for his position as a human-resources technician, he highlighted organizational and recruiting skills
"I wanted to show potential employers that I was versatile and my skills weren't limited," says Mr. Brackett.
Can't come up with a diverse range of skills and experiences? Think about your company's changing needs and how you adjusted to them over time, says Jewel Bracy DeMaio, executive resume writer for APerfectResume.com in Sanatoga, Pa.
"Just because you may have worked with the same company, it doesn't mean that you've done the same thing eight hours a day for 20 years," she says.
Make it clear that you have worked in different positions or offices to show that you can adapt to different managers and co-workers, says Mr. Barr.
If you have remained in one position without being promoted, highlighting a broad background is especially important, says Mr. Marcus. He suggests making the first bullet point under your title a task directly related to the position you are seeking and listing other areas of expertise with an emphasis on variety.
3. Use numbers.
Quantify your results for hiring managers. Mention the amount of money you were able to save or generate for your company and the number of people you supervised.
"Dollar signs and percentages carry the highest impact," says Ms. Bracy DeMaio. If you are unsure about a figure, use a good estimate, she says.
4. Group skills together under subheadings.
Subheadings are good ways to showcase different areas you've worked in. These groupings may include results, training and skills acquired in several positions. You also can create subheadings for special projects you were involved in, Ms. Kursmark says, using bullet points to stress results or achievements.
If you have remained in the same position with the company, subheadings will help you avoid a lengthy list of bullet points and will help make your resume more readable. When recruiters do a quick scan of your resume, they may get the impression you have a varied background, says Mr. Marcus.
5. Bolster experience.
If your resume looks a little bare, including relevant internships can show additional experience, says Mr. Marcus.
After working for three years with a district attorney, Brandi Brice, 29 of Philadelphia, was worried she would be typecast as a prosecutor while trying to break into white-collar defense. Ms. Brice, who hasn't accepted an offer yet, listed her internship with the defender's association to bolster her experience and show that she is capable of working for either side of the law.
Recruiters may be concerned that adjusting to a new work environment may be more difficult for someone with experience with just one company. Volunteer work and other activities where you interact with different people can show that you are comfortable in a variety of settings and that it won't be difficult for you to adjust, says Lindsey Pollak, a career-advice writer and speaker in New York.
Providing additional relevant information such as professional organizations, leadership and civic activities also can add credibility, says Ms. Kursmark.
Recruiting can be harsh
February 12th, 2007The first letter arrived, as Mark Fisher recalls, on a Tuesday in spring 2005 when he was a rising junior.
It was from Michigan.
By the time he completed his senior season, there had been hundreds, perhaps thousands.
He never knew that so many people had so much to say to high school football player. Or so little.
Ahhh, the letters. They¡¯re the first step in an odyssey that leads to the fulfillment of a dream for a young man who aspires to play college football.
Beyond those letters, brochures, et cetera, are e-mails, text messages and, of course, telephone calls. So many, in fact, that it¡¯s impossible to keep up with who is writing, who is calling, who is texting. It is all part of football recruiting.
The payoff for colleges was Wednesday ¡ª national signing day ¡ª when high schools seniors signed letters declaring where they¡¯ll play at the next level. For recruits with enough recruiting service stars attached to their name, it is quite the process. Charlie Weis, Steve Spurrier, Phillip Fulmer, Lloyd Carr ¡ª icons of the coaching profession ¡ª practically beg them to sign with their school.
Change in plans
That wasn¡¯t exactly the way recruiting played out for Fisher. The Goodpasture senior lineman signed on Wednesday. He will be a Middle Tennessee State Blue Raider in the fall. He knows there is nothing wrong with that. He also understands that if he works hard and develops as he hopes, the road to professional football could just as easily go through Murfreesboro as Ann Arbor. And, today he understands that recruiting isn¡¯t always a storybook process.
¡°The letters are nice, and you get excited about them when you get your first one,¡¯¡¯ Fisher said. ¡°It gets your hopes up because it makes you think that someone thinks you are good enough to play at the next level. Really, until you are offered (a scholarship), the letters don¡¯t matter. And even then, you know you¡¯ve got a lot of work to do. You don¡¯t work and you know that the letters from Notre Dame and Michigan won¡¯t be coming anymore.¡±
Fisher¡¯s a 6-foot-4, 260-pound lineman with 4.8-4.9 speed in the 40-yard dash. Adequate size. Acceptable speed. Add in excellent character, and it would seem he was tailor-made for a big-time scholarship. Yet, offers seldom came.
¡°Outside of Patrick Turner ¡ª and he was rated as high as anyone in the nation ¡ª Mark was probably the most recruited football player we¡¯ve ever had here,¡± Goodpasture Coach David Martin said. ¡°It seemed like everyone wanted him at one time. Then, there seemed to be a sudden drop in interest. No one has ever explained why.¡±
As a veteran coach, Martin knows the recruiting routine by heart.
¡°The first two questions a recruiter asks are: ¡®What kind of grades does he have?¡¯ and ¡®Can you send me some tape on him?¡¯ After that, when a recruiter comes to the school, the first words you hear are, ¡®Who else has offered?¡¯¡± Martin said. ¡°It¡¯s almost like no school wants to be the first to offer unless it is absolutely sure that someone it plays against is offering, too.
¡°I am convinced that Mark would be successful in the SEC. He has the intangibles, especially character and work ethic. MTSU got a steal.¡±
Family involvement
While Golden Tate of Pope John Paul II became the darling of recruiters who canvassed Middle Tennessee this past fall, the recruitment of Fisher was more typical of what many potential college players experience. The process is akin to a carnival thrill ride for the family and the recruit with as many highs as lows.
¡°It was an emotional roller coaster for Mark, my husband Terry and me,¡± said Rosemary Fisher, Mark¡¯s mother. ¡°Sometimes a college coach is telling you just what you want to hear, especially on the phone.
¡°When they come to your house and you see them face to face, you can look in their eyes and tell that they¡¯re lying to you and making things up. As a parent, you want to protect your child.¡±
Mark Fisher said his college dream began when he was 5 or 6, playing youth football. It permeated his family.
¡°When you have a son that you watched since the day he was born, you want what your child wants,¡± Terry Fisher said. ¡°When the recruiting starts, the pressure begins to build. It gets very costly with camps and campus visits, and you get on edge. All you want is what is best for your child, and for us, a good education was the first priority.¡±
Mark¡¯s recruitment included official and unofficial visits to Michigan, UT, Louisville, Mississippi State and Mississippi, among others. Some never offered. He put others on hold, perhaps too long.
¡°So many times in recruiting, you find a player you like, but all of a sudden, you find someone you like better,¡± MTSU Coach Rick Stockstill said. ¡°That¡¯s how some guys can go from being really hot in the spring, summer or even the first of the fall.¡±
He got offers from Vandy, Mississippi State, Louisville and Ole Miss last fall.
¡°Mississippi State was the first one to offer,¡± Fisher said. ¡°I was bouncing-off-the-wall happy.¡±
Yet, he did not take any offer immediately. Trying to be judicious, he hesitated.
Those schools that offered Fisher initially could not wait. The schools had made commitments to others with what had been Fisher¡¯s scholarship.
¡°MTSU may not be where I thought I was going several months ago, but I feel very, very comfortable with the school and the coaching staff,¡± Fisher said.
¡°Some of the coaches at some of the schools ¡ª I felt like they misled me. I think I could tell when they were fibbing. I hope I may get to play in the NFL someday, but I know the most important thing is go get an education and enjoy the experience of playing college football. That¡¯s what I¡¯m looking forward to doing now.¡±
Job market remains a puzzle
February 5th, 2007Positions go unfilled despite pool of available talent, experts say
It¡¯s become a real job trying to figure out today¡¯s job market.
Consider these colliding trends: U.S. businesses increasingly say they can¡¯t find the skilled workers they need, while millions of skilled workers say they can¡¯t find a job.
Drill down on the subject, and you¡¯ll find a myriad reasons for the disconnect.
Employers often argue that advancing technology has left gaps between work demands and the skills most job seekers possess. Critics say corporations have become overly picky and cost-conscious when recruiting.
Columbus resident Darrell Rathburn is one of the many caught up in this whirlwind.
Even though he has a master¡¯s degree in computer science and decades of experience working for Fortune 500 companies, he quit his job search after two years of looking.
"I decided to throw in the towel and accept the fact that I was involuntarily retired," he said.
In central Ohio, 68 percent of businesses said they couldn¡¯t fill jobs because they couldn¡¯t find people with the right skills or work experience, according to Community Research Partners a nonprofit economic research group in Columbus.
Yet, about 28,000 workers in Franklin County ¡ª many with education, experience and technical skills ¡ª can¡¯t find a job. Nationally, 8.1 million people are unemployed.
Job-seekers are scratching their heads.
Louise Karl holds a doctorate in biotechnology, has years of lab experience and has had research published in prestigious journals. She¡¯s been looking for full-time work for six years.
"There is no skill shortage," she said. "I probably know 20 people with Ph.D.s in biology, chemistry, et cetera, and none of them can even get an interview."
Karl might be on to something.
Some employment experts agree that there is no skill shortage. At least not on the scale that many business and trade groups are claiming.
Businesses have created an "artificial" talent shortage with shortsighted employment practices and inefficient use of the existing work force, said Norman Matloff, computer science professor at the University of California-Davis, in testimony to Congress about technology labor shortages.
The underlying driver is money.
"When a business says shortage, they really mean they are finding it difficult to obtain labor at the wage they are accustomed to paying," said Richard DeKaser, chief economist at National City Bank.
Ohio businesses are definitely "not willing overall to pay for skills that are in short supply," said Kathlene Tarsitano, general manager of Express Personnel Services, a staffing and recruiting company in Columbus.
About 23 percent of central Ohio employers said they had difficulty filling jobs because of the pay they were offering, according to Community Re- search Partners.
Industry doesn¡¯t apply the "basic laws of supply and demand to salaries," said Paul Kostek, former president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
A company that underpays "will sit around and wonder why they can¡¯t find people and say it must be due to a skill shortage," he said.
Businesses are trying to lure people with perks other than money, said Stacey Jarret Wagner, managing director of the National Association of Manufacturer¡¯s Center for Workforce Success.
"Small manufacturers often can¡¯t pay ¡®big company¡¯ wages," she said. So they "offer alternatives such as being a great place to work, flexible hiring practices, or access to training."
Usually those efforts fall flat, especially if companies bank on retirement accounts and health insurance to lure talent, Tarsitano said. "Workers expect companies to offer those things."
But employers who offer more generous benefits seem to be avoiding skill shortages altogether. Ohio Health, which runs eight hospitals including Grant Medical Center and Riverside Methodist, launched a program in 2002 to pay 100 percent of nursing-school tuition costs for its full- and parttime employees.
"It¡¯s been a great recruiting tool, especially as the cost of college tuition has risen," said Jon Joffe, Ohio Health¡¯s vice president of human resources.
Even though Ohio had a shortage of 5,000 nurses last year, Ohio Health hasn¡¯t had trouble filling positions.
Attracting skilled workers "boils down to how you treat employees," Joffe said. Industries that "don¡¯t develop a reputation for treating people well will always struggle to attract the work force it needs."
Benefits are only part of the equation. Hiring practices also can exacerbate the skills gap.
Many companies are likely to shy away from older workers, even if someone has the skills they are looking for, said Robert Heneman, human resources expert at Ohio State University.
Older workers command higher salaries, and companies fear they will add to the company¡¯s health-care costs, he said.
It¡¯s treading the fine line of age discrimination, which is illegal, yet some workers say age is the only thing standing between them and a job.
"If (an employer) looks at your resume and gets the idea you are over 40, it¡¯s gone," Karl said.
Businesses also have grown pickier.
"Companies are very rigid in who they are going to hire, and it¡¯s gotten steadily worse," Tarsitano said.
"They would rather go with nobody than someone with comparable and transferable skills that they could train. They¡¯ve cut their pool of applicants to none."
Employers are "seeing black and white, and they aren¡¯t making any consideration of an individual¡¯s potential," she said. "They¡¯re hung up on this vision of the perfect person."
Being "smart people who can learn" is no longer enough to get you in the door, Kostek said.
Why? Training budgets have been replaced with a "hit-theground-running attitude," Heneman said.
Companies spend 50 times more recruiting a candidate than they do training them after they¡¯re hired, according to Deloitte Research. Only 37 percent of central Ohio companies provide general skills training beyond an initial orientation.
"It¡¯s the textbook way to manage talent," Heneman said. "Companies don¡¯t want to pay to give employees skills they can take to another employer."
But the gap between jobseekers and employers isn¡¯t all the result of human-resource changes.
"The economy has changed structurally" since 2000, DeKaser said.
Globalization and outsourcing have moved more blue- and white-collar work overseas. India and China have upped competition for U.S. businesses. And companies need fewer people to do more work, because of significant increases in productivity from mechanization and technology, said Bill Lafayette, vice president of economic analysis with the Columbus Chamber.
In 1997, the average American worker produced $70,200 worth of work as a share of gross domestic product. In 2005, it was $82,700.
Businesses say the skill shortage is, in fact, very real, and is caused by many of the same rapid technological advances that boosted worker productivity.
Many unskilled manufacturing jobs have been replaced with jobs requiring advanced math and computer skills, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.
The group said 90 percent of manufacturers are suffering from a shortage of skilled workers such as machinists and technicians, in part because of trouble recruiting young workers to replace skilled retirees.
At a biotechnology conference last fall, Ben Venue Laboratories in Bedford and Amylin Pharmaceuticals in Cincinnati said they had trouble recruiting workers, including senior-level scientists. In the past year, about 50 biotech companies moved to or were formed in Ohio.
The U.S Department of Education estimates only 20 percent of the U.S. population will have the skills needed to perform 60 percent of the jobs in coming years.
Central Ohio employers expect shortages in health care, information technology, architecture, engineering, sales, and business and financial operations in the next year.
Even so, these jobs will only yield a small number of openings every year. Occupations with lower pay and fewer skill requirements will provide significantly more jobs, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
For instance, for every one job opening for a network systems data analyst, Ohio will have 20 openings for retail salespeople.
Still, skill shortages do pose a real risk to businesses, and maybe more so in the future, Lafayette said.
"All of the baby boomers are eventually going to go away, and there¡¯s a much smaller group of folks coming through the pipeline to replace them," he said. "The real shortage hasn¡¯t happened yet."
10 Things That Will Get You Fired
February 2nd, 2007After spending weeks -- or months -- diligently looking for the perfect job, the last thing you want is to be forced back onto the job market.
A few wrong steps, however, and you might see a pink slip before a paycheck. If you want to guarantee your spot in the unemployment line, try some of these moves:
1. Don't bother learning what's expected of you.
Sit down with your manager and make sure you understand exactly what your job entails, your deadlines and any relevant department policies. This eliminates ambiguity and ensures you'll know how your performance measures up.
2. Learn to say, "That's not part of my job description," and use it frequently.
Everyone needs to set limits, but doing only the bare minimum sends a clear message that you're just interested in a regular paycheck. Sooner or later, your boss will start looking for someone willing to take more initiative.
3. Go shopping in the supply closet.
While you're at it, run a few errands with the company car and pad your expense report. Stealing from the company is one of the best ways to guarantee your immediate dismissal.
4. Abuse company technology.
Think your boss won't notice that you spend more time instant messaging your friends than you do working? Think again. Most companies monitor all their employees' e-mails and Internet usage -- and that includes what you do with your laptop after hours. Never use your company computer for anything illegal or X-rated.
5. Complain about your job to anyone who will listen.
Whether your pay is too low, the work is drudgery or you think your boss is an idiot, be careful of who hears you complain. If it gets back to your boss, she may just put you out of your misery.
6. Forget teamwork -- look out for No. 1.
No one wants to work with an arrogant employee who steals ideas or an egotistical worker who demeans others. Helping your co-workers doesn't make you a pushover, it makes you smart. Likeable employees move up the company ranks more quickly, and your colleagues will be more likely to help you find leads when you launch your next job search.
7. Bring your personal life to work.
It's inevitable that personal business is going to pop up during work hours. But keep in mind that cubicles don't lend any privacy, so the whole office can hear -- and are distracted by -- you making that appointment with your waxer. Keep personal calls and errands to a minimum during work hours.
8. Consistently work "abbreviated" workdays.
Want to show your boss how little you care about your job or career progress? Regularly come in late and leave early. After all, if you can't be trusted to show up on time, how can your boss trust you with more responsibility?
9. Treat deadlines more like guidelines.
When you procrastinate, everyone suffers. Your missed deadlines reflect poorly on you and your boss, and they delay everyone else on the project, since they can't finish their work until you do yours.
10. Operate the gossip mill.
While you can't avoid office gossip completely, don't get caught spreading it. Think about it: Do you really want hurtful or untrue rumors to be traced back to you? And remember: A few martinis are no excuse for getting loose-lipped.
20 Bad Workplace Habits
February 1st, 2007Marshall Goldsmith is a famous executive coach, who has worked with more than 80 CEO¡¯s in the world¡¯s top corporations. He has a fabulous new book out called What Got You Here Won¡¯t Get You There. Actually, the title is not very descriptive, but the subtitle says it all: 20 workplace habits you need to break. It¡¯s a content-rich, well-written book.
While Goldsmith warns against self-diagnosis, I found the list incredibly helpful (even though I am not and never will be a CEO.) The practical, real world advice he provides for conquering these bad habits is immensely useful. Here¡¯s his list of bad habits:
1.The need to win each time
2.The overwhelming desire to add our two cents to every discussion
3.The need to pass judgment on others
4.Needless sarcasm and cutting comments
5.Starting with ¡°no¡±, ¡°But¡±, ¡°However¡±
6.Need to show how smart we are
7.Speaking when angry
8.Negativity: the need to share negative thoughts even when not asked
Withholding Information
9.Failing to Give Proper recognition
10.Claiming credit we don¡¯t deserve
11.Making excuses
12.Clinging to the past
13.Playing favorites
14.Refusing to express regret
15.Not listening
16.Failing to express gratitude
17.Punishing the messenger
18.Passing the buck
19.An excessive need to be ¡°me¡±: exalting our faults as virtues simply because 20.they¡¯re who we are
Survey: Job Seekers are Stretching the Truth
February 1st, 2007There's marketing yourself on your r¨¦sum¨¦, and then there's flat-out lying. Many job seekers are crossing the line.
Although just 5 percent of workers actually admit to fibbing on their r¨¦sum¨¦s, 57 percent of hiring managers say they have caught a lie on a candidate's application, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey. Of the hiring managers who caught a lie, 93 percent didn't hire the candidate.
When r¨¦sum¨¦ inconsistencies do surface during background checks, they raise concerns about the candidates' overall ethics. Forty-three percent of hiring managers say they would automatically dismiss a candidate who fibbed on their r¨¦sum¨¦. The rest say it depends on the candidate and situation.
Stretched dates to cover up employment gaps is the most commonly-caught r¨¦sum¨¦ lie, with nearly one-in-five hiring managers saying they have noticed this on a candidate's application. Other top r¨¦sum¨¦ lies include:
Past employers (18 percent)
Academic degrees and institutions (16 percent)
Technical skills and certifications (15 percent)
Accomplishments (8 percent)
Reasons for lying range from the innocuous (not being sure of the exact employment dates) to the more sinister (intentionally being deceitful to get the job). To ensure your r¨¦sum¨¦ is accurate but still portrays you in the best light, heed these tips:
If you don't have much formal experience... Highlight any activities or coursework that could be relevant to the position. Volunteer activities, part-time jobs and class projects can all provide transferable skills and training.
If you didn't quite finish your degree... Do not indicate on your r¨¦sum¨¦ that you graduated. Instead, name the university and list the years in which you attended.
If you were out of work... Don't stretch the employment dates to cover the gap. Instead, keep the dates accurate and address the gap in your cover letter. Be sure to mention any classes you took or volunteer work you performed during this time to keep your skills up-to-date.
If your company uses unfamiliar titles... This is one of the only circumstances in which it's acceptable to change your title to something more recognizable. For example if your title was "primary contact," and you performed the duties of an administrative assistant, you can clarify your title by writing "Primary Contact/Administrative Assistant." Giving yourself a promotion to "office manager," however, crosses the ethical line.
Behavioral and Performance Interviewing for Sales Achievers
January 31st, 2007If you are a CEO or a sales manager and you're in the process of interviewing top sales talent, you probably have been trained on standard behavioral interviewing techniques which are used to make sure that you are getting to the heart of a candidates past behaviors as to predicting future performance. The other critical component that's probably even more important is to make sure that in your behavioral interviewing process, you're integrating performance based interviewing questions that really get to the heart of whether or not a candidate has the track record of consistent achievement that is an accurate predictor of their ability to achieve their sales goals once they come to work for you.
Performance based interviewing means that you need to integrate a number of specific measurements of metrics into the actual questions that you ask to a sales interviewee. Those include providing a summary of sales achievements by year against their actual quota, and then moving upstream from there to look at their activities in terms of daily and weekly customer visits, call counts proposals delivers, face to face customer visits, percentage time spent at the sea level versus at the front line decision maker level, etc. A good sales candidate should be able to rattle off these types of measures from previous positions.
Performance based interviewing also means that you're going beyond just asking a person how they faced and won in a difficult sales challenge. What it translates to is asking the candidate how they've consistently beat their sales goals. Those are the kind of people that you're looking to hire anyway, and by asking performance based questions, you'll have a much better chance of weeding through a pile of resumes and a pile of potential candidates to get to those true top performers. After all, the true top sales producers, those who are in the top five percent of their class, can outsell the next ten to twenty percent of sales people by a factor of two fold. So why wouldn't you invest in hiring only the best?
Job Search in Overdrive
January 26th, 2007At the beginning of the New Year, we urged candidates to get their searches started off right. With the New Year comes new hope and the realization that there might be a better job out there. Well, as the first month of 2007 draws to a close, recruiters need to prepare themselves for the onslaught of candidates who are ready to take the necessary steps to find the right position. We¡¯re now in the midst of what is generally the busiest season for recruiters:
¡±We¡¯ve always seen a spike in activity throughout January as people resolve to build a better life in the New Year. But it seems this is compounded by the poor weather and in particular the lack of daylight at this time of year, which contributes to a poor sense of wellbeing. It seems depression is the motivating factor for many a job search: ¡®I¡¯m unhappy = perhaps a new job might make me happy¡¯ seems to be the train of thought.¡± (From Recruiter Magazine)
It¡¯s not just depression that leads quiet and active candidates to move their searches into high gear at this time of year. Bonus structures, vacation time, and advancement opportunities are often determined by where you are and how you¡¯re doing in the early months of the year. So, as things pick up, it¡¯s important for recruiters to communicate with candidates and hiring managers in order to make the right match. It¡¯s also important to realize that you might be inundated with even more resumes than usual, which means you¡¯ll need to spend a little extra time responding to candidates.
For candidates, realize that the market can be a little flooded right now. This doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t get involved. It just means you need to be as prepared as you possibly can:
¡±We all know that your resume is key to your job search. January is a great time to make sure it is up-to-date.
¡±Think about your target job, employer, and overall market. Make sure your resume is tailored to the outcome you want. Include industry key words and format your resume according to any industry standards.¡± (From Job Tuition)
Take the time to get your materials in order and to do the research that will help you better understand what specific companies are looking for and what you have to offer them.
As always, good luck to all involved as the job search heats up.
A Sample New-Hire Survey
January 11th, 2007One 31-question survey used by Ceridian for its employees. Questions include "How satisfied are you with how the job was described during the interview process compared to what you are actually doing?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As part of a solution to deal with employee turnover, Ceridian¡¯s HR department saw an opportunity to increase employee satisfaction and retention and improve its staffing processes. The staffing department created a quarterly survey in (below) to help gather information from each new hire regarding their satisfaction of the hiring process, training, impression of manager, and orientation.
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We appreciate your feedback on this brief survey to help us understand what we¡¯re doing well, and what we need to improve regarding: the interview process, new hire introduction, new hire training, and job specific satisfaction.
The survey has 34 questions and will take you 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Your answers will be kept completely confidential.
Section 1 - Pre-Employment
1. How were you recruited to Ceridian?
Employee Referral
External Recruitment Agency
Ceridian Staffing Department
Re-hire
Worked for previous customer
Other
2. How satisfied were you with the number of on-site interviews with Ceridian?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
3. If dissatisfied, please tell us how many interviews were conducted: _________
4. How satisfied were you with the organization and scheduling of your interviews?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
5. How satisfied were you with the explanation of Ceridian¡¯s benefit program?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
6. How satisfied were you with the length of time it took from the time you applied to the time you were hired?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
7. During the interview process, did you receive a folder with company information?
Yes
No
8. Overall, how satisfied were you with Ceridian¡¯s interview process?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
Section 2 - New Hire Introduction
9. Do you work virtual (off-site)?
Yes
No
10. How did you receive your "first day" new hire orientation?
Teleconference conducted by Ceridian Human Resources associate
On-site
Did not receive ¡®first day¡¯ orientation. If so, skip to question #14
11. How satisfied are you with the first day new hire orientation?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
12. How satisfied were you with the welcome you received from your department?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
13. How satisfied were you with the knowledge and skill of your assigned mentor or co-worker?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
N/A
14. How satisfied are you with your manager¡¯s ability to lead and provide direction to you?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
15. How satisfied are you with the necessary tools (i.e. computer, phone, etc.) provided to complete your job?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
16. How satisfied are you with the time it took to receive your benefits package?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
17. How satisfied are you with the benefits automated enrollment process?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
Section 3 - Training
18. When you were hired, what percentage of your skills matched those required to perform your job?
100% Match
80% Match
50% Match
20% Match
No Match
19. How satisfied are you with the computer-based new hire orientation training?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
N/A
20. How satisfied are you with the flexibility and ease of completing the computer-based new hire orientation training?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
N/A
21. How satisfied are you with the job-specific training opportunities provided by the Learning and Development Organization?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
N/A
22. How satisfied were you with the assistance of your manager in completing your training?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
23. How satisfied were you with the availability of your mentor or co-worker to assist you in completing your training?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
N/A
24. How satisfied are you with the length of time given to complete training during work hours?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
Section 4 - Job Specific
25. How satisfied are you with how the job was described during the interview process compared to what you are actually doing?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
26. How satisfied are you with the review of Ceridian¡¯s Performance Management Process with your manager?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
N/A
27. How satisfied are you with the review of Ceridian¡¯s goals and objectives explained by your manager?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
N/A
28. Considering everything, how would you rate your overall satisfaction with Ceridian at this time?
Extremely Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Somewhat Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Very Dissatisfied
29. Would you recommend Ceridian as a good place to work?
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
30. What recommendations do you have that would improve the new hire process?
31. Please share any additional feedback or recommendations you may have.
Career:What Do I Want to Be When I Grow Up?
January 11th, 2007One of the biggest issues that I see business professionals face day in and day out is: what do I REALLY want to do? If you're early in your career, you may think you can play the field, try on a few jobs or careers before settling down. But job searching and career planning isn't exactly like dating. Not taking an active interest in planning what comes next may just leave you permanently behind your peers.
You see, the longer you test the waters, hesitate or fool around, the mre others are getting experience and getting ahead. And it isn't just about the competition. The more you play the field, the bigger impact your job "first dates" and job "break-ups" will have on your relationships, your confidence and your success.
The best part? Planning isn't even that hard. Let me help you start attacking that New Year's resolution to help you figure out what you want to do with your life:
1) Commit two hours
2) Try creating your own personal Career Model
3) Use the model to start a job search
It may seem like it's more fun to surf Facebook, listen to your i-Pod or search your college town for the best sushi. But I promise you'll thank me later for making me, make you, get off your butt now.
- Susan Strayer is an HR and business professional, and former career coach, recruiter and hiring manager who has worked with hundreds of Fortune 500 companies. She is the author of The Right Job, Right Now now available from St. Martin's Press.
Job trends for the new year
January 9th, 2007By Matt Ferguson
CEO, CareerBuilder.com
Adjust font size:
Editor's note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com.
(CareerBuilder.com) -- Is finding a new job on your list of New Year's resolutions? The market may be in your favor.
Recent reports from the U.S. Labor Department indicate that while the expansion of the U.S. economy is slowing, it is doing so at a reasonable pace, and inflation has steadied.
A moderated, yet stable, job market is expected to carry over into 2007 with gains that will remain strong enough to keep the unemployment rate in check.
University of Michigan economists predict the United States will create 1.5 million jobs in the next 12 months.
According to CareerBuilder.com's annual job forecast, 40 percent of hiring managers and human resource professionals operating in the private sector report they will increase their number of full-time, permanent employees in 2007, compared to 2006. Eight percent expect to decrease headcount while 40 percent expect no change. Twelve percent are unsure.
Employers are expected to become more competitive in their recruitment and retention efforts in the New Year as the pool of skilled labor shrinks and productivity growth plateaus. Forty percent of employers report they currently have job openings for which they can't find qualified candidates.
This bodes well for workers who are likely to benefit from more generous job offers, more promotions, more flexible work cultures and other major trends identified for 2007:
No. 1: Bigger Paychecks
To motivate top performers to join or stay with their organizations, employers plan to offer better compensation packages.
Eighty-one percent of employers report their companies will increase salaries for existing employees. Sixty-five percent will raise compensation levels by 3 percent or more while nearly one-in-five will raise compensation levels by 5 percent or more.
Nearly half of employers (49 percent) expect to increase salaries on initial offers to new employees. Thirty-five percent will raise compensation levels by 3 percent or more while 17 percent will raise compensation levels by 5 percent or more.
No. 2: Diversity Recruitment -- Hispanics Workers in Demand
Understanding the positive influence workforce diversity has on overall business performance, employers remain committed to expanding the demographics of their staffs.
With the Hispanic population accounting for half of U.S. population growth since 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and buying power growing 8 percent annually, one-in-ten employers report they will be targeting Hispanic job candidates most aggressively of all diverse segments.
Nine percent plan to step up diversity recruiting for African American job candidates while 8 percent will target female job candidates. Half of employers recruiting bilingual employees say English/Spanish-speaking candidates are most in demand in their organizations.
No. 3: More Flexible Work Arrangements
Work/life balance is a major buzzword among U.S. employers as employees struggle to balance heavy workloads and long hours with personal commitments.
Nineteen percent of employers say they are very or extremely willing to provide more flexible work arrangements for employees such as job sharing and alternate schedules. Thirty-one percent are fairly willing.
No. 4: Rehiring Retirees
Employers continue to express concern over the loss of intellectual capital as Baby Boomers retire and smaller generations of replacement workers fall short of labor quotas.
One-in-five employers plan to rehire retirees from other companies or provide incentives for workers approaching retirement age to stay on with the company longer.
No. 5: More Promotions
With the perceived lack of upper mobility within an organization being a major driver for employee turnover, employers are carving out clearer career paths.
Thirty-five percent of employers plan to provide more promotions and career advancement opportunities to their existing staff in the New Year.
No. 6: Better Training
In light of the shortage of skilled workers within their own industries, the vast majority of employers -- 86 percent -- report they are willing to recruit workers who don't have experience in their particular industry or field, but have transferable skills.
Seventy-eight percent report they are willing to recruit workers who don't have experience in their particular industry or field and provide training/certifications needed.
No. 7: Hiring Overseas
Companies continue to drive growth by entering or strengthening their presence in global markets. Thirteen percent of employers report they will expand operations and hire employees in other countries in 2007. Nine percent are considering it.
With China's economy expanding at 10 percent annually and India's at 8 percent, these two countries are particularly attractive to U.S. companies. Twenty-three percent of employers recruiting overseas report they will hire the most workers in China and 22 percent will hire the most in India.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 2,627 hiring managers and human resource professionals (employed full-time; not self employed; with at least significant involvement in hiring decisions), ages 18 and over within the United States between November 17 and December 11, 2006.
Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.
With a pure probability sample of 2,627, one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of 2 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies. However that does not take other sources of error into account.
This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
Matt Ferguson is CEO of CareerBuilder.com. He is an expert in recruitment trends and tactics, job seeker behavior and workplace issues.
The Benefits of Outsourcing for Small Businesses
December 26th, 2006Outsourcing ¡ª the practice of using outside firms to handle work normally performed within a company ¡ª is a familiar concept to many entrepreneurs. Small companies routinely outsource their payroll processing, accounting, distribution, and many other important functions ¡ª often because they have no other choice. Many large companies turn to outsourcing to cut costs. In response, entire industries have evolved to serve companies' outsourcing needs.
But not many businesses thoroughly understand the benefits of outsourcing. It's true that outsourcing can save money, but that's not the only (or even the most important) reason to do it. As many firms discovered during the outsourcing "mania" of the early 1990s, outsourcing too much can be an even bigger mistake than not outsourcing any work at all. The flat economy caused many companies into huge layoffs and subsequently outsourced functions that were better kept in-house. Wise outsourcing, however, can provide a number of long-term benefits:
Control capital costs. Cost-cutting may not be the only reason to outsource, but it's certainly a major factor. Outsourcing converts fixed costs into variable costs, releases capital for investment elsewhere in your business, and allows you to avoid large expenditures in the early stages of your business. Outsourcing can also make your firm more attractive to investors, since you're able to pump more capital directly into revenue-producing activities.
Increase efficiency. Companies that do everything themselves have much higher research, development, marketing, and distribution expenses, all of which must be passed on to customers. An outside provider's cost structure and economy of scale can give your firm an important competitive advantage.
Reduce labor costs. Hiring and training staff for short-term or peripheral projects can be very expensive, and temporary employees don't always live up to your expectations. Outsourcing lets you focus your human resources where you need them most.
Start new projects quickly. A good outsourcing firm has the resources to start a project right away. Handling the same project in-house might involve taking weeks or months to hire the right people, train them, and provide the support they need. And if a project requires major capital investments (such as building a series of distribution centers), the startup process can be even more difficult.
Focus on your core business. Every business has limited resources, and every manager has limited time and attention. Outsourcing can help your business to shift its focus from peripheral activities toward work that serves the customer, and it can help managers set their priorities more clearly.
Level the playing field. Most small firms simply can't afford to match the in-house support services that larger companies maintain. Outsourcing can help small firms act "big" by giving them access to the same economies of scale, efficiency, and expertise that large companies enjoy.
Reduce risk. Every business investment carries a certain amount of risk. Markets, competition, government regulations, financial conditions, and technologies all change very quickly. Outsourcing providers assume and manage this risk for you, and they generally are much better at deciding how to avoid risk in their areas of expertise.
Employee Performance Management: What's Gnu at the Zoo
December 25th, 2006The San Diego Zoological Society, which employs 2,600 people, this year introduced an employee performance management system whose ratings will determine managers¡¯ pay raises. It¡¯s part of an emphasis on employee accountability outlined in the organization¡¯s strategic plan.
By Todd Henneman
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or years, employee performance evaluations were a low priority at the Zoological Society of San Diego, with no uniform metrics and no consequences for ignoring appraisal paperwork sent by the human resources department.
Different versions of the one-page form were used. Managers didn¡¯t judge subordinates on goals, but on a nebulous sense of how they were doing. Some employees hadn¡¯t been reviewed in years¡ªa few of them had waited decades.
"It wasn¡¯t taken seriously, and it didn¡¯t hold any credence because there was not a pay-for-performance system here," says Tim Mulligan, director of human resources for the not-for-profit Zoological Society, which operates the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Zoo¡¯s Wild Animal Park and the Conservation and Research for Endangered Species scientific center. Managers received annual raises, which were essentially cost-of-living increases not linked to their performance, Mulligan says. "HR would send out a form, say, ¡®This review is due,¡¯ but then would never follow up to see that it was turned in."
That is changing. The Zoological Society, which employs 2,600 people, this year introduced an employee performance management system whose ratings will determine managers¡¯ pay raises. It¡¯s part of an emphasis on employee accountability outlined in the organization¡¯s strategic plan, which was being finalized when the nonprofit organization hired Mulligan two years ago.
Like an increasing number of organizations, the Zoological Society, whose revenues in 2005 reached $176 million, wanted a Web-based employee-appraisal system that helps guide managers through the process and reduces rote work.
The demand for software that accomplishes this is growing. Fueled by the performance and succession management segments, the talent management software market will increase by 20 percent this year, surpassing $2.3 billion in revenue, according to an estimate by technology consultancy Yankee Group. Of 244 large and midsize organizations surveyed by consulting firm Towers Perrin, 34 percent said their spending on human resource technology increased in 2005 compared with 2004. Only 15 percent said spending decreased; the rest of the respondents said spending was flat.
This year, the Zoological Society¡¯s management team, which consists of 225 employees classified as assistant managers or higher, falls under the Web-based employee appraisal system. Next year, the practice will be expanded to include all exempt employees.
With built-in prompts for completing reviews, performance management applications standardize the format of performance reviews and free human resource professionals from the administrative tasks of reminding managers that appraisals are due. They also tend to be affordable ways to update appraisal processes, have multiple raters and enable timely feedback on performance.
Setting goals
Mulligan identified the primary objectives for the Zoological Society¡¯s new system: establish impartial employee goals directly linked to the organization¡¯s goals; include a midyear review to ensure an ongoing dialogue and to prevent end-of-the-year surprises; and require year-end reviews whose ratings will be used to determine merit increases.
Mulligan also realized his diverse workforce, which includes everyone from world-renowned scientists to teenage food-service workers, needed metrics to measure performance, as well as easy-to-use software. He created two teams¡ªone looking at vendors, the other at skills that characterized a successful leader within the organization, regardless of their department.
"We didn¡¯t want to throw this down our managers¡¯ throats," he says of involving employees in the planning. "We wanted to have them work on and approve of it."
The process led to performance appraisals based on two categories: goals and leadership competencies. At the beginning of the year, each manager chooses five goals, at least three of which must be linked to organizational objectives. Those goals are based on everything from guest satisfaction to revenue.
The other two goals are what Mulligan calls "wild cards"¡ªtargets pertinent to their specific area. Together, the performance goals make up 50 percent of the overall employee appraisal.
The other half comes from ratings on leadership competencies. Those were identified by 220 managers and then whittled to a list of six, each with five sub-factors. For example, the competency of "professionalism" includes scores on teamwork, communication, interpersonal relations, Zoological Society mission and customer focus.
Halogen Software of Ottawa was chosen as the vendor. Halogen has gained a reputation as an appropriate choice for midsize companies. Business-information provider Hoover¡¯s Inc. estimates that Halogen¡¯s sales reached $4.2 million in 2004. Halogen declined to disclose its current revenue but says it is profitable and has added 400 customers during the past two years. The company also says a nondisclosure agreement prevents it from divulging the value of its contract with the San Diego Zoo and the length of the agreement.
In a market report last year, research firm Gartner rated Halogen and competitors Softscape of Massachusetts and SuccessFactors of California each as "strong positives" based on criteria that included product capability, affordability, scalability, viability, market momentum and vision.
Halogen¡¯s eAppraisal performance management solution lets employees record accomplishments in an online journal that they may share with their manager. Mulligan says the tool helps to craft an accurate year-end review. "Many of our people are very involved with organizations in conservation and in the animal world," he says. "We don¡¯t want those things to be forgotten by management at the end of the year when they do their review."
The performance management solution¡¯s other tools include a "comment helper" that offers feedback templates that automatically insert pronouns using the correct gender and a "language sensitivity checker" that flags offensive words and suggests alternatives. The company¡¯s product tour shows the language checker suggesting "overqualified" to replace "old," for example.
Many human resource professionals feel an increasing demand to build business cases for HR investments and to calculate their return on investment. Last year, even the publisher of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator introduced a guide for measuring the ROI of the venerable personality-type test.
As a not-for-profit organization, the Zoological Society is more concerned about the "return on mission" than its ROI for the technology, Mulligan says. But Halogen¡¯s president, Paul Loucks, points to studies by research firm IDC as proof that his clients can expect a healthy return on their investment.
IDC determined that Amcor Sunclipse North America, a division of Australian packaging manufacturing company Amcor, saved more than $300,000 a year since introducing Halogen¡¯s eAppraisal. In a separate analysis, IDC estimated that Halogen client Howard Regional Health System of Indiana might see a 164 percent return on its investment, in terms of cost savings.
Flexibility of the web
The Zoological Society¡¯s adoption of a Web-based solution also reflects another trend. One of the notable changes in the past five years has been the shift to Internet-based appraisal systems from client-server platforms, in which programs are kept on a central computer connected through a network to PCs. "As long as they have a Web connection, managers can write appraisals at home," Loucks says.
Loucks expects that organizations will expand from using Web-based appraisal systems to adding compensation and succession planning processes. In fact, Mulligan lists such a flexible system among the reasons he liked Halogen.
"Those types of processes will be adopted by more companies over the next few years," Loucks says. "It¡¯s not clear whether the new customers will do it in steps or whether they¡¯ll go for more of the big bang."
Not everyone sees Web-based employee appraisals as all good news. Anthony Chelte, dean of Dillard College of Business Administration at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, says the key benefits of online employee appraisals are the timeliness of feedback and the efficiency of eliminating paperwork.
"When you look at the ratio of individuals to HR people in terms of the number of reviews that have to be looked at for completeness, accuracy and legal concerns, it¡¯s probably far more efficient," he says.
Chelte cautions against relying on online appraisals to deliver feedback, saying one-on-one discussions are as important. "I do not think the online appraisal system is a good proxy for delivering feedback," he says. "The whole social context is gone. It takes the entire human element out of the mix."
Halogen executives say their system is not intended to replace one-on-one appraisal meetings, but rather to simplify preparation for it.
Mulligan says he ensured the "human element" remains intact for zoo staffers. The appraisal must be delivered in person, with the supervisor printing and reviewing it with the subordinate or the two discussing results as they go over it on the computer screen. "It has to be done with two people together," he says. "You can¡¯t just pull it up and read your review."
The supervisor then must certify that the in-person meeting occurred. "I don¡¯t want us to go back to where we were before, with employees and managers not having this face-to-face dialogue on performance," Mulligan says.
Michele Stancer began working at the zoo 28 years ago, starting in food service while in high school and working her way up to animal-care manager. She describes her experience with the new appraisal system as positive because of discussions with her boss about setting goals and basing raises on performance.
"If you perform well, you¡¯ll get more," Stancer says. "I think people should be held accountable. I¡¯ve been here a long time. You see people who are ¡®working in retirement,¡¯ and that¡¯s not good for anyone."
Mulligan says the Web-based appraisal process has helped the zoo attract talent. "What I found is that it¡¯s a recruiting tool," he says. "A manager who starts here sees that we have a program like this where you have goals and objectives and are given timely feedback and paid for the work that you do. As we come into the modern world here in HR, we have to provide programs like this."
Senior engagement key to employer branding
December 22nd, 2006SHRINKING TALENT pools, increased mobility of workers, an ageing workforce and a desire on the part of younger generations to work for companies that are honest in their dealings with employees are driving an increase in employer branding.
Brett Minchington, managing director of Collective Learning Australia, said HR professionals need to engage senior executives in the benefits of developing a strong employer brand and its impact on the ability of the firm to attract, engage and retain talent.
¡°In essence, HR needs to develop a business case that is written in the language that will engage the hearts of mind of those at the top,¡± he said.
¡°To develop a culture that is supportive of the employer brand concept and is reflected in the actions of leaders at all levels of the organisation, firms should measure employee engagement and/or satisfaction and commitment on a consistent basis and link the results to financial performance.¡±
Speaking at a recent Select Australasia event in Sydney, Minchington also said employer branding should not be the sole responsibility of HR, even though research shows that, globally, the strategy is generally driven by the HR department.
¡°Ideally HR should work closely with the marketing and internal communications department to ensure that there is consistency in the development and communication of the employer brand internally and externally,¡± he said.
¡°Without the support of the MD or CEO, it is unlikely employer brand efforts will achieve the financial and operational outcomes being experienced by firms that integrate employer brand efforts into their overall business strategy.¡±
He also noted that the biggest criticism by owners and senior management of employer brand activities has been the lack of measurable outcomes for their investment.
¡°In simple terms, what doesn¡¯t get measured doesn¡¯t get managed. There are a number of human capital measures to determine the ROI of your employer brand program,¡± he said.
Happy New Job in 2007
December 22nd, 2006According to the FirstGov.gov Web site, three of the most popular New Year¡¯s resolutions are losing weight, saving money and getting a better job.
So why is it that, come February 1, most of us are still chubby, broke and not doing work we love? Could there be a better way to finally get a new job this new year?
The answer is ... maybe. It all depends on you. After all, the best advice in the world is useless if you don't follow it.
But, if you¡¯re willing to change your attitude, change your actions and persist for at least 21 days -- the time it takes to form a new habit, according to many self-development experts -- you can find yourself in a new and better job by February 1.
Here are two paths to that new job you've resolved to get this new year ...
1) Start Where You Are
If you've ever read Russell Conwell's "Acres of Diamonds," you know that riches may be hiding right under your feet (and if you haven't read it, go Google it now).
Most folks who resolve to find a better job do so without first taking a long, unbiased look around their own workplace. But wait -- your dream job might be found at your current employer! All it takes is a little imagination to uncover it.
Example: Years ago I worked with Jane, who dreamed of becoming a graphic designer. But she was an administrative assistant. Did she despair or bemoan her lot in life? No. She got busy hanging around with graphic designers, learning the software, taking on small projects, demonstrating her skills, until one day -- presto! She was promoted to graphic designer.
You can do this, too, and work your way into almost any job, in almost any industry. Why not have a meeting with your boss this week and discuss your plans? If you get an encouraging response, get busy learning the skills you'll need. If you meet with resistance, then you can start looking for a new employer.
But you'll never know if your dream job lies hidden just a few cubicles away unless you look around ... and ask around.
2) Take Small Steps
Just as you can't lose 24 pounds in one day, don't resolve to find your dream job in 24 hours or even 24 days. Unrealistic deadlines produce more frustration than results.
Instead, try small, incremental steps.
After all, you didn't gain all those extra pounds overnight, did you? No. It happened over time, almost imperceptibly. An extra helping of pancakes here, an ice cream sundae there, a few missed trips to the gym and, before you knew it, your pants no longer fit.
Research by Dr. Robert Maurer, based on the principles of kaizen (the industrial science of continuous improvement), can help you take the right small steps toward you next job.
Example: By asking yourself one small question every day, such as, ¡°If finding a new job were my top priority, what would I be thinking and doing now?¡± you can train your subconscious mind to deliver useful answers, because the brain loves questions.
According to Dr. Maurer, small incremental steps work because our brain is hard-wired to resist change. Even thinking about a major life change, such as finding a new job, can trigger the brain¡¯s fight-or-flight response, which in turn shuts down creativity and thinking -- and you get stuck. Small changes, however, can bypass that automatic defense.
And by taking small steps, Dr. Maurer means small. Hate to exercise? Start with one minute of marching in front of the TV. Overeating? Throw away the first French fry. It sounds ridiculous at first, but what you¡¯re doing is rewiring your brain so that it enjoys your small successes and lets you build on them.
For your job search, try taking one small action every day, such as calling one relative or old friend for a networking conversation. At the end of 30 days, you'll have made about 25 more call than most other job seekers, and you'll be that much closer to your dream job.
So, start where you are and take small steps toward a new job today. Before you know it, you could be doing work you really love.
Happy New Year!
HR: Online interviews help graduates get jobs
December 22nd, 2006Attending a face-to-face interview in the cyberworld may help you get a job in reality.
Two national employment service websites, www.myjob.edu.cn and www.job100.com, will hold online job fairs from December 22 to 28 and from March 12 to 18, aiming to broaden employment channels for university graduates.
More than 4000 enterprises, including some State-owned enterprises, will release 50,000 items of employment information via Internet during the two weeks.
Using webcam technology, the two websites will enable applicants to have a face-to-face online interview with an employer, saving time spent traveling to interviews and making the job search more efficient for job seekers.
With the number of students graduating from university in 2007 expected to reach 4.95 million, 820,000 more than in 2006, the employment situation for university graduates is becoming increasingly difficult.
In order to help more university graduates fine jobs, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Labor and Social Security, National Development and Reform Commission and State-owned Assets and Administration Commission in November decided to jointly launch special employment service websites and provide online job fairs.
The Focused Job Search
December 21st, 2006We continually see recruiters and hiring managers urging job candidates to evaluate themselves and what they¡¯re looking for. Hell, Heck, we tell job candidates to do that ourselves. People who work with candidates in any capacity want them to conduct a focused job search:
¡°Get FOCUSED: What specific occupational field, what level within that field, and what industry (or industries) of choice are you targeting?¡The employers in your industry (or industries) of choice are your target audience, rather than any employer anywhere!¡± (From Career Goddess)
One of the major problems with job boards, though, is that they don¡¯t allow for focused job searches. Candidates can¡¯t always hone in on specific companies or even specific types of jobs. Instead, they¡¯re inundated with every job opening that might match a single keyword in their resume or that falls within their broad search parameters.
An effective Plan B job search should give you the best opportunity to find the right company and the right job for you. It should also allow you to avoid having to deal with companies and positions that hold no interest for you. Unfortunately, this doesn¡¯t seem to be the case on most boards these days, and messages on job openings have become their own kind of spam:
¡°Post your resume to these boards, and you¡¯ll be added to the Job of the Hour club. After you get tired of emails about jobs selling insurance and delivering pizzas you will discover that you can¡¯t opt out of an email list you did not sign up for in the first place.¡± (From Job Matchbox)
The Plan B search should be a targeted one. Candidates should be able to gather information and receive job opening notifications from companies they¡¯re truly interested in. They shouldn¡¯t have to waste their time looking through countless openings or getting hassled by businesses that they want nothing to do with.
Job Hunting, Recruiting, Resume Help and Product News
December 20th, 2006Often when receiving a job offer, candidates are eager to sign on the dotted line. Maybe they¡¯ve been with out work for awhile, maybe it is an increase in pay, or maybe it is simply a better commute.
It is important to remember though, that the most important time in salary negotiations are those early meetings. Be prepared and act confident, it can mean a huge difference in your future lifestyle.
Here is some advice to help you land not just the gig, but the salary that you dream of
Give a Range
The general rule of thumb in negotiations is that the first person to name a number loses. Unfortunately, most people know this and it can quickly lead to nonproductive encounters. If you are in a position where you are expected to name a number, give the range that you are comfortable with. Research salaries in your area using sites like Salary.com. This will also allow the conversation to move forward so you can learn all the new costs associated with the gig.
Know the Costs
Make sure to factor in all the expenses your new position will require. Will you need a new wardrobe? Does it require you to pay tolls on your commute? Is there overtime pay? What¡¯s the health insurance like? Are you going to have to worry about your own retirement package? Total compensation is important in determining the salary that you require for accepting the job. Don¡¯t sell yourself short.
Be Bold
Fortune favors the bold. Especially if the bold has previous experience. Remember that managers are trying to keep their costs low. Salaries can often represent the largest cost within a company. If you have a target number in mind, always respond with something higher. Remember one key thing ¡ª If they say no, negotiations are not over. If they say yes, the negotiation period is finished. Many companies have policies that prevent salary increases over certain percentages. You may only grow 4-5% a year once employed by the company. During negotiations, this can be achieved in seconds. Be bold. You owe it to yourself and your family.
Consider Growth Potential
A high salary may mean nothing if you are not learning skills to use later on in your career. Sadly, the concept of a life long position is a disappearing notion. Always try to search out positions that will train you for your next job and improve your resume. If a job has a lower than expected salary, but a ton of growth potential and training, it may be worth considering, especially if you are lacking experience.
Outline Key Goals
Another strong tactic is to work out an outline of suggested accomplishments. Negotiate a follow up meeting for an early review at the 6 month period. When the time comes, be prepared to show how you¡¯ve accomplished each of the agreed upon milestones. You¡¯ll be able to make the case for a higher salary after proving yourself.
What does it take to win
December 19th, 2006In this ¡°flat¡± world, you gain competitive advantage by capturing the best talent, wherever they are. In Indiana or India. Gone are the days when recruiting was an administrative activity. Now it needs to be repositioned as a strategic weapon. You need to remove the gloves. Attack. And counter-attack.
Leading global recruiting strategist Dr. John Sullivan will show you how. His aggressive presentation includes topics like:
Why "but we are different" is no longer a valid excuse
How to use talent poaching to disarm competitors
How to identify, improve and build these capabilities
How to prioritize internal recruitment needs and external recruitment opportunities
How to block your employees from being poached
Get ready for an experience that will challenge your ideas about recruiting and turn you into a winner in the global war for talent.
Advice from employers
December 18th, 2006Just because the job market is a good one doesn't mean you can or should get cocky about getting the job you want. If you want some control over your opportunities, consider this next section your homework¡ªit's advice employers¡ªthe people who are recruiting and hiring¡ªoffer. Most of the following sounds like common sense, but you might be surprised by the number of job candidates who blow off these details (and employers can tell which students/new graduates have taken their advice seriously).
Research
Take 60 minutes, go online, and learn everything you can about any company you might want to work for. Your goal is to be able to articulate how you will be a good fit within the company. If you have trouble putting your research into words, ask a career services counselor for help.
Experience
Do you know what you want to do? An internship or co-op experience (or several of these positions) on your resume will tell an interested employer that you've tested your career up close and you've learned some of the basics of the workplace. Almost three-quarters of employers say they prefer to hire students who have relevant work experience, and a little less than a fifth of employers said they are willing to consider any type of real-workplace experience.
If you're an underclassman, line up your experience as early in your college career as possible (go to your career center for leads on internships and co-op positions). Some employers recommend getting that first internship during your freshman year so that you get to know a company well and have your "foot in the door" at graduation!
Prepare
Employers rate the influence of attributes when choosing between two equally qualified candidates Attributes Rating
Has held leadership position 4.0
Major 4.0
High GPA (3.0 or above) 3.7
Has been involved in extracurricular activities (clubs, sports, student government, etc.) 3.7
Has done volunteer work 3.2
School attended 3.0
(5-point scale, where 1=no influence at all, 2=not much influence, 3=somewhat of an influence, 4=very much influence, and 5=extreme influence)
You'd think getting organized and ready to apply for jobs would come naturally, but it doesn't. Just because you learned to write a nice thank-you note in sixth grade or put together a rudimentary resume in "career class" in high school doesn't mean you have the skills to crank out the appropriate cover letters or build resumes that attract employers. Among the skills you need to learn in college include:
how to write a cover letter that markets you to employers.
how to compose a well-written, error-free resume that articulates your skills and course work as a match for the company and position.
how to interview and explain the value you can bring to a potential employer.
Take advantage of the resources on your campus provided by the career center. Trained, professional staff are available to guide you through the process and teach you how to take the various steps in the process with success. Plus, these career counselors know the employers¡ªthey work with them on a regular basis¡ªand can put you in touch with the organizations where you'd like to work.
Don't be fooled. A career counselor won't find you a job or "place" you in a position. They're on campus to teach you something more important: the tools and contacts to successfully find a job today¡ªand in the future when you're looking for your second, third, or 10th position!
Research, experience, and preparation: If you have these, you won't need "good luck" to be successful in your job search.
Speaking about recruiting in China in 2007...
December 15th, 2006What is the actual shape of the recruitment market in China?
What you have to understand first is that twenty years ago there was no recruiting market in China. The government allocated all jobs. Then, when China began to embrace free enterprise, the local recruitment market started to develop. But at that time, employers still mainly used referrals and job fairs as sourcing channels: they were the traditional government channels.
Suddenly, after 1990, there was a rapid rise in the number of job seekers, and at that time, new sourcing channels appeared. Today, job seekers can choose between many different channel types as Online recruiting, executive search agency, news papers, job fairs ect.
Not only foreign ventures, but also local HR service companies face a booming market. To use a popular Chinese expression to describe a market with such a great potential, I would say that the recruiting market in China is quite a "big cake." I believe the size of China¡¯s recruiting market will reach to over $1 billion in 2006.
How did the first recruitment agencies appear?
Once the Chinese door have been opened on the outside world, the big cities and business centers as Beijing or Shanghai have quickly attracted foreign companies -- giant corporations as well as small start-ups. All those companies need to recruit, and so need professional HR agencies to help them source their ideal personnel and build their Chinese HR structure. This is how we first met these clients.
That was specially the case for small "start-up companies", for which competition increased quickly. In the same time, skills and abilities were hard to find. They needed professional recruiting experts to help them improving management team¡¯s quality.
What are the key success factors for non-Chinese multinationals when they start recruiting in China?
First of all, multinational should know that attitude is the vital thing when they start recruiting in China.
Then, they should be prepare to face real shortage of candidates in certain circumstances. Sometimes the war for talent is as fierce as in many parts of the Western countries, although China has a population of 1.3 billion people. Most foreign companies entering into China, have been surprised to find that managers were particularly hard to find.
I think there are four points playing a key role in the success of non-Chinese multinationals when they start recruiting in China:
Get professional recruiting staff in their HR department. That¡¯s very important for a foreign company in China.
Get an effective vendor management system.
Deploy perfect Recruiting tools.
Implement an Internal staffing inspiriting process system.
Is the using of a recruiting technology a good option when recruiting in China?
Yes. Certainly it is.
As skilled managers are in particularly short supply on the Chinese market, attracting good ones can present a special challenge. The truth is that recruiting for any position in China can require a whole new outlook. Usually, recruiters in HR department always aim to decrease costs and increase recruiting quality. For that, an excellent recruiting technology is the vital thing for making the difference and recruits the right staff.
That is why we promote Talent Management Solutions to companies in China.
What is your assessment of the added value brought by recruitment technologies on the Chinese market?
Using Recruitment Technologies, especially when associated with Process Outsourcing, can help recruiters decrease costs and increase working efficiency. For example, in a traditional model, a recruiter has to take a lot of time to filtering resumes from the Internet, mails, job fairs ect. The follow up of candidates¡¯ interviews with line managers is also very time demanding. Recruitment technologies can help recruiters save more time and more money.
What is your vision of the future of recruitment in China?
It is a difficult question: the major fact about our market is its capcaity to change and evolve in a fast fast way. Tomorow can be a totally different thing. Still, I think that in the future, the evolution of the recruitment market in China will be driven by three important sectors:
The quality of candidates
The ability to build efficient recruiting processes,
The ability to integrate technology.
Recruiting in China
December 15th, 2006An "adventure" is what Dave McCann calls the quest to recruit and retain good workers in the rapidly changing economy and market in China.
"The opportunities are great, but they create HR challenges," says McCann, who is based in Beijing and has responsibility for HR activities for PricewaterhouseCoopers throughout China. The country may have a population of 1.3 billion people, but there's a war for talent as fierce as in many parts of the Western world, he explains.
Carrie Conlon, director of human resources for Nanjing Interbrew Breweries in Nanjing, says China is undergoing significant changes and wants a market economy. "But they don't have the talent," she explains. "They haven't recognized the need to train people to go into that type of economy.
And managers are particularly hard to find. "The challenge is finding managerial talent," she says. "You can't find a marketing director to save your soul."
The reason: While many Chinese professionals have good technical educations, few have managerial training because in the past managers were promoted based on their political party allegiance. "There never had been any selection criteria; it was not attached to skills," she says.
While managers are in particularly short supply and attracting good ones can present a special challenge, the truth is that recruiting for any position in China can require a whole new outlook. In some cases you may need to rethink what you know about finding and hiring talented workers because, when it comes to recruiting, China has its own particular rules of the road.
Do's and Don'ts
As in other countries, companies operating in China can use campus recruitment, job fairs, newspaper advertisements, search firms, internal referrals and the Internet to search for the right talent. But, "in terms of hiring, there are more than a hundred 'do's and don'ts,'" says P.O. Mak, president of the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management.
"First of all, you have to know where you are and what kind of people you wish to hire. And then, a thorough knowledge of applicable law is important," says Mak.
Given the complexity of the market, Annella Heytens of Watson Wyatt urges U.S. companies to develop a well-thought-out recruitment strategy that spells out screening and interviewing methodology.
"Do not look for the perfect candidate--he or she does not exist," Heytens says. Other mistakes: being inflexible with the benefits package and taking too long to interview or make an offer, in which case, "You may lose a good candidate," she warns.
In addition, she warns not to market the company too optimistically or negatively. "Be realistic when describing the working conditions," she says, because new workers "may not stay too long if you misrepresent the company."
When interviewing, don't be fooled by "a perfect accent and Oxford English," Mak warns. "You still need to probe into values and experience. In the older days, many firms hired people primarily because of language proficiency. Don't do this anymore. I put values first because unfortunately--due to education systems, culture and norms--we tend to see a big gap between 'our' values and 'their' values, and this can make or break a working relationship."
Conlon warns that Chinese interviewees "may not be polished. Be cautious not to make a judgment on that."
Unlike Heytens, Conlon advises conducting several interviews because people in the Chinese culture tend to be less direct than in Western cultures, and they "take a long time to say what they want to say. Bring them back, so they feel comfortable and you get the information you need. Tap into their true potential. The system is not geared to helping people know their own potential."
Michael Colozzi--general manager for Portola Packaging Inc. in Shanghai--agrees. "Everyone I hired on my immediate staff I interviewed five times," he says. "In two cases, I gave people minor assignments to prepare presentations. I tested them. I let everybody know I was extremely serious."
Camille Elliott, who returned from Beijing last year to work as a recruitment manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers in the San Francisco area, also made use of multiple interviews in China. In fact, Elliott would regularly ask a Chinese native and someone from the West to interview and assess a candidate's ability to balance Western and Chinese styles of management. The Chinese management style tends to be very directed, she says, and Chinese managers "tend not to have the coaching skills that you as a Westerner would like to see."
This lack of managerial skills can be overcome, says Colozzi. Chinese managers "don't like to make decisions without having 100 percent of the facts," he explains. "In the United States we're not reluctant. If we make a mistake, we clean up the mess and start again," he says. But he has found that Chinese managers can learn to make direct decisions "and you'll be amazed at how creative they are at solving problems."
Conlon adds that references are easy to obtain in China. "You can call up a previous manager and ask for a reference. People have been pretty open."
5 Great Tips For Conducting The Best Job Search Ever!
December 14th, 2006Finding a new job can be a daunting task. You need to make sure your job search involves positions you're qualified for, but you also want to land a position that pays well and comes with some benefits. And, since it wouldn't hurt to do a job search for companies that treat their employees right, the stakes can be pretty high.
A good job search starts with you. You'll need to do some things in advance before you head out the door to apply or interview. First off you'll want to get your resume in order. Make sure it's accurate and offers a fair representation of your past experiences and qualifications. Keep it as short as possible while not skipping over major details. Next, you'll want to make sure you have your references in order before you conduct a job search. Employers like to hear as well as see that potential hires can do the job.
With your paperwork straight, you can now begin a more thorough job search. Here are five tips to help make that job search go more smoothly:
Evaluate your skills, strengths and weaknesses. Try to match up what you can do and what you're trained to do with ideal positions. Going after the wrong kinds of jobs for your skill set can be an exercise in futility.
Evaluate your desires. If you have a 10-year background in management, you might not want to settle for an entry-level position. Make sure you know what you want and try to find jobs to match not only your qualifications, but also your actual worth. Sometimes this might not be possible, but shoot as close to the mark as you possibly can in your job search.
Narrow searches by location, type of job and pay. You don't want to waste your time going after minimum pay jobs if you're over qualified and vice versa. The more you focus your job search, the less time you'll waste on positions that don't fit the bill. But, do be honest with yourself. If you're only qualified for an entry level, go after one with the notion of building on it for a better career.
Consider skill enhancements. If you're a computer programmer, but you haven't taken a new course in five years, you might want to add a certification or two to your resume before you start your job search. Or, at the very least, have some retraining or advanced training in the works when you start applying.
Use the tools at your fingertips. A good job search covers all the bases. This means those on the hunt look online, in papers, and even in trade magazines to find ideal positions. The more you spread out your search, the better.
There's no magic way to land a position and ensure a job search will be ideal, but the more realistic you are about yourself and you are to yourself during a search, the more likely you are to land the right job. Take time to evaluate where you are in your career and your background and be certain to have all paperwork in order before you begin your job search. With some time and patience and a bit of confidence thrown in, you'll likely have a successful job search.
The Corporate Recruiter Obstacle Course: Hiring Managers
December 13th, 2006Last week we introduced what we like to call the job search obstacle course. We¡¯re determined to break down the obstacles that are standing in the way of job candidates, recruiters of all kinds, and hiring managers of every ilk.
We all know that matching the right candidate to the right job involves a lot of jumping through hoops, swinging over moats, and countless other travails for all parties involved. Today, though, we want to focus on one of the major obstacles corporate recruiters have to deal with on a regular basis: hiring managers.
In a perfect world, these two forces would work together for the greater good. Unfortunately it doesn¡¯t always work out that way, and corporate recruiters continue to express their frustration with the folks they¡¯re trying to help. The recent results from a recruiter survey don¡¯t bode too well for anybody:
¡°A total of 80% noted struggles with hiring managers. Fifty percent of the survey respondents indicated that dealing with hiring managers was the biggest problem they faced, while another 30% indicated it was the second- or third-biggest problem they faced. Collectively, these problems had to do with their belief that managers are not strong at assessing competency or recruiting, and that many overvalued skills and experience when determining which candidates to interview.¡± (From Adler Concepts)
While opinions about what is important in a candidate can cause problems, they are problems that seem to relate back to a lack of communication, an issue we continue to see in all aspects of the job search. Sitting Xlegged highlighted this all too common occurrence in their recent list of challenges and frustrations corporate recruiters are forced to face:
¡°I¡¯m in a desperate need to fill my position. When will you send me some candidates? I¡¯m dying here.
¡°Don¡¯t you just love getting calls like this from hiring managers who spent a month creating their requisition and the day it opens they expect results from you? Three words: communication, partnership, and service.¡±
Some of the obstacles standing between corporate recruiters and hiring managers may never quite disappear. But if we can create a space for these two groups to communicate effectively with each other and with job candidates they might remember that ultimately they want the same thing: to effectively match the right person to the right job.
What Not to Wear to an Interview
December 12th, 2006What is the worst outfit ever worn to a job interview? For a career services director at the University of Chicago, it was the applicant who sported a Madras tie as a belt and a patterned cotton hat. Other contenders, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey of hiring managers, include candidates with dirty fingernails, micro-miniskirts, t-shirts with offensive slogans and even bare feet!
No one needs 'Queer Eye's' Carson Kressley to tell them that wearing shoes to an interview is a good idea, but could you be guilty of one of these top 20 fashion faux pas?
1. Carrying a backpack or fannypack instead of a briefcase or portfolio: Some image consultants suggest women ditch their purse, too!
2. Sunglasses on top of your head or headphones around your neck: Be sure to remove all your "transit gear" and tuck it in your briefcase before entering the lobby.
3. Too-short skirts: Forget what some of those gals on 'The Apprentice' are wearing. Your skirt should cover your thighs when you are seated.
4. The wrong tie: Ties should be made of silk, no less than three and a quarter inches wide with a conservative pattern. Image consultants say the best colors are red or burgundy.
5. Overly bright or large-patterned clothing: With the possible exception of creative fields like advertising or computer programming, it's best to stick with navy, black or gray.
6. Heavy makeup on women (or any makeup on a man)
7. Earrings on men: In fact, men should avoid wearing any jewelry unless it is a wedding ring, class ring or metal watch.
8. More than one set of earrings on women
9. Facial piercings, tongue jewelry or visible tattoos
10. Ill-fitting clothes. Few people can wear things straight off the rack. Spending a little extra to have your garments tailored is a worthwhile investment.
11. Long fingernails, especially with bright or specialty polishes. Nails should look clean and be trimmed to a length that doesn't leave an observer wondering how you keep from stabbing yourself.
12. Unnatural hair colors or styles. Remember, Donald Trump was a billionaire well before he began wearing a comb-over. If you're balding, try a close-cropped cut like Bruce Willis or Matt Lauer.
13. Short-sleeved shirts, even worse when worn with a tie
14. Fishnets, patterned hosiery or bare legs (no matter how tan you are). Women should stick with neutral color hosiery that complements their suit.
15. Men whose socks don't match their shoes, or whose socks are too short and leave a gap of flesh when they are seated
16. Rumpled or stained clothing: If interviewing late in the day, try to change to a fresh suit beforehand.
17. Scuffed or inappropriate footwear, including sneakers, stilettos, open-toed shoes and sandals
18. Strong aftershaves, perfumes or colognes: Many people are allergic to certain scents. For a subtle fragrance, use a good quality bath soap.
19. Belts and shoes that don't match: Shoes and belts should be made of leather or leather-like materials and the best colors for men are black or cordovan.
20. Telltale signs that your wearing a new suit. Remove all tags and extra buttons -- and remember to cut off the zigzag thread that keeps pockets and slits closed!
Don't be a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen. Plan and lay out what you're going to wear several days before the interview, so you'll have time to shop or get garments pressed and cleaned.
Save "innovative" or revealing garb for the club (or your couch) and strive for crisp, clean and professional. Remember, you want the interviewer to be listening to what you're saying, not critiquing what you're wearing.
Growing Into Applicant Tracking Systems
December 8th, 2006An applicant tracking system only works when all parties¡ªapplicants, hiring managers, recruiters and executives¡ªuse the system. Ease of use remains an issue for smaller firms while midsize companies are adding functions to existing systems, and large companies are moving toward full integration of applicant tracking and talent management systems.
By Fay Hansen --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
asty turnover rates, high recruiting volume, deep cyclical volatility, a difficult mix of low-end and high-end positions, and a heavy emphasis on customer service have always marked the hospitality industry. It's not a pretty place for recruiters or applicants.
"The problem today is to fill open positions with speed because of the impact on customer service at each property," says Jonathan Kubo, director of recruiting and relocation for Interstate Hotels & Resorts, a hotel management company with more than 280 properties and 26,000 employees. "Open positions, or positions filled with less than optimal candidates, can have a negative effect."
With most companies in the industry hiring on an ongoing basis, inefficiencies in the recruiting process generate additional problems.
"For both hourly and nonhourly employees, any delay in hiring caused by an untimely process or compliance issues means that you lose candidates to your competitors," Kubo says. Constant hiring can burden staff and pump up costs.
Jeff Wade, vice president of human resources at Hersha Hospitality Management in Philadelphia, feels the same pain.
"Recruiting in the hospitality industry is always a challenge because many of the positions are lower-wage jobs, and front-office positions are often filled by college students who want to move on with their careers," Wade says. "We can find bodies, but it's difficult to find people with the right attitude toward guests, and it's hard to train people to be hospitable and guest-focused."
Kubo reduced the hiring workload at Interstate by installing a customized applicant tracking system that allows direct comparisons of candidates and fully automates compliance monitoring. In an average 30-day period, 3,400 applications come in through Interstate's ATS and the company closes out 400 positions.
Wade followed the same path at Hersha to meet the company's growth surge as it expanded from 15 hotels to 54, with a dramatic surge in hiring. Hersha's new ATS launched on September 1.
But applicant tracking systems only work when all parties¡ªapplicants, hiring managers, recruiters and executives¡ªuse the system. Ease of use remains an issue at smaller firms, which are still in the early phase of ATS adoption. Midsize companies are adding functions to existing systems, while large companies are moving toward the full integration of ATS and broader talent management systems.
ATS initiation
Rapid growth and high turnover in the hospitality industry provide a fertile field for testing quick and effective automation.
Hersha personifies the smaller-company trend toward ATS adoption, while Interstate is following the ATS developmental pattern for midsize firms that are now adding functionalities.
When Wade joined Hersha in April 2006, there was no HR function or recruiting infrastructure. A general manager handled hiring for all hourly positions; a half-dozen outside recruiting agencies filled management positions.
The company signed on 1,000 employees in 2005 with no uniform process for applicant tracking and no systematic practice for interviewing. With 1,000 additional new employees needed for 2006, Wade had to install an HR function, build a recruiting process and hire more than a hundred new employees a month.
Although Wade faced urgent hiring needs, he rejected the idea of outsourcing.
"We have a unique founder-led culture, built on a foundation of taking care of our associates who, in turn, take care of our guests," he explains. "My fear was that outsourcing providers might look for candidates and pass them on to us too quickly, and not take the time to tell our story effectively. Outsourcing recruiting would be like outsourcing sales."
Instead, Wade hired HR and recruiting personnel and installed an ATS system, all within a matter of months. He now works with a staff of seven, including a director of talent acquisition.
"The recruiting process is no different from any sales position," he says. "When I looked for a director of talent management, I did not look for someone with a HR background. I hired a director of sales from a hotel."
Wade also structured the director's compensation so that 30 percent of it is contingent on meeting recruiting goals and preset metrics.
"Part of her performance will be measured from the feedback we get from both successful and unsuccessful candidates through our ATS," he notes.
Hersha surveyed its 3,000 employees, who reported that they searched and applied for employment online, confirming Wade's sense that the company could automate recruiting for all positions, from hourly associates in hotels to senior leaders at corporate headquarters.
"All candidates want to be able to go online and to be kept in the loop," he notes. "Automating the system allows recruiters to focus on speaking with the candidates."
Wade tapped ERC Dataplus Inc. to provide an ATS.
"We began the process in April 2006, signed an agreement in June and had a complete customized system in place by September 1, which is really fast," Wade notes.
The customized system takes employees all the way from prehire to three-month and six-month reviews to exit interviews and everything in between.
New hires go through an initial hour-long orientation online from anywhere they chose, which speeds up onboarding and gives them a better sense of the company.
"No one, from senior vice presidents to hourly workers, can go on payroll without being in the system," Wade says. "It's our first step in moving to a paperless HR function."
Evolutionary process
Interstate implemented its current ATS in September 2005.
"I like our system because we have the option to post positions on job boards and community organization sites though a one-step process for posting on multiple sites, but then all applications are brought in to a single point," Kubo reports. "We can track the status of the application and manage online all the data related to selection and interviewing."
With ATS up and running, Kubo is now considering adding a prehire assessment function that can sort applicants by their probability of success on the job. The function uses prescreening questions for basic information and specific questions designed for each position, and then remove applicants that don't meet minimal requirements.
Kubo is now meeting with ERC, Interstate's ATS provider, to determine which assessment tools are most appropriate.
"We want tools that are customized for the industry and the company," Kubo says. "One of the big advantages is that all the tools will all be incorporated into the system. My role is to evaluate if the assessment tools make sense."
"Now, we are seeing modifications of the technology at the larger companies, including a significant increase in using validated assessments to get better hires and reduce time and costs," says Paul L. Rathblott, president and CEO of ERC.
He also reports significant improvement in the integration of other add-on components.
"At one end of the spectrum, you have PeopleSoft HRIS systems, which store a lot data but do not have extensive capabilities or functionalities," Rathblott notes. "At the other end, you have systems that have a lot of functionalities such as performance assessments."
The goal is to integrate data storage and functionalities and fold all the components into one process that links all information for new hires and existing employees.
Intuitive systems
"Recruiting technology must be redesigned so that it is as intuitive as Travelocity or Orbitz, which we use as a model for truly intuitive systems," Rathblott notes. "The point is to have a system that someone can use even if they've never used it before."
Employers commonly underestimate the extent to which applicants are able and willing to use a fully automated system, but ERC and other ATS providers report that the flow of applicants actually increases when companies move to an Internet-only application process.
"The higher flow occurs because candidates are attracted by the flexibility of the Internet," Rathblott explains. "It allows them to learn more about the company and the job and provides them with a quicker response."
Access to the ATS is critical for hiring managers, but the system may go unused if it is not intuitive.
"For example, hiring managers cannot use the requisition system in PeopleSoft," Rathblott says. "They end up filling out a requisition form and faxing it to HR."
"With the exception of very heavy employee-based industries such as call centers, the typical span of control for a manager is eight to 10 employees, which means that even with very high turnover, the manager will interface with the recruiting technology no more than eight times a year," Rathblott notes.
An ATS must be designed to accommodate this very infrequent user. The ERC system is supported by a wizard process like Orbitz uses, with a step-by-step process for requisitions and audio support.
"Recruiters may be interfacing with the system on a daily basis, so it must be not only user-friendly but also user-pleasing¡ªpleasant to work on," Rathblott says. He believes that resistance to ATS adoption in small and midsize companies will disappear as cost and ease of use improve.
At Hersha, Wade is already approaching his goal to cut by half the fees that the company hands over to outside recruiting firms. Time-to-hire for hourly associate positions is now down to five days.
"Salaried positions take 30 days, but we will cut that in half," Wade says. "You have to get recruiting right."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fay Hansen is a Workforce Management contributing editor based in Cresskill, New Jersey. To comment, e-mail editors@workforce.com.
Employers Using Facebook for Background Checking, Part I
December 7th, 2006Is it legal?
In preparing to post a Part III on this subject, I decided to revise and re-release this post, which originally appeared at collegerecruiter.com
There has recently been considerable attention in the media to instances of employers rejecting candidates or firing employees based on information obtained from social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook.
For example, see New York Times: ¡°For Some, Online Persona Undermines a R¨¦sum¨¦,¡± telling this story:
When a small consulting company in Chicago was looking to hire a summer intern this month, the company¡¯s president went online to check on a promising candidate who had just graduated from the University of Illinois.
At Facebook, a popular social networking site, the executive found the candidate¡¯s Web page with this description of his interests: ¡°smokin¡¯ blunts¡± (cigars hollowed out and stuffed with marijuana), shooting people and obsessive sex, all described in vivid slang.
It did not matter that the student was clearly posturing. He was done.
¡°A lot of it makes me think, what kind of judgment does this person have?¡± said the company¡¯s president, Brad Karsh. . .
Today I¡¯ll discuss a question posed by Steven Rothberg of collegerecruiter.com ¡ª prefacing my remarks with a lawyerly disclaimer that I am not providing legal advice and have not thoroughly researched these issues, but am merely making some general comments.
Steven asked that I comment on the lawfulness of making adverse employment decisions on this basis. He raised several concerns: that with Facebook, students often have an incorrect understanding that only other students can access their profiles; that there may be false information on those sites, perhaps not even posted by the individuals themselves; and that Facebook¡¯s terms of service explicitly prohibit users from using Facebook for commercial purposes.
General rule (employment at will)
Let¡¯s start with the proposition that, like it or not, generally employers are free to make unfair, stupid, arbitrary, and wrongheaded hiring and termination decisions, even based on false information, as long as in doing so they do not violate some specific law.
Discrimination Law
One category of specific laws that could be violated by an adverse employment decision based on information on a social networking site is federal and state discrimination law.
It could be evidence of unlawful discrimination if an employer checks for such Internet information on only certain types of applicants or employees, for example, African-Americans and Hispanics.
It may also be evidence of unlawful discrimination if although the employer searches for such information on all applicants or employees, discriminatory bias affects the employer¡¯s evaluation of the information obtained.
For example, an employer may view more negatively photos of an African American male, beer in hand, hanging out at a bar with a hip-hop DJ than photos of a white boy, also with beer in hand, hanging out at a rock ¡®n roll bar with a bunch of other white boys wearing frat T-shirts.
Tell me, was it really the public evidence of drinking that disqualified the individual? How many current employees would be disqualified from employment if never getting publicly intoxicated ¡ª or even drinking in public ¡ª was a job requirement? These are the kinds of questions the EEOC would ask if discrimination was raised.
Sexual orientation might be another touchy area. These days, it may be frankly disclosed on social networking sites without much thought. Yet, sexual-orientation bias remains and might cause some employers to make adverse decisions. In many states and municipalities, sexual orientation discrimination is unlawful, so such decisions will be prohibited.
Invasion of Privacy
Invasion of privacy is a claim that I doubt would fly. It requires a ¡°reasonable expectation of privacy.¡± A student may believe that access to their Facebook profile is limited to a few thousand of their schoolmates and their closest friends. The Facebook FAQs clearly support such a belief in limited access, stating:
Can I see the profiles of people on other networks?
Facebook was intentionally designed to limit the availability of your profile to only your friends and other people on your networks. This simple but important security measure promotes local networking and makes sure that your information is seen by people you want to share it with, and not by people you don¡¯t.
Nonetheless, it would be tough to claim that this expectation of limited access, even if reasonable, is an expectation of ¡°privacy.¡±
On the other hand, if you are using privacy features that you believe allow you to limit access to only invited individuals, as opposed to all others on your network, and an employer somehow hacks past such a privacy barrier, you may have a strong privacy claim.
Terms of Service Violation
Now, onward to the terms of service issue raised by Steve. For sake of brevity, I will only address Facebook. MySpace may present somewhat different issues. The Facebook terms include the following:
You understand that the Service and the Web site are available for your personal, non-commercial use only. You represent, warrant and agree that no materials of any kind submitted through your account will violate or infringe upon the rights of any third party, including copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity or other personal or proprietary rights; or contain libelous, defamatory or otherwise unlawful material.
You further agree not to harvest or collect email addresses or other contact information of Members from the Service or the Web site by electronic or other means for the purposes of sending unsolicited emails or other unsolicited communications. Additionally, you agree not to use automated scripts to collect information from the Service or the Web site or for any other purpose.
You further agree that you may not use the Service or the Web site in any unlawful manner or in any other manner that could damage, disable, overburden or impair Web site. In addition, you agree not to use the Service or the Web site to:
impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent yourself or your affiliation with any person or entity; . . .
intimidate or harass another;
use or attempt to use another¡¯s account, service or system without authorization from the Company, or create a false identity on the Service or the Web site.
Steven thinks it¡¯s a no-brainer that checking individuals out on Facebook for purposes of employment decisions is a commercial use. This certainly is a possible interpretation, but I believe not the only one.
The next sentence focuses on materials submitted through your account, not what you do with information you learn about others. Therefore, ¡°non-commercial use only¡± could be interpreted as prohibiting only posting information for commercial gain, such as advertisements, not surfing the site for information in support of a business purpose.
The paragraph goes on to specifically prohibit certain methods of obtaining and using information about others. Though it prohibits automated scraping and spamming, it does not address the issue of searching for specific individuals and using the information to make employment decisions.
It seems a stretch to say an employer is ¡°intimidating or harassing¡± the user of Facebook by using Facebook information to make an adverse employment decision, but this certainly could be argued.
A more serious issue would arise if the employer misrepresented their affiliation with a college in order to create an account allowing them to look up certain individuals, or used another¡¯s account to do so. This would appear to be a plain violation of the terms of service.
Consequences of Violation of Terms of Service
Now, let¡¯s assume the employer violated the terms of service. So what? My answer is that this fact may support a tortious interference with business expectancy claim, but probably only if it was a third-party recruiter or investigator who committed a violation. This is because interference by a third party is required. Perhaps such a claim against the individual who obtained the information improperly, not the company, would satisfy this requirement, but that is still somewhat iffy.
Other elements of this type of claim might also be difficult to prove, such as whether the candidate has a reasonable expectancy of employment.
There might also be a federal cause of action under the Federal Computer Fraud And Abuse Act to the extent the recruiter/employer exceeds authorized access (as authorized in the terms of service) in obtaining data from a computer system (the Facebook server).
Other Laws
Another law that could come into play is the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Despite its name, this law has broader application than credit inquiries. It might apply if the Facebook information was obtained by a third party investigator such as a recruiter or background-checking service. It would not prohibit use of the information, but would require disclosure of the fact that such information was the basis for the decision.
Thinking Practically
Those are a few of my well-educated, but still speculative, legal thoughts. Long ago, one of my mentors taught me to always ask not only what the law requires my client to do, but also what the client should do, taking into account extra-legal factors such as business realities, employee morale, employee and public perceptions, etc. Here, in the face of some murky and emerging law, I have some thoughts on what both employers and applicants/employees should do, given this growing trend of employers checking social networking sites.
I would advise applicants/employees to assume that future employers will read everything you post. So when you put something about yourself out there, you can be yourself, but avoid obvious negatives like saying you hate to work or posting sleazy or drunken photos. It may help to ask yourself whether you would want your mother to see your site. Sorry to say, but you may not even want to admit homosexuality or extreme political or religious views.
On a positive note, use your Internet postings, including blogs as well as social networking sites, affirmatively. They can help you build visibility and credibility as an expert in your field (or hobby). Join more ¡°serious¡± networking sites like LinkedIn even if you are still a student ¡ª and work at building a network there that can help you in future job searches.
I would advise employers to cut applicants and employees some slack. You were once young too and maybe did similar things ¡ª if not publicly on the Internet. Ask yourself how relevant the information creating the negative impression is to job performance.
If you are going to do Internet searches and use them as a basis for employment decisions, you better do so consistently, without regard to any legally protected classifications, e.g. race, sex, age. You should document them.
I also agree 100% with Steven¡¯s suggestion to use social networking sites and blogs in a positive fashion in your search to find good candidates. Consider the whole person, of whom the Internet persona is not always a fully accurate reflection.
What does it take to win
December 7th, 2006In this ¡°flat¡± world, you gain competitive advantage by capturing the best talent, wherever they are. In Indiana or India. Gone are the days when recruiting was an administrative activity. Now it needs to be repositioned as a strategic weapon. You need to remove the gloves. Attack. And counter-attack.
Leading global recruiting strategist Dr. John Sullivan will show you how. His aggressive presentation includes topics like:
Why "but we are different" is no longer a valid excuse
How to use talent poaching to disarm competitors
How to identify, improve and build these capabilities
How to prioritize internal recruitment needs and external recruitment opportunities
How to block your employees from being poached
Get ready for an experience that will challenge your ideas about recruiting and turn you into a winner in the global war for talent.
Differentiating between HR management and industrial relations
December 5th, 2006DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN HR MANAGEMENT AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Human Resource Management:
¡¤There are only two important parties namely employee and employer.
¡¤Formulation of objectives, policies, procedure and programs of human resources and implement them.
¡¤Individual employee contacts with the immediate superior.
Grievance and disciplinary procedures are resorted to, to solve the employee-employer conflicts.
¡¤Reformulates the objectives, policies etc ,based on industrial conflicts which are the outcome of unsound industrial relations.
Human Resource Management (HRM) is the overall management of all resources including workers, staff, executives, Top management and even suppliers and customers.
Industrial Relations:
Industrial Relations (IR) in practice are the relations between actual work force and management of the organization.
Given below are some of the salient features of IR:
¡¤The implementation of HRM policies results in IR.
¡¤There are four important parties namely employees, employer, trade unions and government
¡¤The sound IR contributes to the organizational goals. The unsound IR result in industrial conflicts demanding for change and reformulation of HRM objectives and goals
¡¤Employees contact even the top management as a group.
¡¤Collective bargaining and forms of industrial conflicts are resorted to solve the problems
¡¤Industrial relations are governed by the system of rules and regulations concerning work, workplace and working community.
¡¤The main purpose is to maintain harmonious relations between employees and employer by solving their problems through grievance procedure and collective bargaining.
¡¤Trade Unions is another important institution in the Industrial relations. Trade unions influence and shape the industrial relations through collective bargaining.
¡¤Industrial relations are the relations mainly between employees and employers.
¡¤These relations emphasis on accommodating other parties interest, values and needs. Parties develop skills of adjusting to and cooperating with each other.
Fastest Growing Technology Companies by Hiring
December 5th, 2006For those who are looking for a new position in information technology, here are the 10 employers who hired the most high tech people in 2006:
1. Merge Healthcare
2. Clinical Data
3. CalAmp
4. Adobe Systems
5. Secure Computing
6. ValueClick
7. Cognizant Technology Solutions
8. eBay
9. J2 Global Communications
10. OmniVision
Source: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/b2fastestgrowing/
Will Recruiters Become Extinct?
December 4th, 20061. job postings should be free. the value is not and never will be in the posting. the value is in connecting with the right person to hire.
Don¡¯t agree.
a) Advertising costs. Should a TV commercial be free? Last time I checked, Super Bowl ads cost well over $1MM per minute, and they don¡¯t guarantee results either. Job boards are advertising with the added benefit of being direct response.
b) Connecting with the right person to hire can happen in many ways - direct application, research, sourcing, third party recruiters, referrals, etc. In today¡¯s competitive world, companies must use many sources to find great candidates.
2. employers are struggling with the quality vs. quantity gap in online recruiting. job boards provide quantity while hiring managers desire quality.
Depends on what online tools they are using and how they use them. People are still getting quality resumes and applicants from the big job boards, if they focus their efforts on quality. There are also many other online resources which can augment candidate flow with quality prospects.
3. the value of job boards (as we know them today) is beginning to erode for employers with well known brands as most active jobseekers are more than able to go directly to the career websites at companies like starbucks, microsoft, google, etc.
Don¡¯t really agree. The value of large job boards (for employers) comes from large candidate pools. The value of large job boards (for candidates) comes from the ability to find multiple jobs in their field from many employers. Something they can¡¯t do by visiting Microsoft¡¯s career center. This is what is driving the vertical job boards. Employers will always go where the candidates are and candidates will go where the jobs are. My personal feeling is that niche job boards are where the future lies. IT boards for IT companies and professionals, HealthCare boards for Healthcare companies and professionals, and yes, even Restaurant Job boards for restaurant professionals.
4. referrals have been and always will be a great source of quality hires. not the only source, but an important source.
Totally agree. I think this is why almost every big company has some sort of incentive program to reward employees for bringing in referrals who are hired and stay for a specified period of time. Companies (and employees) that use inventive ways of leveraging networking technologies will see increased effectiveness in referral hiring.
5. as has occurred in other markets like travel, and as is increasingly transpiring in real estate, over time we will see new marketplaces evolve which eliminate the need for the specialist (recruiter) and enable the purchaser (hiring manager) to transact efficiently with the seller (candidate).
Totally disagree. In order for Jason¡¯s prediciton to come true, one would have to assume that the only value of a recruiter in recruiting candidates would be the initial introductions or that all the other value propositions offered by recruiting specialists could be replaced through online technologies. I don¡¯t know if Jason has ever actually done any recruiting, but to assume that the value proposition of recruiters can be replaced by Jobster or some other Internet thingamajig is naive. There are still plenty of Realtors, and there are still plenty of travel agents. The industries may have been shaken up by how people use the internet, but they are still thriving industries¡ as is recruiting 10 years after Monster.com and as recruiting will continue to be far into the future. Just as there are some percentage of home sales that are done in the FSBO style there is still great value in specialization and many customers who are willing to pay for specialized help so the largest percentage of sales in the housing market are done by professional realtors.
In conclusion, let me just say that my prediction is that recruiters won¡¯t become extinct and neither will Internet based job boards. Now, I may be a little biased because I am after all a recruiter and have a very small job board myself - it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t plan on being extinct any time soon.
Recruiting Older Workers for Competitive Advantage
December 1st, 2006Report outlines how tapping the older worker talent pool can fill skills gap
LONDON ¨C November 30th, 2006 ¨C Taleo, the leading provider of on demand talent management solutions and The Age and Employment Network (TAEN) are calling on companies to change their approach to recruitment to capitalise on the ageing workforce in the UK. ¡°Tapping into the older worker talent pool¡± is a joint white paper that highlights the opportunity for companies to address the looming skills crisis by recruiting older workers, and provides step by step advice on how companies can execute this strategy.
¡°Tapping into the older worker talent pool¡± explains the demographic trends in the UK with an ageing workforce that is causing a general shortage of skills. Despite these trends and the recent UK Age Regulations, many organisations retain significant biases and misconceptions about recruiting older workers. Practical recruitment strategies that take advantage of the growing talent pool of older workers will therefore be increasingly critical in creating a competitive workforce in the UK. Central to these strategies are the philosophy of skills based recruiting and the use of e-recruitment technology to promote wide access to job roles, and implement a compliant, skills based recruiting process.
Specific advice from TAEN and Taleo Research includes:
¡¤ Consider where you are advertising your job opportunities
¡¤ Word your job opportunities carefully
¡¤ Capture candidate data on compliant, electronic application forms
¡¤ Drive the selection process based on skills
¡¤ Consider re-skilling or up-skilling new or existing employees
According to Taleo Research Vice President, Alice Snell, ¡°The message is loud and clear for organisations that are looking ahead and developing their recruitment strategies. Retaining the traditional preference for recruiting only from younger age groups will lead to a weaker workforce than competitors who tap into the older worker talent pool. Organisations can gain a significant advantage from adopting a skills-based approach to recruiting that creates a level playing field for older workers. E-Recruitment technology is a powerful tool in implementing this approach because solutions such as Taleo¡¯s have compliant skills-based matching of candidates to roles as a fundamental design principle. ¡±
Patrick Grattan, chief executive of TAEN adds ¡°The recruitment profession has the opportunity to play a crucial role in response to an ageing work force. At present too much of the focus is on age. It should be on skills and experience regardless of age. Internet-based recruitment can spotlight competencies required for the job, whereas a classic CV, with its chronological recital of past job history, encourages assumptions about age and working life. ¡®Tapping into the older worker talent pool' is a valuable guide for businesses looking to change their recruitment practices to welcome older workers. ¡±
From Inertia to Momentum: Why Coaches are Good Investments
December 1st, 2006I introduced a client to my business coach at a networking event last week. My client was surprised that I¡ªalready a business owner and coach myself¡ªwas working with a business coach. I told her, ¡°Doctors need doctors, attorneys need attorneys, and coaches benefit from coaches.¡±
Later, I started thinking about why I decided to work with a coach. I still stand by my rather witty (if I do say so myself) response, but I also realized I actually started down this path over a year ago¡ªlong before I actually hired an coach.
Last year I started taking a hard look at my business and what I wanted to be doing. I convened an ¡°advisory board¡± of trusted friends and colleagues to help me make the shift. I was losing passion for what I had been doing and I needed people to help me be objective. Again, if I do say so myself, this was one of the smartest moves I have ever made. This group of advisors began helping me more clearly define my business direction and my strengths. It became a source of inspiration, feedback, encouragement, and a million ideas.
As a matter of fact, the million ideas were overwhelming me to the point of inertia. It seemed natural that my next step would be working with a business coach. I was at a point where I knew it was time to make the shift in my business, yet the million ideas had me paralyzed. I started working with Gail from NuGrowth Coaching to help me move from inertia to momentum. This proved to be another great decision and wise investment.
Here¡¯s how working with a coach has helped me:
• A coach holds us accountable. Let¡¯s face it; we can all talk ourselves out of doing something we know we need to do because the only people we might disappoint are ourselves.
• A coach asks the hard questions, expects honest answers, gives direct feedback, but never judges.
• A coach focuses 100% on the client. With friends, conversations tend to be about commiserating or sharing the focus. Coaching allows us to be selfish.
• A coach is an excellent source of information and ideas, helping us get past our ¡°D¡¯oh!¡± moments and getting to our great moments.
• A coach is well-versed in the general area of need. In my case, I needed business assistance and my coach has significant experience in business, sales and marketing.
• A coach never tells you what to do. Through very direct questioning, though, a coach will help you reach your own solutions.
Think about your own needs. Are you stuck in your job and just can¡¯t figure out how to move on? Do you love your current employer, but really want to move up the feeding chain? The benefits of career coaching are tremendous and the investment is one you can¡¯t afford NOT to make. To find out if you¡¯re a candidate for career coaching, and for more information on career coaching, go to www.permanent-ink.com and click on Career Coaching. If you have questions or comments you¡¯d like to see addressed in a future blog, e-mail me at permanentink@insight.rr.com.
Recruitment Strategies
November 30th, 2006The values, or even purpose, of developing recruitment strategies generally are misunderstood within companies. It is important to build a recruiting strategy with the following questions in mind:
1) What kind(s) of candidate skills do we need?
2) When do we need them?
3) What is our corporate culture?
4) What are our recruitment processes? (employee requisition approval, marketing, sourcing, selection, reference, sales/offer, new employee orientation).
5) When did we last examine our recruitment strategies? As time passes, recruitment needs change and the methods of recruitment change (most recent major impact - the Internet). Can we do better than we have up until now?
6) What is preventing our success at attracting the top 10% of candidates?
7) Can we achieve our goals utilizing corporate staff? Or do we need outside temporary professional recruitment assistance? If we need outside help, what kind is most beneficial to this situation?
8) What is our budget for recruitment?
We address these questions in this area. Remember, recruitment is not magic. The top recruiting staffs do the fundamentals well. A strong, yet flexible recruitment strategy is the basis of the fundamentals of recruiting and delivering the best candidates.
As a contract recruitment firm, The Humbert Group assesses your current recruitment strategy and assesses your staff. We will be happy to either tweak your current recruitment strategy or help your company develop a new one. Additionally, we consult with you on the best way to upgrade your staff.
Why IT Recruiting as a profession?
November 29th, 2006Sometimes people in our industry can get a bad repetition or make someone mad. But, is that because what the industry is or what they did?
Remember the movie, Dave. It¡¯s about an average Joe that poses as president. At one point, he¡¯s talking to the real president¡¯s wife and she asks him what he does in real life. He answers he runs a very small staffing company. She answers ¡°Oh, you find people jobs¡±, and is very impressed. That¡¯s it in a nutshell. Over a lifetime career in this business, think about how many, houses, cars and college educations you have contributed to the economy by doing your job well?
You are a:
- Talent Agent ¨C No agent in sports or the entertainment industry has anything over you.
- Psychologist ¨C You have to get into the head of the candidate and figure what makes them tick and what their ¡°real¡± job interests are.
- Computer Scientist ¨C Few IT recruiters have a technical degree but we¡¯re expected to be able to wade through thousands of acronyms, know what they do and be able to screen candidates.
- Career Coach ¨C Be able to convince the candidate it¡¯s not in their best interest to wear that 2 pound nose ring to the interview.
- Travel Agent ¨C Figure out how to get that candidate in Fairbanks to Miami by 2 pm tomorrow to meet the CIO.
- Marriage Counselor ¨C Remember, it¡¯s the whole family that is affected by a job change.
- Friend - **the most important** No explanation other then ¡°treat others and you want to be treated¡±.
Salary Negotiation
November 28th, 2006Prepare for the Negotiations
It is foolhardy to negotiate on assumptions, so make sure you have some specific facts in hand. Some of these information can only be learnt during the interview process; elicit them from the interviewer when an offer is made, before starting the negotiation.
What is your worth in the market? Changes in the job market is constant due to a globally competitive economy. So the first thing you should find out is the current salary trend for your job profile.
There are many free and fee based online resources on salary surveys like payscale.com, jobstar.org and salary.com that can give you a ballpark range.
Research salaries at similar firms in the same job function and the same industry. Call similar companies directly and ask their salary ranges for the type of job you seek.
Ask recruiters, employment agents, other professionals and your own network of friends and associates.
Other places to research are professional trade journals and business magazines and newspaper and online job listings.
Remember to consider factors like location and experience that play a huge role too.
What is the offer package? In case an offer has been made to you, get specific details on the following facets of the offer -
Job Responsibilities: The specific job responsibilities and the first assignment you'll be working on is one of the most important aspects of the offer. If the assignment is to your liking, you might be more willing to be flexible.
The Signing Bonus: Some companies also offer an initial one-time bonus for start-up expenses like a new wardrobe or as an incentive to accept an offer over another. But keep in mind that since future raises are computed as a percentage of your base, it can be to the employer¡¯s advantage to entice you with a signing bonus rather than a higher base salary.
Base Salary: It is best to present a neutral appearance and not tip your hand by any involuntary response like "Wow!". Some firms offer a higher signing bonus if you accept the offer immediately. Unless you've made up your mind, it is always better to ask for a reasonable amount of time to consider their offer.
Relocation Package: If you are offered a relocation allowance, make sure you understand what is included - moving household goods, house hunting trips, and brokers' fees are examples.
Benefits Package: These are generally non-negotiable and are often standard for all employees. But they vary from company to company and so can be used to compare various offers before reaching a final decision.
Promotional Opportunities: Find out the promotional opportunities of this position, and the kind of salary progression to be expected in the first three to five years?
Tuition reimbursement: Organizations that want to encourage their employees to gain further education and training offer some form of partial or complete tuition reimbursement.
Future raises: Find out the methodology of the reviews and how future raises are computed and awarded. Are there performance-based raises and bonuses?
Profit sharing: If you are working for a growing and profitable organization, profit-sharing programs can offer you great year-end bonuses based on the success of the organization or your division.
Starting date: Some companies might want you to start immediately, and some might be more flexible.
Deadline: When an offer is made, the company also provides a time frame to respond. This is often negotiable; don't hesitate to ask for more time if you need it.
What does the interviewer earn? This information can give you an extra edge if the interviewer is also the one under whom you'll be working. After all, you wouldn't like your subordinates to make more money than you, right? So keep that sensitive issue in mind when you start negotiating. Generally ten percent less than what he/she earns may be an appropriate figure to negotiate on, but proceed carefully to make sure that the interviewer doesn't feel personally threatened by your salary request. (If you can't find the exact figure, even an estimate can help - use step 1 to figure it out.)
Who's the boss? As early as possible, find out who the final decision maker is with regard to hiring, determining your job title, and authorizing your compensation agreement.
Who's the competition? If possible, determine how desperate is the employer to fill in the position, how many other candidates are being considered and how you measure up to them.
Be Realistic, This is How the Market Works
According to Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com senior writer, employers seem to have the better hand in pay negotiations. Some insights from her:
Your pay doesn't necessarily reflect performance and seniority. Demand and supply in action - Managers will pay what the market demands to get the right candidate. So in a tight job market the starting salary of a new hire at your level may come close to or even match yours, despite your seniority and experience. And companies generally won't correct this discrepancy unless you raise the issue.
Keep abreast of the going rate for people with your experience and education, especially if you were hired in a down market.
Campaign for pay raises months before the review. Smart companies "always have a little something in their back pocket ... to use when they need it - say to keep an employee they can't afford to lose," said Dallas-based compensation consultant Rebecca Elkins. Say you fit that category, and you request an 8 percent raise when the company typically has offered you 4.5 percent. Smart managers would ask themselves, "Am I willing to lose this person for $500 a month?"
The day of your review is not the time to negotiate a higher raise since your manager has already gotten approval for the increase he's budgeted. Your campaigning should start months before.
When you're told they can't pay you more now, budget may not be the issue. If you ask for more money and your boss says the budget is too tight now, it might mean - your boss doesn't think you're that much, he doesn't have the authority to make that decision, he doesn't want you competing with him or that you are already paid at the top of the company's scale for your position.
Ask around what it will take for you to reach your desired pay level or consider whether you want to continue working in that position at that company
Bosses pay more if they like you. Bosses do have favorites. So it's easy to assume your manager sweetens the pot for his faves. But more realistically, chances are the employees he likes the most are also the ones who make his job easy and who make him look good to his managers.
Yes, there is a blacklist. Some companies push select employees out of their jobs or layoff an entire department just to get rid of one or two people without incurring liability. One easy way to get on a blacklist is to insult the boss or be overly negative about the company on email, in a meeting, or at the water cooler. Then there are some employees who can do no wrong, or if they do, they're far more likely to be given some slack. They're the employees who are perceived as trustworthy, even if they're not the top performers.
Negotiating Tips
While every interview will be different here are some common pitfalls you should avoid while negotiating your salary package:
Initiating Negotiations Too Soon
Timing is very important. The best and appropriate time to negotiate is when a formal offer has been made.
Only Negotiating Salary
While the base salary or the money is the most negotiated piece of the salary package, don't ignore the other parts. These include signing bonuses, unpaid leave, relocation expenses, flextime, severance and predetermined timeframes for salary reviews. Be flexible.
Mistrusting the System
Many job seekers operate under the assumption that employers will, without exception, try to lowball and take advantage of them, no matter how well-qualified they are for a position. While some employers might pay employees below industry standard, you should never enter a negotiation with a them-versus-me mentality. Many companies have a predetermined budget for every position and an offer may boil down to a take-it-or-leave-it proposition, only because that's all the budget allows for the position, not because the employer is trying to take advantage of you.
Assuming Your Degree Entitles You to a Higher Starting Salary
Having an advanced education is nothing more than a threshold requirement that enables prospective employers to narrow down the pool of applicants to a manageable size. If you have relatively little real-world work experience, your degree may keep you in the running, but it won't entitle you to a higher salary.
Believing Every Negotiation Should End in Your Favor
It's naive to assume you'll always get what you want. Negotiating isn't a win-lose proposition; it's a compromise, and you should be prepared for that. That doesn't mean you should settle for any offer that comes your way, but sometimes an agreeable settlement just might not be possible.
what is Outsourcing?
November 27th, 2006Introduction to Outsourcing
In today¡¯s modern business environment the term Outsourcing is now common place. In fact perhaps without realising it, outsourcing is already a part of your organisation.
What is Outsourcing?
Outsourcing is the process of contracting out a company¡¯s non-core, non revenue producing internal functions to a specialist (Service Provider). Commonly within the Recruitment Industry this includes payroll, credit control, management accounts and other HR functions.
Advantages of Outsourcing
1. Outsourcing provides a service which might otherwise be performed by in house employees. In doing so it allows the redistribution of a company¡¯s key resources (it¡¯s employees) so that they can focus on other business issues.
2. Service providers will tend to have the latest technology to hand, technology which usually involves high costs to purchase and is simply not feasible for smaller companies to buy. By outsourcing you can indirectly have access to this technology.
3. Service providers will be specialists in their field and will closely monitor any changes in legislation or any new developments.
4. Improved financial monitoring - through the process of outsourcing a company will usually be subject to a fixed monthly cost. Due to this fixed charge, the cost of performing a task is now quantifiable.
5. Overall outsourcing can reduce costs and improve efficiencies.
Disadvantages of Outsourcing
1. You may become dependent upon the outsource provider
2. Sensitive information is more vulnerable
3. Can eliminate direct communication between a company and its clients. This may prevent a business from building a solid relationship with their customers, and often leads to dissatisfaction on one or both sides.
4. If outsourcing to another country, language, cultural and time zone differences may cause a problem.
Something to think about
If you¡¯re thinking of outsourcing there are four steps which we think you should consider.
1. How will outsourcing develop your business?
2. Which activities do you want to outsource, where do you want to outsource and which service provider will you use?
3. What contractual issues are there? How much will the service cost? What are your expectations of the service?
4. When will the change over take place?
In Search of the Perfect Boss: Workers Weigh in on the Best and Worst of Their Managers
November 24th, 2006In a response to the negative public opinion about the boss, DDI unveils an interactive Web program to give global workers a chance to build their own boss.
Is there a perfect boss? Maybe, but ask anyone what it is, and you¡¯ll get a different answer every time.
In a recent survey conducted by Development Dimensions International (DDI), a global human resource consulting firm, and Badbossology, a bad-boss protection resource site, workers offered insights on what makes a good leader and where their current boss falls short.
So what topped the list? Of 21 potential ¡®leadership¡¯ sins, respondents selected ¡®being everyone¡¯s friend¡¯ as their number one choice with ¡®micromanagement¡¯ right behind it.
Male bosses rated high on ¡®arrogance¡¯ and female bosses were criticized for not delegating. And reinforcing the stereotype of men as thrill-seekers, male workers also found their bosses to be four times more risk averse than female workers.
What didn¡¯t make the list? ¡®Brown-noser,¡¯ ¡®defensive¡¯ and ¡®volatile¡¯ were at the bottom of the list of sins for all respondents.
This Boss¡¯s Day (Oct. 16th), DDI is giving workers around the world a chance to create a boss from scratch ¡ª with only the characteristics they want ¡ª and audition what they think could be the perfect boss. Build-A-Boss (www.ddiworld.com/buildaboss) is an interactive Web program that allows users to select four characteristics from a list of 25 positive and negative traits to build their current or ideal manager.
¡°People complain about their bosses endlessly and we¡¯re challenging them to see if they can do better,¡± Rich Wellins Senior Vice President, DDI said. ¡°We see the Build-A-Boss as an engaging way for employees to really get a handle on those traits they want in their ideal boss ¡ª or to use it to profile the strengths and weaknesses of their current boss.¡±
Build-A-Boss will let you try out a new boss by picking your favorite characteristics, honor your boss with a portrait of all their best traits or give your boss feedback on their management style in a less threatening forum. And the research showed that workers really had a lot of opinions on their boss¡¯s performance.
Significant observations from the survey of more than 900 in the workplace include:
Trust is at the top of their wish list. If workers could give their boss a gift of a character trait this Boss¡¯s Day, they would wrap up ¡®trust in employees¡¯ and ¡®honesty and integrity¡¯ and ¡®team building skills¡¯ as the three top choices. ¡°Everyone wants to feel that they are trusted and valued in their jobs ¡ª these selections relate to these very fundamental human needs and how they transfer to the workplace,¡± Wellins said.
The stereotype of the male boss prevails for some. More than three-quarters of males would prefer to work for a male boss, while female workers are split down the middle in their preference. The majority of respondents (70 percent) between the ages of 34 and 45 said their ideal boss is male, showing that the more traditional view of ¡®boss¡¯ continues with this specific generation. ¡°This helps to address why women are still having trouble breaking into the leadership ranks,¡± Wellins said. ¡°This perception needs to change because women are equally competent in leadership roles.¡±
Older workers want to work for their peers. Workers 45 and up would prefer to work for a boss their own age, instead of an older or younger manager. However, nearly half of respondents in this group actually work for bosses younger than them. ¡°With the expected mass retirement of the baby boomers, those older workers who want to hang around need to get used to younger bosses,¡± Wellins said.
Smarts matter for the boss. One in seven workers says their boss is just not smart, when asked if their boss had book smarts or street smarts. But not everyone saw their boss in a dunce cap ¡ª nearly half of respondents respect their boss¡¯s intellect and think their boss has both book and street smarts.
Career development slows for older generations. While 35 percent of respondents gave a resounding ¡®yes¡¯ when asked about the boss advocating for career development and advancement, responses progressively decrease as employees get older and more advanced in their careers. ¡°As workers get older and become more self-sufficient, it gives the impression that they needs less development, and managers focus more on 20-something workers,¡± Wellins said. ¡°Some of this disparate focus makes sense, but at the same time, with a continued war for talent, we need to find ways to motivate our aging workforce.¡±
Leadership skills were the most serious deficit. Almost one third of bosses were considered bad because of ¡®lack of leadership skills¡¯, and more male bosses were criticized for their poor leadership skills. Females, on the other hand, were considered bad bosses because of their lack of ¡®sound business judgment/acumen¡¯ with 14 percent of the votes (male bosses had 9.6 percent).
About Badbossology.com: Difficult bosses are a costly problem, and surveys indicate that approximately 40% of employees have had to deal with a bad boss. Badbossology.com is a free resource site that provides news and resources on bad boss protection strategies to help both individuals and their companies. It takes a responsible balanced approach and references material from sources such as The Chicago Tribune, CNNMoney.com, Fast Company, The Harvard Business School, and US and international government sites. Visitors can raise questions, participate in discussion forums, and save key resources along with personal notes for fast future reference using the site¡¯s secure repository. For further information, visit www.badbossology.com
Recruiter Survey Points to Perfect Storm in 'War for Talent'
November 24th, 2006In 1997 Mc Kinsey's coined the phrase "War for Talent", the following few years were characterised by critical shortages of talent fuelled by economic expansion, the emergence of the dot-com sector, recruitment and expansion in the Technology arena, growth in consulting fortunes and the rise of the service industry. As we entered the era of the "Generation Y" worker there was a shortage of key skills available. Recruitment agencies saw the boom coming, advised clients accordingly. Many client companies struggled to secure the talent required, wages spiralled. Exuberance in packages offered took the war out of reach of many firms. Companies were forced to compromise on talent, those who did not act were weakened and when the exuberance abated in 2001 they suffered further.
International executive recruiters Antal International are calling on all Line Managers & Human Resource professionals to make a diary note for January 2007. A decade on from its origination, Antal predict that 2007 will see the return of the War for Talent, however, there will be some significant differences, according to the results of a survey undertaken by EMEA, CEE & Asia specialists. This time it will be global, affecting all levels of employee and functions, a "Perfect Storm" in talent terms.
Tony Goodwin, Antal's Chairman & CEO stated, "The 1997 War was largely localised, contained within a few skill functions and didn't affect every business sector. Firms were either feeding grounds for the boom enterprises hiring in the late 90's or were trying to stay out front. This time, driven by a number of additional factors, the second war for talent will be truly global and more far-reaching."
A confidential survey Antal undertook of mid to senior executives in firms across diverse markets in Europe, Russia & China shows that 34% would consider a move in 2007 due to increased market confidence and greater awareness of their appreciating market value. When added to expected levels of staff turnover, competitor hiring and those addressing satisfaction issues, the result is expected to be a turnover storm of epic proportions. The Antal survey found that:
Up to 72% of employers forecast more than 12% new job growth in 2007. Alone, this job creation won't start the war, but combined with the other factors, it will exacerbate it.
Recently published data across EMEA & Asia shows that well over a quarter of employees are not fully satisfied and would actively seek a move as evidenced in employee feedback, increased workplace stress and work-life balance issues rising on the agenda.
Companies held the power in the "employer market" of the last five years and some paid less attention to employee motivation, retention, engagement and work-life balance than perhaps they should have.
Salaries stayed relatively flat in recent years and fewer promotion opportunities have been widely available. Many businesses have reported productivity gains against a backdrop of falling morale.
It is much easier today for employees to appraise themselves of their market value and review positions on job boards & corporate sites. Discrete job surfing remains a popular web pastime and can be done without contacting a recruitment consultant until one is ready to step into the "available" zone.
The rise of jobs-by-email functionality on job boards means they don't need to publicise their resume and jobs come to them direct, over 42% of executives regularly received job information by email from online recruitment sources.
Increasing numbers of senior managers have started to leave the workplace and as this generation ages further it will lead to critical shortages of experienced managers, creating an experience gap. Antal's survey found that over 25% of senior managers were considering retirement within five years.
Generation Y workers (born in the 70's to 90's) are increasingly likely to change jobs more often. They have grown up in a world of immediacy and fast change and view a change of employer as a positive way of increasing their worth, advancing careers more quickly. Many see a position lasting up to 2.5 years as sufficient. Average tenure in firms is dropping in the under 30 age ranges.
Picture this - It is early 2007, your own new headcount needs to be filled, as does that of your competitors, employee confidence in the market place grows, they're more comfortable looking externally for opportunity, "job security paralysis" becomes less of a factor and a large section move, some of your senior managers retire or seek more work life balance, your generation Y's begin their quest for the "next best thing" and move on, the best executives have moved early and are already locked-in to new firms, new entrants open in your market trying to attract your talent¡ and what's more, this happens in all your locations.
With recent increased investment in boom markets like Russia, Eastern Europe, China and Latin America, Antal predict that companies wont just be fighting for talent in their domestic market, they will be engaged in a battle on all fronts. Employers will face the same issues of attraction, recruitment, retention, motivation and leadership development in every location they have expanded into around the globe.
Graeme Read, Antal's COO commented, "Over the last decade, firms have internationalised far more than ever before, sourcing and production has moved to different countries such as China or Eastern Europe, massive new B2B and consumer markets have opened in emerging markets like Latin America and China. All this leads companies to expand sales and operations internationally to tap this lucrative market opportunity and often the easiest route into a new market for others is to target experienced people at competitor firms, buying in valuable local knowledge and experience."
He added, "In 2007, the cost imperative of globalisation and the faster pace of opening operations internationally will further the boom in emerging markets. FDI, new office and manufacturing facility openings are set to grow exponentially in 2007, fuelling the storm in even remote locations."
Alongside the survey, Antal polled a selected number of clients in its key markets to see how they are preparing to head off the storm. Some areas highlighted by those taking action include:
• An increase in availability of remote access allowing staff to work remotely on selected days.
• More use of "golden handcuffs" to lock in top talent and more benchmarking of salaries to market.
• A sharper focus on the individual, identifying and nurturing "Rising Stars" in every corner of their global businesses.
• Greater use of recruitment technology and web sourcing and more use of diverse sourcing methodologies.
As salaries and packages start to rise and talent pools dry up, companies are turning to flexible workers and an increased use of contractors in IT, Accountancy, HR and Marketing is envisaged in many markets.
Firms focus more on the core aspects of the business, outsourcing non-core activities in areas like IT, Call Centres, Customer Service, Recruitment, Media Management.
Far more focus on retention, with increased line manager input and reworked retention plans.
Greater emphasis on the "sell" of the company and opportunity to potential employees at interview.
More HR time spent on areas like Talent Development, Leadership Development, and Compensation & Benefits with less focus on administrative tasks.
Early search activity - many firms are starting to look for talent now - acting before the market heats up, enabling the best.
A reader's toolbox:
Thanks to new modalities in cisco certification, now anyone can go for E20-001 as well as ccna. Previous credits like mcse as well as network+ also matter. In microsoft certification, every minute detail matters.
China's Proposed Labor Reforms Spark Controversy and Hope in US
November 23rd, 2006Proposed revisions to China's labor laws, presented for discussion at this December's 19th Conference of the 10th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, are stirring controversy among labor and business groups in the US.
The AFL-CIO described as "duplicitous" a campaign led by US corporations to convince the Chinese government to block the labor reform measures. The labor federation argued that the reforms are needed to protect workers' rights, and submitted a supporting petition to the Office of the US Trade Representative, a Bush-administration-appointed agency.
Meanwhile, a report published by the think tank Global Labor Strategies points out that US-based corporations and their lobbying arms are opposing the law and even threatening to pull their investments out of China.
The corporations involved include Wal-Mart, which incidentally conceded just recently to Chinese trade union organizing efforts, Nike, Microsoft, AT&T, the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, the US-China Business Council, and others. European-based business associations have lodged similar complaints as well.
Because the reforms would force foreign employers in China to recognize the legal rights of their employees, these corporate interests have viewed the proposals negatively and even actively engaged in China's national dialog on the matter.
What's in the New Labor Law?
The proposed reforms would provide a means to regulate and standardize industrial relations across different sectors in the Chinese economy. While China adopted a contract labor law in 1994 to protect workers, tens of millions continue to be employed without such protections.
During a recent visit to Washington, China's Social Security Minister, Tian Chengping, said the reforms are needed "to improve the dispute-resolution system and supervision mechanism for labor relations."
The reforms would codify the rights and obligations of employers and workers, and are generally seen as having the potential to strengthen the rights of workers and protect their interests.
The proposed reforms were presented to the Chinese public earlier this year for discussion and response. According to Chinese media reports, almost 200,000 workers and other interested parties provided their opinions on the proposals. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU), China's central labor federation, has participated in the process by exchanging recommendations with the government body that authored the proposals. Many ACFTU ideas were included in this draft of the reforms.
The key elements of the reforms focus on contract labor and include, among others, the following regulations. One measure would impose a limitation on the probationary period for contract workers and would prevent employers from hiring workers for only short periods, and releasing them before the terms of their contract had been fully met. It is a regulation that would reduce abuse and ensure greater job security.
A second proposal would require employers to provide severance pay after the termination of a contract. This reform would protect workers by ensuring economic stability between jobs and also would encourage employers to provide longer-term contracts.
In the event of a large-scale termination of more than 50 contracts, the employer would have to meet with the trade union, explain its reasons for terminating the contracts, and negotiate over compensation and other conditions.
Where contracts with employees do not exist, the proposal would create legal provisions that would actively encourage employers to provide them and thus extend rights and benefits to workers. Indeed, if employers do not do so, the law would recognize the employer-employee relationship as a de facto long-term contract.
The reforms also give the ACFTU and workers' representatives the authority to participate in the creation of new work conditions put forward by employers. Additionally, the unions would be authorized to collectively bargain and sign contracts for larger groups of contract workers.
For example, in some sections of China's construction industry, large numbers of workers are employed in the contract labor system. Contract labor forces them to deal with the employer on a one-on-one basis and increases the likelihood of their being exploited. This reform proposal would make contracts fairer and increase workers' bargaining power to improve wages, benefits, and working conditions.
The reforms would also restrict the common practice of turning a company's own contracted labor over to third party employers. Currently, an employer can force a contracted employee to work for another employer. The new law would limit this practice to certain sectors, limit the time frame, or require that a new contract be drawn up between the new employer and the employee.
The proposed reforms also provide a more even playing field for workers when they disagree on the meaning of the terms of a contract. In fact, in most cases, the law would require arbitrators to side with workers in these disputes, encouraging an employer to make the terms of the contract as clear as possible and preventing an employer from arbitrarily changing the terms.
The net result of the proposed labor law reforms is that millions of new workers would be added to the rolls of Chinese workers who have collective bargaining rights, job security, legally mandated benefits such as severance pay, access to grievance procedures, paid training programs, and freedom to change jobs.
US corporate interests oppose the laws because they prefer unregulated labor markets in which they can arbitrarily hire and fire workers and change the conditions of work in order to maximize profits. Many corporations look to the millions of people in China's workforce who aren't currently protected as a source of super profits.
Labor movement critics of corporate interests see such practices as a means to drive wages down and propel workers on a "race to the bottom" all over the world.
Room for Solidarity
Meanwhile, the labor movement in the US is also campaigning diligently for passage of reforms here. Labor wants the new Democratic Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, which would guarantee the basic right of workers to organize and join unions. Business interests are greeting this reform measure with hostility similar to what they are showing in China.
The proposed new laws in China and the US, along with the current alignment of attitudes regarding them, suggest that the labor movement in the US and China have a strategic interest forging new alliances.
Setting aside differences for the sake of achieving the basic goal of workers' rights would be a significant step toward real solidarity. Global solidarity, this case shows, is the only avenue for stopping the "race to the bottom" and protecting the rights of all workers, in China, the US and the rest of the world.
Six Steps for First-Time Job Hunters
November 22nd, 2006Congratulations, you've done it! You made it through college, have your degree in hand and are finally ready to make your mark. You are now in the real world and it's time to get your professional life started. If you are in the middle of this crossroad, it can be scary, exciting, confusing, overwhelming or all of the above. Following are some steps to make a successful college-to-real world transition.
Step 1: Pinpoint Your Direction.
After four (or five, or six) years of college, you are completely certain about what you want to do, right? If not, now is the time to determine what your strengths are and identify what kind of careers suit you. Are you someone who loves to be around people? Or are you happier crunching numbers or creating computer programs? Consider all of your strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes and interests when thinking about your career plan. Read about fields that interest you and talk to others who are doing jobs that you find interesting. Focus your direction on positions and fields that match your interests and talents.
Step 2: Do Your Research.
It is vital to learn as much as you can about the companies that interest you and to consider all of your options, says Pam Webster, a recruiting manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. She should know: Enterprise is the nation's largest recruiter of college graduates. "You should be open-minded about opportunities in companies and industries you might not have thought of before," she says. Once you have identified companies that you want to target, Webster suggests looking at their Web sites, reading news articles and talking to current employees to learn as much as you can. "You also need to look at a company's stability," she says. "Is the company going to be there for the long term?"
Step 3: Assemble Your Toolkit.
It is important to have the right tools for any task. The tools needed for a job search are a r¨¦sum¨¦, cover letter and a portfolio of your work. Take the time to develop a r¨¦sum¨¦ and cover letter that clearly convey your strengths and experience. Here are a few tips to remember:
Think about the type of r¨¦sum¨¦ you need. A functional r¨¦sum¨¦, which highlights your abilities rather than your work history, is a good choice for first-time job seekers.
Focus on accomplishments and results you have achieved, rather than simple descriptions of experiences.
Use action words in your r¨¦sum¨¦ and cover letter to describe your experiences, such as "initiated," "produced" and "managed."
If you are low on practical work experience, look to your part-time work, school activities or volunteer positions. "Evaluate all of your experience and translate how it applies to any job you might apply to," Webster says.
Step 4: Network.
One of the most important tasks in any job search is networking. Take advantage of any resources you have, including your school's career placement office, friends who graduated before you and are already working, friends of your parents, former professors, and neighbors. Send e-mails to ask if your contacts know someone who can help you. Pass your r¨¦sum¨¦ around and ask others to do the same. Call your contacts to see if they know someone who works for a firm you are interested in joining.
Step 5: Play the Part.
If you want to join the professional world, you need to act -- and look -- the part. Buy a business suit and wear it to all of your interviews. "Make sure your e-mail address and voice mail greeting are appropriate," Webster says. That means if your e-mail user name is "crazygirl2005," you might want to get a new account. Webster says you should also remember to be professional at home. "Be prepared for a phone call or a phone interview at any time," she says. The more you play the part of a well-trained professional, the more people will see you as a professional.
Step 6: Don't Give Up.
The real world can be a real challenge. Set realistic expectations and recognize that you will probably have to start at the bottom and work your way up. You will likely face rejection as you start looking for your first full-time job, but everyone goes through it. Just remember to be proactive, be persistent and remain confident that there is a great job out there for you!
A reader's toolbox:
642-642 as well as 70-294 are the courses professional usually go for after doing their PMI-001 and 642-453. Few try their hands at 642-444 as well as 70-620. Rarely they make it to mcdst as well.
The Resume-Interview Connection
November 21st, 2006Back in the 1950's, a Time magazine reporter interviewed a world-famous pianist about his work. The reporter asked: "What's most challenging about playing the piano?" The pianist thought for a moment and replied: "I do OK with the notes, but the spaces between the notes give me lots of trouble."
What he meant, of course, was that he was very competent at the mechanics of playing the piano, but found the subtlety and nuance of making music, getting the "spaces between the notes" right, a continual life-long challenge.
Job seekers are getting great advice today from a variety of sources about pursuing career opportunities. The total job search process is well-documented in terms of how to perform discrete steps such as drafting a resume, preparing and using cover letters, using job boards on the internet, etc.. While mastering each of the steps is important, it doesn't necessarily enable a job seeker to address the "spaces between the notes" of the Job Search process. Good mechanics may not be enough to get to the job offer.
Here's a summary of some key issues to address to be effective in working on those "spaces between the notes."
Understanding the first steps taken by the employer is vital for the job seeker, so let's begin there.
Job Specifications: what the company wants
When a position becomes available in a company, the HR function and hiring manager review and reach agreement upon the criteria for selecting the right person. Job specifications define requirements such as education, work experiences, industry background, skill sets and technical proficiencies, which may result in eight to ten criteria for the hiring decision. The specifications, in turn, drive all phases of the selection process, such as resume screenings, evaluation of job fair candidates, interview assessments, etc., through to hiring of the final candidate.
The job specifications are readily available to job seekers in ads, postings on company web sites and other sources. The order of presentation of the specifications also demonstrates what is most to least important and may suggest possible tradeoffs and areas of flexibility as well.
The challenge of the job seeker is to get at the "spaces between the notes" by effectively addressing the job specifications at every stage of the selection process: the resume design, the phone screening interview and the job interview. Consider the following:
Resume Design: send a clear message
A resume screener searches for candidates who match the specifications. A strong, focused resume that captures three or four core competencies plus related accomplishments allows the screener to make multiple connections with the job specifications. The resume screener doesn't need to know all that the job seeker has ever done; instead, he/she is looking for the match between the specs and the background outlined in the resume.
Some key points:
Core competencies are the key skills of the job seeker, those skills that are performed well, with subject matter expertise, supported by solid accomplishments.
Core competencies should be evident throughout the two-page resume.
Every job seeker has one set of core competencies, so one resume should be used, mixing and matching the presentation of the core competencies to improve the correlation with job specs as needed.
If the core competencies match up well with the specs, then the process moves forward.
Phone Screening Interview: get "on message"
Recruiters contact those prospects that appear to match up well with the specs to determine if they are viable candidates. Like resume preparation, there are abundant resources available for how to handle this step as well, but some key points to improve performance are:
Recruiters ask questions because they don't know what the answers are. Respond to the questions asked, avoid using questions to segue into other areas.
Comments about career, job roles and responsibilities are most effective if the job specs are used to drive the details.
Core competencies should be presented using the priorities of the job specifications as script direction. Any shortcomings versus the specs should be addressed by citing other, comparable achievements.
Finally, close the call with a summary of core competencies and state a strong interest in a meeting to discuss the opportunity.
All other considerations being equal, the job seeker who stays "on message" by presenting his/her core competencies in terms of the job specifications will get the opportunity to interview for the position.
Interview: talk about the specifications
Interviewing job seekers enables a company to evaluate the candidates, test their own expectations and find the "best fit" to effectively meet their hiring goals. Consider some key points about job interviewing:
The job specs provide a "road map" for content. Use the specs to share details about career, job roles and responsibilities that connect to the specs.
Listen to the Interviewer and answer the questions asked.
Be prepared to ask a few solid questions that demonstrate knowledge and comfort level with the job specifications, which will illustrate that you "walk the talk" when it comes to the company requirements.
A final point: ask for the job!
Summary
Today's job seeker is on a steep learning curve to successfully launch and sustain a career search process. But focusing upon one's career, skills, abilities and goals is not enough. The key issue to address is the company goals and job specs. At each step of the resume/phone screen/interview process, the job seeker is challenged to integrate the job specifications with his/her core competencies, fully demonstrating the connectivity between their skills and company needs. Doing so effectively enables the job seeker to get the "spaces between the notes" right and greatly increase the potential for success in the interview/selection process.
Is a Job Move Worth It? How to Weigh Your Options
November 20th, 2006Two years ago, then 28-year-old Valerie French experienced a culture clash when she moved from southern California to Washington, D.C., to work at a major art museum. "I loved my job, but I just hated living there," she says. She found the nation's capital too conservative, "the kind of place where if you wear Banana Republic you're cutting edge."
So, after just a year, Ms. French started looking for a new job that would have her move again. "Your environment is so important," she says from New York, where she is now happily settled.
Moving for a job, especially when you're just starting out, can be the springboard that launches your career. But weigh your options carefully. Where you move is just as important for your happiness as the job you move for, many career managers and recruitment professionals say.
Occupational Horizons
Moving to a new locale is risky because there are so many unknowns. Add in a new job and you set yourself up for a pretty stressful time. So make sure that the job on the other end is worth it.
Think about what your career prospects will be five years from now if you take (or don't take) the position. A new job, especially if it requires relocation, "should mean greater opportunity coming in the door and greater opportunity looking at that five-year horizon," says Brian Sullivan, head of Christian & Timbers, an executive search firm based in New York.
Obviously, the last thing you want is to move and then be let go. Ask what happened to the person who formerly filled the slot. High turnover may be a red flag. Is your position new or part of a new program? If so, you may want to think extra hard, because the company could change course and eliminate the post, says Cathy Goodwin, a career consultant in Seattle.
Figuring Your Finances
"It's not all about salary," says Anne Moore, a career specialist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Consider the cost of living in a different locale as well.
Say you live in New York and make $40,000 a year. If you move to Atlanta, which has a 44.8% lower cost of living, according to Salary.com, you could earn just $22,090 a year and still maintain your current standard of living. Match your current pay in Atlanta, and you'd feel like you have lots more money to save or spend.
To check out different cities at Salary.com, scroll down to "Salary Data" and click on "Cost-of-Living Wizard."
The financial equation is far more complicated if you are moving with a spouse or other partner who has to leave a current job and take a chance on finding a new position in your destination city.
Also weigh the costs of making the move and ask how much of that your new employer will pay. More than 90% of U.S. companies will cover some if not all of a person's relocation expenses, which may include house-hunting trips, temporary housing and closing costs on a new home, according to Worldwide ERC, a professional relocation association. Unreimbursed moving expenses may be tax-deductible. Check out www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc455.html online.
Location, Location...
Saying yes to a job in a small town when you live in a big city -- or vice versa -- involves big changes and may require sacrifices. Weigh factors such as cultural offerings, sports and recreation opportunities, traffic and the pace of life. Even "the weather can really influence people's happiness," says Ms. Moore of Johns Hopkins. The question: Can you live with the differences?
Ms. Goodwin recommends making two trips to get a feel for a new place. Pay attention to local customs and "try to connect with real people" while visiting, she says.
"It is very easy to get seduced by the idea of something new," notes Mr. Sullivan. But particularly if you are moving away from your home city, consider how you'll fare away from family, friends and the social supports that you've relied upon in the past.
Top 10 Tips for Salary Negotiations
November 20th, 2006Negotiating a better salary package has put more than a few stomachs in knots over the years. Remember, we all go through it sooner or later. Try to keep these 10 basic tips in mind when it¡¯s your turn to ask for a sweeter deal.
1. Be Persuasive
It¡¯s hard to force your boss to increase your compensation, and trying to do so can potentially damage your working relationship. Think about the process as trying to convince him that it might benefit the organization to pay you more.
2. Aim High and Be Realistic
Many researchers have found a strong correlation between people¡¯s aspirations and the results they achieve in negotiation. At the same time, you want to suggest ideas to which your boss can realistically say yes.
3. Start Off with the Right Tone
You want to let your boss know you will listen and try to understand his views. At the same time, you expect your boss to do the same for you so you can work together to address this issue. Avoid ultimatums, threats and other coercive behavior.
4. Clarify Your Interests
Your compensation should satisfy a range of needs, not just salary. Make sure you have thought about other points of value to you as well ¡ª like profit sharing, stock options that vest immediately, a bonus, greater work responsibilities, a quicker promotion schedule, increased vacation or flexible hours.
5. Anticipate Your Boss¡¯s Interests
Just like you, your boss has needs and concerns. To persuade him to say yes, your ideas will have to address those things that are important to him.
6. Create Several Options
Joint brainstorming is the most effective way to find ideas that satisfy everyone¡¯s interests. It works best when you separate it from commitment ¡ª first create possible solutions, and then decide among them.
7. Focus on Objective Criteria
It is far easier to persuade someone to agree with your proposal if he sees how that proposal is firmly grounded on objective criteria, such as what similar firms pay people of like experience or what others in the company make.
8. Think Through Your Alternatives
In case you cannot persuade your boss to say yes, you need to have a backup plan. Part of preparation is creating a specific action plan so you know what you¡¯ll do if you have to walk away from the table.
9. Prepare Thoughtfully to Achieve Your Goals
This is the only aspect of your negotiations you can completely control. To take advantage of all of the above advice, you have to invest a significant amount of your time and energy.
10. Review to Learn
The only way you can really improve your ability to negotiate is to explicitly learn from your experiences. After you finish negotiations, reflect on what you did that worked well and what you might want to do differently.
Hiring Manager Secrets: The 5 Smartest Interview Moves
November 20th, 2006Ever wonder why you don't get called back after that first interview? What's holding you back from that great job while others are getting hired after shorter job searches?
It could be something you DIDN'T do.
Careerbuilder.com recently asked hiring managers what the smartest things a candidate can do in an interview. What are the traits of a good candidate? How can you make a good impression? Here are the top five ways to win over your interviewer and get a leg up on the competition.
1. Demonstrate or communicate your experience and skills.
The number one thing a candidate can do in an interview is intelligently and clearly articulate professional experience, capabilities or knowledge. Hiring managers are most impressed when a candidate is able to "think on their feet" during the interview - this demonstrates competency. They're also impressed when a candidate takes an active role in helping a customer or rectifying a situation right on the spot, whether posed by the interviewer or introduced by the candidate.
2. Act professionally.
A candidate who is professional during the selection process will stand out among fellow job seekers. When a candidate communicates intelligently, uses proper grammar, makes eye contact, listens and asks intelligent and relevant questions. This demonstrates how that person will act within the parameters of the position with coworkers and clients. A hiring manager will want to choose a candidate who will represent the company well.
3. Prepare.
Skimming the company's website five minutes before you leave won't help you at all. Simple steps to prepare for the interview include researching the company, market and opportunity, arriving on time and dressing appropriately. Bring extra copies of your resume and work samples, as well as your portfolio. And, don't forget names of references and letters of recommendation. Thorough preparation for an interview can make or break your chances of landing the job. As someone once said - Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.
4. Exhibit enthusiasm.
Go ahead, be an eager beaver. Hiring managers are impressed when a candidate shows enthusiasm for the job and want to hire someone who is gung ho. The candidate who is ready and willing will likely carry those traits into the position. Plus, it demonstrates an eagerness to learn. This doesn't mean you need an overly peppy personality with perma-grin, but zeal for the position, the company and profession will show you'll go the distance.
5. Be honest.
The candidate was honest and showed integrity. A candidate's honesty was important to hiring managers by being sincere and truthful about the past. Be candid and open about past jobs. This doesn't mean you have to churn out all the dirty details of previous employers or supervisors. If you are coming from a bad experience, think of ways to put a positive spin on your previous situation. For example, if you were let go from your last job, be truthful without being negative and highlight your strengths or how you learned from that situation.
Professionalism in Consulting
November 17th, 2006Like many profound ideas, ¡°professionalism¡± is an ambiguous concept used to refer to a wide range of attitudes, skills, values and behaviors. For example, if one asks people what is meant by referring to a consultant as ¡°really professional,¡± one hears a variety of replies. A really professional consultant, I am told,
Gets involved and doesn¡¯t just stick to their assigned role
Reaches out for responsibility
Does whatever it takes to get the job done
Is a team player
Is observant
Is honest
Is loyal
Really listens to the clients¡¯s needs
Takes pride in their work, and shows a commitment to quality
Shows initiative
This list indicates some of the differences between a ¡°really professional¡± consultant and an ordinary consultant. It reveals that a high level of professionalism doesn¡¯t stop with a foundation of technical qualifications and analytical skills. In addition to these basic attributes, the right attitudes and behavior must also be in place, and these become the distinguishing factor for achieving real professionalism. My former business manager, Julie MacDonald O¡¯Leary, said it best: ¡°Professional is not a title you claim for yourself, it¡¯s an adjective you hope other people will apply to you. You have to earn it.¡± (David H. Maister, True Professionalism, Free Press, 1997)
¡°You have to earn it¡± may not be a bad way to summarize what professionalism is really all about. It means deserving the rewards you wish to gain from others by being dedicated to serving their interests as part of an implied bargain. Professionalism implies that you do not focus only on the immediate transaction, but care about your relationship with the person with whom you are working. It means you can be trusted to put your clients¡¯ interests first, can be depended upon to do what you say you will do and will not consistently act for short-term personal gain. Professionals make decisions using principles of appropriate behavior, not just short-term expediency.
Significant efforts have been made, and continue to be made, to ¡°professionalize¡± consulting by promoting the use of the CMC¨CCertified Management Consultant¨Cqualification. However, professionalism is not about qualifications and certification. Having an MBA from a name school or official recognition from a trade association or certifying body might say something about your knowledge, but these pieces of paper are unlikely to be predictive of your attitudes and behaviors, and maybe not even your skills. No formal qualification will ever provide complete assurance to the buyer that the provider will act appropriately, even if equipped with the required skills.
Putting the Tight Job Market to Work for You
November 17th, 2006Who Really Has the Upper Hand? Employers or Job Seekers?
When members of the Employment Management Assn. gathered in Orlando for their 31st annual conference in early May, the big topic was recruiting and retaining employees in today's red-hot labor market.
Little wonder. In April, the national unemployment rate had dipped to 3.9%, its lowest level in 30 years -- about as long as the association has been holding its annual gatherings. And while it ticked back up to 4.1% in May, no one is ready to declare the labor crunch over.
For the group's membership, some 6,000 corporate recruiters who work to keep their companies fully staffed, the shrinking labor market means major headaches. For job seekers, though, it's a bonanza: Only once in every two or three decades are employees in the position of being sought-after commodities.
On the eve of the conference, Business Week Online Senior Writer Pam Mendels caught up with Barbara A. Mitchell, president of the association, which is a branch of the Society for Human Resource Management in Alexandria, Va. Mitchell discussed how employees can best use the tight labor market to plot their career strategies. Here are edited excerpts of that conversation:
Q: What jobs are particularly difficult to fill?
A: It's pretty much across the board. Everything from the very high-end Web positions -- Web designer, Webmaster -- all the way through to programmers, systems analysts, anything to do with Visual Basic or C++ programming. The very, very high-end programming jobs are especially difficult to fill.
Q: Outside of technology, what other kinds of jobs are begging for employees?
A: Certainly in the service sector many organizations are taking people who would primarily have been service workers in hotels and restaurants and training them for technology positions. So that's leaving the service industry very much in difficulty. Every organization is having trouble at entry levels because there are fewer people at that level coming out of school.
Q: How can job hunters best take advantage of this labor market?
A: I think it's a marvelous time to be an applicant because you have your pick of the field you want to go into, and you can negotiate far more benefits and a better salary than I can remember ever before.
I think what job applicants need to do is research. And the best place to do that is through the Internet. There are thousands and thousands of sites for job seekers that give tips on how to ace interviews and how to find out everything you want to know about a company.
Q. What kinds of things might a job hunter negotiate?
A: Certainly for salary and time off, which has become the most difficult commodity, I think, for anyone in today's workforce. Because there's a shortage of workers, people are having to work longer hours. And so, negotiating for time off is something that people should do up-front -- maybe an extra week's vacation, maybe a trip they've already planned.
People are now negotiating for [instant] vesting of their 401(k) or stock options. It used to be that organizations set how vesting would be done, and it usually was a four- to seven-year schedule. Now, people are asking to be vested when they start, so that every dollar that they earn or the company puts in is theirs to take if they leave.
Q: Is that a negotiable item even with companies that have set policies?
A: It means that sometimes exceptions have to be made or plans have to be reviewed, but it's definitely being done, especially in technology organizations.
Q: The rule of thumb used to be that you had to stay in a job at least a year before moving on. Has the tight labor market changed that?
A: Absolutely. No longer is it a negative for people to change jobs quickly. But still, applicants need to be able to explain why they made the change. It can't be just that they didn't like their boss, or they didn't like the culture.
That sends a message to the new company they're applying to that this is a person who didn't do their research. That this is a person who, perhaps, makes very quick decisions. So, even though it's more acceptable to make frequent changes, applicants still need to have a good business reason why they made the change.
Q: And what about notice? How much warning does an employee have to give an employer before taking a [new] job?
A: It depends on the level the person is working at. The higher the level, the more notice organizations usually require. But that's usually up-front with the employee. In their employee handbook, they'll know if it's two weeks or if it's a four-week notice.
In today's world, those [rules] aren't always followed. People will sometimes make very quick decisions. I'm hearing about people whose boss [says] something to them that they don't like in the morning. By noon they've got their resume on the Internet, and by the end of the day, they've got job offers, and they leave. It can happen just that quickly.
Q: If you're happy in your current job, but you get an offer for another position, do you ignore it? Or should you use it as leverage to negotiate a better deal?
A: I think it depends upon how long you want to stay with your current organization. I don't think you should ever ignore another opportunity. But if you're happy where you are, and you go to that organization and say that you have another offer, you may be putting your current job in jeopardy if you have a manager who values loyalty, who may see the fact that you're even looking as being less loyal.
So, you really have to weigh your options. I would recommend not using [an offer] as leverage, but perhaps using it as information when you go for your next performance review or your next salary review. So, you can kind of let them know that you know what's happening in the marketplace.
Q: What are common blunders that job seekers make?
A: The biggest blunder I see applicants making is not knowing anything about the organization they are applying to. With the Internet, there's no reason at all why an applicant should not be very knowledgeable about the organization. Say the interviewer says: "What do you know about our company, and why do you want to work here?" If the applicant says: "Well, nothing, tell me, start at the beginning," that sends a message that the applicant really isn't interested in your organization.
So first, I would say: Be knowledgeable about the organization you're applying to. And other blunders? What people wear to interviews is still important, even though we are in a very casual business atmosphere. Applicants need to err on the side of being a little more formal for job interviews. It's always a good idea to find out what the culture is before you go for the interview.
Q: But when in doubt, be conservative?
A: When in doubt, be conservative.
10 Hot Jobs for 2007
November 16th, 2006CareerBuilder.com
As the world continues to advance and change technologically, we are living longer, retiring later and pursuing higher education at a higher rate than generations before us, and the employment market is changing right alongside us.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, technology is just one of the few factors in determining what's going to be the next great gig out there. Demographic shifts, legislative changes, business trends and consumer behavior also factor into what's going to be the next big thing and what's going to be history.
Here are some of today's jobs that are on the cutting edge:
1. Radiation Therapist
What they do: Work with radiation oncologists to administer treatment as prescribed and supervised by the doctor. They also maintain records and check the operations of the radiology equipment.
What you need: An associate or bachelor's degree in radiology and certification under the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. Licensing may also be required.
2. Nurse Paralegal
What they do: Similar to LNCs, they are hired to assist law firms, government agencies and insurance companies with expertise on medical-related cases. Unlike LNCs, nurse paralegals have a stronger focus on the legal relations to medicine.
What you need: A bachelor's or advanced degree in nursing or another health-related field and certification.
3. Genetic Counselor
What they do: Assist families who have members with birth defects and other genetic disorders, and also aid in educational and administrative roles related to genetic counseling and inherited health issues.
What you need: A bachelor's degree concentrating on biology/biosciences, psychology, genetics or nursing and a master's degree in genetic counseling. The American Board of Genetic Counseling and the American Board of Medical Genetics offer certification.
4. Legal Nurse Consultant
What they do: Perform an analysis of medical information as related to law. They conduct legal research, interview expert witnesses and assist with legal paperwork and processes.
What you need: An RN license. Formal training as a legal nurse consultant (LNC) is not required, but helpful.
5. Art Therapist
What they do: Treat physical, mental and emotional disabilities through art expression.
What you need: A master's degree in art therapy with completed curriculum under the American Art Therapy Association's educational standards. To be a registered art therapist, 1,000 hours of direct client contact must be reached after graduation.
6. Computer Forensic Expert
What they do: Use computer investigation and analysis to determine legal evidence. They uncover deleted information and can help the legal system track down people attempting to cover their illegal actions, such as hackers and inside traders.
What you need: A wide range of computer hardware and software experience, as well as an associate or bachelor's degree in computer forensics, computer science or another related field.
7. Medical Illustrator
What they do: Create images that visually communicate bioscientific and medical discoveries. They also act as consultants, advisers, administrators and educators in biological science communications.
What you need: A bachelor's degree with a major in art and a minor in biological sciences or vice versa; a portfolio of artwork demonstrating competence. A majority of medical illustrators have master's degrees in medical illustration.
8. Veterinary Physical Therapist
What they do: Focus on animal treatment and rehabilitation methods, including hydrotherapy, swimming, exercise and massage.
What you need: Certification training is offered to licensed veterinarians, veterinary technicians and physical therapists. Some certification programs require written exams, and follow-up case reports, independent studies and take-home exams are also available.
9. Animal Defense Lawyer
What they do: Handle cases dealing with animals in cases ranging from custody in divorce cases to veterinary malpractice. While laws suggest that animals are regarded as "property," owners who are battling for the custody often regard their pets at a higher standard.
What you need: The educational degrees and requirements for a major in law, a Juris Doctorate, and a concentration and clinical work in animal law.
10. Animal Assisted Therapist
What they do: Study and identify behavioral patterns in animals and apply techniques to improve mental, social and physical issues within humans through animal/human companionship.
What you need: A bachelor's of science degree in psychology, social work, physical therapy, nursing or education. Additional training and certification in Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a big plus. AAT program concentrations can include elderly care, social work, education and other specialties.
Candidate Bill of Rights
November 15th, 2006how to treat candidates and working professionals. We call it respect or graciousness. Accolo gets right to the heart of the matter by providing a Candidate Bill of Rights at their website. This is a good thing.
Confidentiality
Individuals are entitled to the security and confidentiality of their personal and professional background and data. Any decision to make that data available to others must be at the specific request of the individual.
Credibility
All advertised positions must be verifiably open and available to job-seekers, with the intent of the hiring organization to make any and all efforts to fill the open position.
Accuracy
The description of an open position should accurately and specifically identify the unique attributes of that position as they relate to the Hiring Manager, organization, geography, work group, work to be completed, and performance measurement criteria.
Consideration
All interested candidates, from all available sources, should be considered for an open position based upon their ability and aptitude, and that consideration should be free from racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice and intolerance.
Consistency
Hiring decisions will be made based upon on a set of specific and defined criteria that is relevant to the position, consistent across all candidates and applied objectively.
Follow Up
All applicants are entitled to consistent communications regarding the status of their candidacy, regardless of the outcome of their application.
Preparation
Each individual should expect that they will be provided with all relevant information about the organization and hiring manager in order to best prepare them for success during the interview process.
Respect
Scheduling of interviews will occur in a manner that connotes respect for the candidate, their time and their efforts.
Communication
Every inquiry regarding the status of candidacy or application is worthy of a response.
Information
All applicants will be provided with the necessary information about the company, hiring manager, compensation, performance expectations, etc. in order to make an informed career decision.
Survey: Job Seekers are Stretching the Truth
November 14th, 2006Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources, CareerBuilder.com
There's marketing yourself on your r¨¦sum¨¦, and then there's flat-out lying. Many job seekers are crossing the line.
Although just 5 percent of workers actually admit to fibbing on their r¨¦sum¨¦s, 57 percent of hiring managers say they have caught a lie on a candidate's application, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey. Of the hiring managers who caught a lie, 93 percent didn't hire the candidate.
When r¨¦sum¨¦ inconsistencies do surface during background checks, they raise concerns about the candidates' overall ethics. Forty-three percent of hiring managers say they would automatically dismiss a candidate who fibbed on their r¨¦sum¨¦. The rest say it depends on the candidate and situation.
Stretched dates to cover up employment gaps is the most commonly-caught r¨¦sum¨¦ lie, with nearly one-in-five hiring managers saying they have noticed this on a candidate's application. Other top r¨¦sum¨¦ lies include:
Past employers (18 percent)
Academic degrees and institutions (16 percent)
Technical skills and certifications (15 percent)
Accomplishments (8 percent)
Reasons for lying range from the innocuous (not being sure of the exact employment dates) to the more sinister (intentionally being deceitful to get the job). To ensure your r¨¦sum¨¦ is accurate but still portrays you in the best light, heed these tips:
If you don't have much formal experience... Highlight any activities or coursework that could be relevant to the position. Volunteer activities, part-time jobs and class projects can all provide transferable skills and training.
If you didn't quite finish your degree... Do not indicate on your r¨¦sum¨¦ that you graduated. Instead, name the university and list the years in which you attended.
If you were out of work... Don't stretch the employment dates to cover the gap. Instead, keep the dates accurate and address the gap in your cover letter. Be sure to mention any classes you took or volunteer work you performed during this time to keep your skills up-to-date.
If your company uses unfamiliar titles... This is one of the only circumstances in which it's acceptable to change your title to something more recognizable. For example if your title was "primary contact," and you performed the duties of an administrative assistant, you can clarify your title by writing "Primary Contact/Administrative Assistant." Giving yourself a promotion to "office manager," however, crosses the ethical line.
Rosemary Haefner is the Vice President of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com. She is an expert in recruitment trends and tactics, job seeker behavior, workplace issues, employee attitudes and HR initiatives.
Higher Pay for Holiday Jobs Expected This Year, CareerBuilder.com Survey Finds
November 14th, 2006 -- Need a little extra spending money for the holidays? Twenty-three percent of hiring managers say they are recruiting for holiday positions, according to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey. Nearly one-in-four expect to pay their seasonal hires more than last year, with 37 percent offering $10 or more per hour. The CareerBuilder.com survey, "Holiday Jobs," was completed in September and included 1,150 hiring managers nationwide.
Comparing this year to last, 13 percent of hiring managers plan to add the same amount of seasonal employees while 5 percent plan to hire more.Another 5 percent will add employees, but on a smaller scale than 2005. Of those hiring, 86 percent are likely to treat holiday employment as an extended job interview and offer permanent positions to some seasonal employees.
Twenty-four percent of hiring managers plan to raise hourly wages for seasonal hires compared to last year, while 70 percent expect no change in pay scales. Six percent say the seasonal pay will be lower than last year. One- in-ten hiring managers expect to shell out $16 or more per hour, while 33 percent expect to pay $8 to $9 per hour and 31 expect to pay $7 or less per hour.
So, where can you find a seasonal gig? CareerBuilder.com identified the following hot spots for holiday jobs:
-- Retail -- stores are in need of extra sales clerks and stockers to
handle peak shopping periods
-- Hospitality -- hotels and resorts are looking for ski instructors,
restaurant servers and hotel clerks to help out in the busy travel
season
-- Customer Service -- companies augment their customer service staff to
handle increased gift orders and returns
-- Delivery -- package delivery companies hire more drivers and support
staff to handle heavier holiday shipments
-- Office Support -- businesses need temps to help out with end of the
year wrap-ups and fill in for vacationing workers
"Workers interested in seasonal positions should act fast," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com."The vast majority of hiring managers are already recruiting for seasonal positions and nearly half are filling their open positions in two weeks or less."
Haefner offers the following tips for landing seasonal work:
1) Be flexible -- 28 percent of hiring managers surveyed say the biggest
turnoff when considering a seasonal job candidate is his/her refusal to
work certain hours
2) Be enthusiastic -- a lack of holiday spirit can impair your chances of
getting hired, according to 26 percent of those surveyed
3) Be serious -- 19 percent of hiring managers are turned off by
individuals who don't treat the position as a real job and don't take the
responsibilities seriously
4) Be smart -- a failure to be knowledgeable about the company or product
line is a major pet peeve for 8 percent of hiring managers looking to
fill seasonal positions.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of
CareerBuilder.com among 1,150 hiring managers, ages 18 and over, within the
United States between August 31 and September 5, 2006. The 'Employer'
segment was weighted by number of employees to bring them in line with
their actual proportions in the population. The segment was weighted using
propriety algorithms in order to align the online population to be more
representative demographically and behaviorally of the total population of
online and offline employers.
With a pure probability sample of 1,150, one could say with a 95
percent probability, that the overall results have a sampling error of +/-
4 percentage points. Sampling error for data from subsamples would be
higher and would vary. However, that does not take other sources of error
into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and
therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
About CareerBuilder.com
CareerBuilder.com is the nation's largest online job site with more
than 23 million unique visitors and over 1.5 million jobs. Owned by Gannett
Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), Tribune Company (NYSE: TRB), and The McClatchy
Company (NYSE: MNI), the company offers a vast online and print network to
help job seekers connect with employers. CareerBuilder.com powers the
career centers for more than 1,100 partners that reach national, local,
industry and niche audiences. These include more than 185 newspapers and
leading portals such as America Online and MSN. More than 250,000 employers
take advantage of CareerBuilder.com's easy job postings, 18 million-plus
resumes, Diversity Channel and more. Millions of job seekers visit the site
every month to search for opportunities by industry, location, company and
job type, sign up for automatic email job alerts, and get advice on job
hunting and career management.
51job.com Gets Q3 Job Done
November 13th, 2006Total revenues increased 12.5% over Q3 2005 to US$22.9 million for 51job.com (JOBS). The online job recruitment website tofday announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter of 2006 ended September 30, 2006.
Print advertising revenues for the third quarter of 2006 increased 5.7% to US$12.4 million compared with the same quarter in 2005. The company says the increase was primarily due to a greater volume of advertisements in 51job Weekly and higher average revenue per page.
The estimated number of print advertising pages generated in the third quarter of 2006 was 3,217 compared with 3,115 pages in the same quarter in 2005. Average revenue per page in the third quarter of 2006 increased 2.3% over the third quarter of 2005.
Online recruitment services revenues for the third quarter of 2006 were US$7.3 million, representing a 29.6% growth from RMB44.4 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was principally attributable to growth in the number of employers using the company's online services. Unique employers using the company's online recruitment services increased to 44,969 in the third quarter of 2006 compared with 34,407 in the same period last year.
Gross profit for the third quarter of 2006 was US$12.1 million, representing an increase of 15.9% from the same quarter last year.
As of September 30, 2006, the company's cash balance was US$104.5 million compared with RMB830.6 million at December 31, 2005 and RMB812.5 million at June 30, 2006.
Recruiting Survey: Employers Make Shallow Use of Employee Talent Pools, and Fewer Properly Communicate
November 10th, 2006White paper based on survey results says a small number of companies have talent pools, but do not adequately communicate with prospects.
Pleasant Prairie, WI (PRWEB via HRMarketer) November 7, 2006 -- Only 22 percent of respondents who have built "talent pools" regularly communicate with their prospects, reports an annual survey of recruiting professionals by TalentPen, provider of a web-based candidate collection and personality matching tool. A white paper summarizing this survey can be downloaded at http://www.talentpen.com/read_the_whitepapers.html.
¡°The lack of direct communications is turning off candidates,¡± according to Nick Burkholder, founding of Staffing.org. He is quoted by the white paper as considering candidate communications as ¡°a huge opportunity for improvement in most organizations.¡±
¡°Even Starbucks, which does maintain a talent pool, has said that the pool can¡¯t keep up with its growth (about 300 new hires a day),¡± states the paper.
The white paper offers tips to employers, including the development of ¡°talent pools¡± and active communication with prospects. Using personality assessments in recruiting is also cited as a key measurement for how an employee fits a company¡¯s culture, which directly impacts their loyalty.
Employers who don¡¯t follow this advice will pay a high price, according to the paper. ¡°Conservative industry estimates put the cost of turnover at 1.5 times that of salary,¡± explains Michael Sproul, president of TalentPen. ¡°Some companies are reporting a six-fold expenditure above salary when hidden costs such as ¡®chain reaction¡¯ turnover and lost productivity are factored in.¡±
Most recruiting professionals who responded to the survey were from companies with populations of 100 to 1,000 employees. More than a quarter of these respondents were from service companies. Other industries represented include healthcare, manufacturing, education, and financial services.
TalentPen, a web-based candidate collection and matching tool, measures personalities, job preferences and qualifications, collects them into private talent pools and matches them to employers with appropriate cultures. Candidates don¡¯t apply for a specific job, but instead complete personality profiles for placement into expandable talent networks.
About eBullpen, LLC
Based in Pleasant Prairie, WI, eBullpen, LLC helps employers and job seekers alike find better employment matches by putting personality matching up front in the candidate sourcing process. eBullpen created the TalentPen candidate collection and matching system to give employers an edge in talent acquisition and the tools for improving the hire -- not just the hiring process. TalentPen allows employers to incorporate eBullpen¡¯s proven assessment techniques and technologies into their existing career site or ATS. With either system, the end result is a streamlined hiring process and a faster placement of qualified candidates who fit a company¡¯s culture.
For more information, visit www.talentpen.com.
Media Note: To arrange phone or personal interviews with Michael Sproul, CEO of eBullpen or other appropriate executives, contact:
Bruce Brough at 831-234-9297, or Matt Pitchford at 317-460-0250
This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.
All star corporate talent a scarce resource in China
November 10th, 2006By Michael Flaherty
SHANGHAI, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Minutes after news he had quit as chief financial officer of KongZhong Corp. (KONG.O: Quote, Profile, Research), J.P. Gan took a call from a headhunter.
On offer was a top spot at a venture capital-backed Chinese company with plans for an overseas initial public offering.
CFOs and top level executives are in high demand across the globe as cash-rich investment firms put their money to work buying companies, changing management teams, and growing the businesses.
In China the effect is amplified. Young, western-savvy CFOs who have language skills, regulatory knowledge and international experience are highly sought after and hard to find. "Talent is limited, in general. That's just the way things are in China," said Jixun Foo, a Shanghai-based managing director at venture capital firm Granite Global Ventures.
Aggravating the shortage is the flow of western-educated executives out of the the corporate and investment banking sectors and into private equity firms and hedge funds.
To name but a few: HSBC China investment banking chief Huan Guocang joined Primus Pacific Partners. Dennis Zhu left JPMorgan to join Oaktree Capital Management while Bain Capital recently hired away Morgan Stanley China chief executive Jonathan Zhu.
Mark Qiu -- former CFO of CNOOC Ltd. (0883.HK: Quote, Profile, Research), last year left the top Chinese offshore oil producer to set up a private equity fund.
"Understanding the people-risk factor may be one of the most important things an investor needs to know before coming here," Foo said.
Buyout firms have invested more than $4 billion in China this year, compared with only $723 million in 2003, according to market data firm Dealogic.
While talented chief executives are in demand in China, many investors view equally talented CFOs as more significant and harder to find, given the increased accounting demands required by global securities markets.
Chinese companies need CFOs who can put in place or modernise their financial infrastructure to satisfy investors and regulators.
That means establishing proper billing procedures, cleaning up books, creating budgets, and setting up legal and compliance departments -- areas either neglected in many existing companies or not yet formed in young start-ups.
"There is a great demand for the CFO position," said Gan of KongZhong, who from 2000 to 2005 was Carlyle Group's director of venture capital investments in China.
Gan is leaving KongZhong, a $250 million Chinese wireless services company, for venture capital firm Qiming Venture Partners in Shanghai. He said he knows at least 10 venture-backed companies hunting for CFOs right now.
One key executive requirement is solid English skills.
With Wall Street investors and outside regulators increasingly involved with corporate China, English is seen as essential, especially for CFOs who handle the bulk of calls from such people.
A CFO of a foreign-listed or Hong Kong-listed Chinese firm can expect to earn anywhere from $150,000 to $500,000, plus options, said several people interviewed for this article, with CEO's earning slightly more.
That is well short of what some U.S. and European executives make, but it is more than many non-listed, old-style Chinese companies would pay.
Also fuelling CFO demand is a string of successful new China listings, which have sparked a rush to the initial public offerings market.
Peter Mok, President and CEO of KLM Capital Group, an investment firm specialising in Asia, says the real talent search action goes on among companies going for IPO.
"They are looking for someone who understands GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and who can connect with Wall Street," he said. "They need a guy who is dynamic and who is going to stay up late to talk to New York."
Is a Job Move Worth It? How to Weigh Your Options
November 9th, 2006Two years ago, then 28-year-old Valerie French experienced a culture clash when she moved from southern California to Washington, D.C., to work at a major art museum. "I loved my job, but I just hated living there," she says. She found the nation's capital too conservative, "the kind of place where if you wear Banana Republic you're cutting edge."
So, after just a year, Ms. French started looking for a new job that would have her move again. "Your environment is so important," she says from New York, where she is now happily settled.
Moving for a job, especially when you're just starting out, can be the springboard that launches your career. But weigh your options carefully. Where you move is just as important for your happiness as the job you move for, many career managers and recruitment professionals say.
Occupational Horizons
Moving to a new locale is risky because there are so many unknowns. Add in a new job and you set yourself up for a pretty stressful time. So make sure that the job on the other end is worth it.
Think about what your career prospects will be five years from now if you take (or don't take) the position. A new job, especially if it requires relocation, "should mean greater opportunity coming in the door and greater opportunity looking at that five-year horizon," says Brian Sullivan, head of Christian & Timbers, an executive search firm based in New York.
Obviously, the last thing you want is to move and then be let go. Ask what happened to the person who formerly filled the slot. High turnover may be a red flag. Is your position new or part of a new program? If so, you may want to think extra hard, because the company could change course and eliminate the post, says Cathy Goodwin, a career consultant in Seattle.
Figuring Your Finances
"It's not all about salary," says Anne Moore, a career specialist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Consider the cost of living in a different locale as well.
Say you live in New York and make $40,000 a year. If you move to Atlanta, which has a 44.8% lower cost of living, according to Salary.com, you could earn just $22,090 a year and still maintain your current standard of living. Match your current pay in Atlanta, and you'd feel like you have lots more money to save or spend.
To check out different cities at Salary.com, scroll down to "Salary Data" and click on "Cost-of-Living Wizard."
The financial equation is far more complicated if you are moving with a spouse or other partner who has to leave a current job and take a chance on finding a new position in your destination city.
Also weigh the costs of making the move and ask how much of that your new employer will pay. More than 90% of U.S. companies will cover some if not all of a person's relocation expenses, which may include house-hunting trips, temporary housing and closing costs on a new home, according to Worldwide ERC, a professional relocation association. Unreimbursed moving expenses may be tax-deductible. Check out www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc455.html online.
Location, Location...
Saying yes to a job in a small town when you live in a big city -- or vice versa -- involves big changes and may require sacrifices. Weigh factors such as cultural offerings, sports and recreation opportunities, traffic and the pace of life. Even "the weather can really influence people's happiness," says Ms. Moore of Johns Hopkins. The question: Can you live with the differences?
Ms. Goodwin recommends making two trips to get a feel for a new place. Pay attention to local customs and "try to connect with real people" while visiting, she says.
"It is very easy to get seduced by the idea of something new," notes Mr. Sullivan. But particularly if you are moving away from your home city, consider how you'll fare away from family, friends and the social supports that you've relied upon in the past.
Email your comments to cjeditor@dowjones.com.
All star corporate talent a scarce resource in China
November 6th, 2006SHANGHAI, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Minutes after news he had quit as chief financial officer of KongZhong Corp. (KONG.O: Quote, Profile, Research), J.P. Gan took a call from a headhunter.
On offer was a top spot at a venture capital-backed Chinese company with plans for an overseas initial public offering.
CFOs and top level executives are in high demand across the globe as cash-rich investment firms put their money to work buying companies, changing management teams, and growing the businesses.
In China the effect is amplified. Young, western-savvy CFOs who have language skills, regulatory knowledge and international experience are highly sought after and hard to find. "Talent is limited, in general. That's just the way things are in China," said Jixun Foo, a Shanghai-based managing director at venture capital firm Granite Global Ventures.
Aggravating the shortage is the flow of western-educated executives out of the the corporate and investment banking sectors and into private equity firms and hedge funds.
To name but a few: HSBC China investment banking chief Huan Guocang joined Primus Pacific Partners. Dennis Zhu left JPMorgan to join Oaktree Capital Management while Bain Capital recently hired away Morgan Stanley China chief executive Jonathan Zhu.
Mark Qiu -- former CFO of CNOOC Ltd. (0883.HK: Quote, Profile, Research), last year left the top Chinese offshore oil producer to set up a private equity fund.
"Understanding the people-risk factor may be one of the most important things an investor needs to know before coming here," Foo said.
Buyout firms have invested more than $4 billion in China this year, compared with only $723 million in 2003, according to market data firm Dealogic.
While talented chief executives are in demand in China, many investors view equally talented CFOs as more significant and harder to find, given the increased accounting demands required by global securities markets.
Chinese companies need CFOs who can put in place or modernise their financial infrastructure to satisfy investors and regulators.
That means establishing proper billing procedures, cleaning up books, creating budgets, and setting up legal and compliance departments -- areas either neglected in many existing companies or not yet formed in young start-ups.
"There is a great demand for the CFO position," said Gan of KongZhong, who from 2000 to 2005 was Carlyle Group's director of venture capital investments in China.
Gan is leaving KongZhong, a $250 million Chinese wireless services company, for venture capital firm Qiming Venture Partners in Shanghai. He said he knows at least 10 venture-backed companies hunting for CFOs right now.
One key executive requirement is solid English skills.
With Wall Street investors and outside regulators increasingly involved with corporate China, English is seen as essential, especially for CFOs who handle the bulk of calls from such people.
A CFO of a foreign-listed or Hong Kong-listed Chinese firm can expect to earn anywhere from $150,000 to $500,000, plus options, said several people interviewed for this article, with CEO's earning slightly more.
That is well short of what some U.S. and European executives make, but it is more than many non-listed, old-style Chinese companies would pay.
Also fuelling CFO demand is a string of successful new China listings, which have sparked a rush to the initial public offerings market.
Peter Mok, President and CEO of KLM Capital Group, an investment firm specialising in Asia, says the real talent search action goes on among companies going for IPO.
"They are looking for someone who understands GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and who can connect with Wall Street," he said. "They need a guy who is dynamic and who is going to stay up late to talk to New York."
Major Flaws in Many Applicant Tracking Systems
October 31st, 2006By Nicheboards.com
Nicheboards.com Report
Printer Version
Although measuring candidate sources is vital, most ATS's fail to make the grade.
Many companies are using applicant tracking systems (ATS) to find top job seekers faster and improve hiring efficiency. But many of these systems do not accurately record which job boards are sending quality candidates to their clients, says the world's largest alliance of employment Web sites, Nicheboards.com. Companies who rely on applicant sourcing reports that are often hopelessly inaccurate may make online recruiting decisions that end up lowering the number of quality candidates they actually receive.
Founded in 2001, Nicheboards.com markets the services of 11 member job boards, each targeting a specific industry or profession. Nicheboards.com's expertise and massive audience, a combined 3 million visitors, makes the group a leading authority on recruiting trends and practices. Many Nicheboards.com clients process applicants through ATS's. These systems are designed to screen candidates and track their progress through the hiring pipeline. They also claim to record information about hiring trends, including where companies locate their best employees.
The only effective way to track the source of hires is through "tracking tags". The least effective way is by giving each candidate a complex tree of choices to indicate where they heard about the opportunity. Nicheboards.com experts say that some ATS's rely on drop-down menus where candidates are asked how they found a job opening. Some list only a few of the sites being used by their clients. Other systems force job seekers through a maze of several Web pages and menus to determine how they've learned about a job. The more menus and choices, the more likely the candidate will either lose patience, not find what they're looking for, or simply select "corporate site" or "from a friend".
Here's a simple example of how drop-down menus result in bad information:
A candidate goes to Google.com, finds a job board, locates a job, then clicks through to the company's ATS. When asked, the candidate is likely to indicate that they found the job through Google - that's where they started. But the job would not have been found if it were not posted on the job board.
Here's another example:
A candidate goes to a crossposting network website, locates a job, clicks through to the job board where the job is hosted (which is paying to advertise on the crossposting network to increase reach), then clicks through to an ATS. When asked, the candidate cannot find the crossposting partner, so has to choose something arbitrarily. Even if the crossposting partner is listed, the actual source of the candidate is the original job board who used the network, which does not get credit.
A third example:
A candidate goes to an ATS system from a job board. When asked, the candidate wants to appear loyal to the company they are apply for (as if it is the only company they would ever want to work for), so choose "Corporate Website" or something similar.
A fourth example:
A candidate receives an E-mail from a friend who has seen an ideal career on a certain job board, telling them about the opportunity and giving them a link to the job details on that job board. The candidate visits the job, then clicks through to the ATS. When asked, the candidate will say they heard about the job from a friend.
A fifth example:
A candidate finds a career opportunity on a job board. To find more information about the company, the candidate visits the corporate website and then applies directly on this site. There is no record whatsoever that informs the company how the candidate originally saw the job.
What is a "tracking tag"?
A tracking tag is a piece of information embedded into the URL of the application link (such as source=TelecomCareers). This is tracked throughout the entire candidate application session, and allows the ATS to give a fully accurate picture of candidate sources. Does your ATS use tracking tags? Call and find out.
How inaccurate can ATS source reports be?
One client of JobsInLogistics.com recently said it had received about a hundred applications and had five candidates on interview for various jobs placed on this board. However, the web site log showed that JobsInLogistics.com had delivered more than 2,000 candidates. In countless other similar instances, ATS reports were showing little or no traffic from job boards even though they had funneled 100's or 1,000's of quality applicants their way. "If companies don't know who's providing the best value, they have no way of picking and supporting the winners," says Eric Shannon, the creator of Nicheboards.com member LatPro.com, which serves Spanish-speaking, bi-lingual workers. "Not having information (or having bad information) locks them into a cyclical pattern where they're using the same boards over and over and not getting the results they need. The way out of the cycle is to track the results of all the players, niche boards and others. ATSs should provide accurate information (through tracking tags) and if they're not, companies have to speak with their ATS providers about fixing this."
As a result, job boards may not receive credit for providing promising candidates. Such information is vital for companies deciding how to allocate their recruiting budgets. They should be spending more money on online services that generate the largest volume of strong candidates per dollar and to cut spending on less effective job boards. "Organizations need to know where their richest sources are," says Don Firth, founder of Nicheboards.com and creator of two of the group's member sites, JobsInLogistics.com and AllRetailJobs.com, the nation's leading boards for the logistics and retail industries. "As they scrutinize their budgets, they seek the best values. If they don't have the right information, they can't make the best decisions."
Roadmap for finance
October 30th, 2006Debate about whether different financial sectors should be mixed or strictly compartmentalized in China has never really abated even after the enactment of the 1995 Commercial Bank Law, which stipulates separation.
The clause about absolute separation between banking, securities and insurance and other financial sectors was written into the law in the aftermath of a series of losses believed to be caused by the mixed operations by financial institutions in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
But an unavoidable side affect of this compartmentalization is its limited development scope and, quite ironically, limited tools for financial enterprise risk management.
The time is ripe now to make it clear that the barriers will be torn down gradually to give our financial institutions an opportunity to become more competitive and thus make the whole financial industry more efficient.
The pressure to scrap the barriers comes from both inside and outside.
After more than two decades of market-oriented reforms, China's financial industry is now at a stage where many of the industry players are in genuine need to expand.
This is quite a different situation from 1990s when many financial institutions waded into other sectors simply for speculative interests. Today, insurance companies are in dire need of more investment vehicles to generate profits and pay their customers.
Commercial banks also need more sophisticated tools many of the useful ones are beyond the boundary of the banking sector to dispose of their non-performing assets. Four asset management companies were established in 1998 to specialize in handing the bad assets of major State banks. But the banks need to fend for themselves in dealing with their new bad assets. In fact, some ambitious financial institutions never gave up their efforts to breach the barriers.
Regulators have also been wise enough to approve some experiments, a hallmark practice for China in its history of economic reform. Regulators made a significant step earlier this week to allow insurance companies to invest in commercial banks.
However, a more clear answer about the prospects of an integrated financial industry should be made and a roadmap presented to make people know where the industry is heading.
It was reported that to meet the need for an integrated financial industry, a mega regulator could be established to oversee the whole financial sector.
Such a regulator can be useful. But what is more important is that industry players and regulators should greatly enhance their capabilities to deal with potential risks.
Challenges for regulators are particularly big because they have to be well versed in the whole financial industry and be well equipped to tackle all the problems that they have never met in the compartmentalized framework.
China's Leadership Gap
October 28th, 2006Summary: After 28 years of reform, China now faces accelerating challenges of an unprecedented scale. Of these, none is more critical -- or more daunting -- than nurturing a new generation of leaders who are skilled, honest, committed to public service, and accountable. Without them, Beijing's public promises of a prosperous, democratic future will go unfulfilled.
John L. Thornton is a Professor at Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management and its School of Public Policy and Management, in Beijing, and Director of the university's Global Leadership Program. He is also Chair of the Board of the Brookings Institution. He retired as President of Goldman Sachs in 2003.
RECRUITING THE NEXT GENERATION OF REFORMERS
After 28 years of reform, China faces challenges of an unprecedented scale, complexity, and importance. China has already liberalized its markets, opened up to foreign trade and investment, and become a global economic powerhouse. Now its leaders and people must deal with popular dissatisfaction with local government, environmental degradation, scarce natural resources, an underdeveloped financial system, an inadequate health-care system, a restless rural population, urbanization on a massive scale, and increasing social inequality. Most of these problems, of course, have existed throughout the period of reform. What is different now is that the pace of change is accelerating while the ability of the state to manage that change is not keeping pace.
Solving any one of these problems by itself would be a formidable task. But Beijing must deal with all of them at once. Because China's government is a one-party system with minimal popular participation, success depends on the energy and ideas of its leaders. Yet the Chinese government today finds it harder than ever to attract, develop, and retain talent. Graduates from the country's top universities, who once would have filled government posts, are instead choosing to take jobs in the private sector. Ironically, by creating new opportunities for talented people, China's three decades of reform have made undertaking new reforms more difficult. Moreover, the structure of the country's bureaucracy stifles initiative and promotes mediocrity. Worse, many officials, from the village to the central government, are corrupt, eroding the government's effectiveness and feeding popular discontent with the system.
Of all of China's challenges, none is more critical -- or more daunting -- than that of nurturing a new generation of leaders who are skilled, honest, committed to public service, and accountable to the Chinese people as a whole. Unless China manages to produce such leaders, Beijing will fail to meet the country's challenges, and its public promises of a more prosperous and democratic future will remain unfulfilled.
MANDARINS AND MULTINATIONALS
For much of China's history, the central bureaucracy attracted the country's best and brightest. The famous imperial testing system for identifying future mandarins provided what was, at least in part, a merit-based route to social advancement: government service, especially when combined with personal connections and keen political skills, was the fastest path to power and wealth. Although the powerful state that emerged after the ascendancy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949 changed much in Chinese society, it only reinforced the bureaucracy's near monopoly on talent. Today, however, many ambitious Chinese no longer regard a government job as the best route to success. And those who try to pursue careers in government after spending time in the private sector often find that their way is blocked.
China's educational system continues to identify the best minds (or at least the best test takers) and send them to top universities. Once there, however, most students now study what they find most interesting or what they think will be most lucrative instead of taking courses designed to prepare them for ...
China-ASEAN FTA necessary and beneficial
October 27th, 2006Upon entering the 21st century, the Chinese Government made timely diplomatic-strategy re-adjustments and started to push for better relations with its neighbouring countries, seeking mutual trust politically and co-prosperity economically.
As part of the effort, the process of bringing about a China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Free Trade Area (FTA) is being driven ahead.
As an arrangement for mutual benefits, the bidding for the FTA is powering the all-around economic co-operation between China and ASEAN that, in turn, works as a stabilizing factor for the region.
Since the 1990s, the integration of regional economies has had strong momentum a hallmark of accelerated economic globalization. Regional economic organizations such as the European Union (EU) and the North American Free Trade Area are acquiring increasingly important positions in the world economy. On the other hand, free trade agreements, those signed between developed countries in particular, are posing a serious challenge to both China and ASEAN because the preferential tariff rates granted to each other by free trade agreement members erode the economic and trade advantages enjoyed by developing nations.
China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in December 2001 after more than a decade of painstaking negotiations. As a result, the focus of the country's foreign trade and economic strategy began to shift to regional economic co-operation.
China's WTO membership means that the country's economic development will become increasingly responsive to the world economy.
At the moment, regional economic integration is picking up speed and China would risk being marginalized if it did not join this process.
If China failed to embrace regional integration, it would find its global competitiveness significantly diminished.
Fortunately, involvement in regional economic co-operation constitutes a new focus of the nation's overseas economic strategy.
In the meantime, the economies of the ASEAN members started recovering in 1999 from the ravages of the 1997 Southeast Asian financial crisis, which dragged on the once fast growing economies of the member states. Coincidentally, while ASEAN rose out of economic stagnation, the Chinese economy entered a phase of high-speed development.
Doubtless, Chinese demand helped facilitate their economic growth. In light of that, the nature of ASEAN's economic recovery recommended a strengthening of relations with China.
It then became obvious that pursuing a China-ASEAN FTA was a wise strategic option beneficial to both sides.
In November 2002, therefore, the Chinese and ASEAN leaders signed the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Co-operation between China and ASEAN and decided that a China-ASEAN FTA would be set up in 10 years. The process of establishing the China-ASEAN FTA was thus set in motion.
Starting on January 1, 2004, the two parties began implementing an Early Harvest Plan (EHP), cutting tariffs on more than 500 products, as part of the effort to facilitate the birth of the FTA.
The Chinese and ASEAN economies complement one another as shown by the results of the EHP. ASEAN's tropical fruits and China's apples, pears, cabbages and potatoes are competitive respectively. The China-ASEAN FTA plan has already produced good initial results.
At the Eighth China-ASEAN Summit convened on November 29, 2004 in Vientiane, capital of Laos, the two parties signed a package of agreements on trade in goods and dispute settlement, laying down foundations for standardizing tariff cutting and resolving disputes.
Starting from July 20, 2005, China and ASEAN began to cut tariffs on more than 7,000 products, which marked the coming of the phase of substantial tariff reduction between China and ASEAN in the run-up to the establishment of the FTA.
The Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Co-operation between China and ASEAN has helped advance bilateral trade, with the China-ASEAN trade volume crossing the threshold of US$100 billion for the first time in 2004 and hitting US$130.37 billion the next year.
In addition, the two sides have been co-operating closely in direct investment, services and technology, which has also yielded significant results.
From the point of view of regional economic integration, the future Asian economic integration should be based on a more extensive and more economically powerful regional co-operative entity, of which the China-ASEAN FTA is a vitally important component.
Once founded, China-ASEAN FTA will be the largest FTA in Asia, the most populous FTA in the world and the biggest FTA in the developing world. The China-ASEAN FTA is expected to accelerate the trend of regional integration in Asia and, in turn, will have positive impacts on the world economy.
The author is a researcher with the Economic Research Institute under the Ministry of Commerce.
Boards in China Need to be More Open as Chinese Economy Globalises
October 21st, 2006 SHANGHAI, China, Oct. 18 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Heidrick & Struggles
International, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSII), the world's premier executive search
and leadership consulting firm, have announced key landmark findings from a study on Corporate Governance in China. Sponsored by Heidrick & Struggles and conducted with one of China's world ranked universities, Fudan University in Shanghai, the study represents one of the most comprehensive studies on corporate governance in China to date.
In general, the study found that there is room for growth in corporate governance in China. Characterised by the cultural emphasis on local networks (guanxi), particularly with the government, boards in China tend to be tightly knit communities built on business or personal connections. Amongst the companies studied, 72% of board members were sourced through referrals.
"The study also shows that local enterprises tend to resist the
introduction of foreign directors to sit on their boards, even as China is increasingly part of the global economy. 48% of Chinese state-owned
enterprises and private enterprises would not consider employing foreign
directors. Only 26% will consider hiring foreign directors, amongst which, 69% expect to do so within three years," said Steve Mulljiner, Managing Partner, Heidrick & Struggles China. "This mindset has to change, as China has yet to develop a pool of strong local talent with in-depth experience to bring Chinese companies into international markets. Chinese companies do not need to look too far to find Chinese-speaking professionals with years of international exposure and market knowledge. In fact, the research shows that the two of the top three preferred sources of foreign directors in the mainland are from neighbouring areas; that is Hong Kong (27%) and Taiwan
(19%), with America (15%) coming in third."
"The unwillingness to recruit foreign directors indicates that the
internationalization level is low in Chinese enterprises," said Professor
Lu Xiongwen, dean of the School of Management. "Chinese enterprises either don't trust foreign directors or think it unnecessary to hire foreign talent. Some enterprises are afraid communication with foreign directors would be difficult due to cultural and language barriers."
However, foreign invested enterprises have put the employment of
Chinese directors into their agenda as part of their localization strategy. More than 71% of foreign invested enterprises are considering the employment of Chinese directors, among which 87% plan to realize this
within three years. Only 30% of the foreign invested enterprises
interviewed do not intend to employ Chinese directors.
Note to Editors:
The points highlighted here represent partial key findings. Requests
for more data, information or recommendations from the study should be sent to Jennifer Tow, Manifesto Ltd, (852) 2526 1972 or
jennifer@manifesto.com.hk. Arrangements for exclusive interviews can be
made.
About Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.
Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. is the world's premier
provider of senior-level executive search and leadership consulting
services, including talent management, board building, executive
on-boarding and M&A effectiveness. For more than 50 years we have focused
on quality service and built strong leadership teams through our
relationships with clients and individuals worldwide. Today, our leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles, please visit http://www.heidrick.com .
About School of Management, Fudan University
Strategically positioned in Shanghai, an emerging capital of national
economy, trading, finance and transportation, Fudan University can lay
claim to nearly one century of continuous existence. There is no clear date of the initiation of its business education, but teaching existed at Fudan in some form of management in 1917 and formally enrolled undergraduate class of Management Science in 1977.
About the Corporate Governance in China study
Sponsored by Heidrick & Struggles, this Corporate Governance in China
study is the result of 15 months of research, interviews, discussion and
consultation. The research is based on in-depth interviews with the
Chairmen or Presidents of 50 leading PRC and multi-national companies in
China. A total of 1,000 questionnaires were distributed, with over 100
returned. Questionnaire respondents included top-level board members and
executives. The Study covered various industries and different regions.
A strategic study that focused primary on the structure, function, and organization of the boards, as well as the roles of the board members and their relationships, this research is unprecedented in China, and internationally, and provides new and unique insight to corporate governance in China.
Media Contacts
Jennifer Tow
Manifesto Ltd
Tel: +852-2526-1972
Email: jennifer@manifesto.com.hk
Gene Huang
Fudan University
Tel: +86-21-65102737
Email: zhiyinghuang@fudan.edu.cn
HR Market Growing Fast in China
October 21st, 2006By Frank Mulligan, Talent Software
The recruiting of staff is the greatest challenge that HR practitioners in China face.
But turn the turtle on its back and we see that recruiting is big business. There is a lot going on underneath. A mulititude of players offer everything from executive search to Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
These international players are currently targeting China.
The graphs below tell an interesting story. They are based on a large scale study of international companies who offer some form of solution for recruiting. They illustrate well how the investments in the recruiting space have shifted from Hong Kong to Mainland China, and specifically to Shanghai. China is taking off, with Hong Kong flat. The study was done by a London-based MandA specialist called The1, and if you want to know more go here and click on ’Research’.
So the good news is that the kinds of recruiting support services that are avalilable in most countries around the world will soon be available in China. This would include Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), online hiring services, background checking based on call centers, online skills testing, outsourced payroll and benefits, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and so on. The 1 tracks them all.
These additional support services will make life a little easier for HR professionals in China. They won’t solve the biggest problem, which is the shortage of skilled, experience staff.
For that we still have to get our hands dirty.
Has Korn/Ferry Hit the Ceiling?
October 21st, 2006The employee-search outfit's stock hit its highest level since 2001, but some analysts think the climb may be nearing an end
by Alex Halperin
Based on the recent strength of Korn/Ferry International (KFY) shares, many investors would no doubt give the headhunter high marks in a performance review. Shares of the executive and middle-management search outfit brushed $23.18 on Oct. 17, their highest level since May, 2001. What's behind the strong showing? Analysts attribute the performance to a combination of strong management by the company and macroeconomic factors like low unemployment.
Indeed, in a recent conference call with analysts, the company crowed about the falling U.S. jobless rate, and, more specifically, even lower unemployment in the job market for white-collar workers and those with a college degree, which increases demand for its services. It also highlighted falling unemployment in Britain and Europe, where the company has a large presence. But amid the positive news, analysts disagree on whether investors will be able to squeeze much more juice out of the company, at least in the short term.
Just a few years ago, the shares were underemployed. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the stock wallowed in the doldrums, spending much of 2002 and 2003 in the single-digit price range. But as job growth has returned—albeit not as robustly as some would like—and the Dow has reached new heights, Korn/Ferry was well-positioned for the ride.
Database Management
The Los Angeles-based outfit recruits senior-level executives and middle management employees, the latter through a unit called Futurestep, which focuses on employees with salaries in the $75,000 to $150,000 range. By combining the company's recruitment expertise with a database of job-seekers, Futurestep is "pioneering the market," says SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analyst Tobey Summer. There are "hardly any global competitors to what Futurestep does," he adds. Futurestep complements Korn/Ferry's much larger executive recruitment business since employers looking for one service can end up using both.
For the quarter ended July, the company posted revenues of $161.1 million, up from $129.1 million a year earlier, with quarterly net income rising from $11.6 million to $13.7 million. Though the company has offices worldwide, it saw the greatest revenue growth in its core North America executive-recruitment division.
Analysts applaud the company's recent performance but question whether the stock has more room for growth, at least in the short term. Bulls can find encouragement in the relatively strong corporate-earnings climate, which could lead to more hiring. And at the lucrative senior levels, there's a growing need to replace retiring baby boomers.
Competitive Consultants
The company is "catching a good cyclical time for the business," says Summer. Despite his enthusiasm, he rates the stock neutral. He says the company is well-positioned globally with an extensive office network across Europe and Asia.
But he doesn't see that translating into notably better profit margins. He also says that after a few good years, the executive recruiting sector as a whole is doing more promoting and hiring their recruiters from outside the industry instead of tapping more experienced headhunters. While new recruiters—Korn/Ferry calls them consultants—are a sign of a growing industry, they tend not to deliver revenue as quickly, Summer says.
Korn/Ferry no doubt owes some of its recent success to strong performance in the sector. Smaller rival Heidrick & Struggles International (HSII) is also trading near multiyear highs. But over the past five years Korn/Ferry's stock has outperformed Heidrick's. With both outfits armed with ample balance sheets, Summer speculates that they might be on the prowl for acquisitions, though probably more for secondary businesses than executive recruiting.
Labor Upturn
Standard & Poor's, which has a long-standing buy rating (four stars out of five) on Korn/Ferry, says it expects revenues to climb 15% for the year ending in April. Despite this generally positive outlook, though, it cautions that the stock remains vulnerable to "the possibility of an unexpectedly weak global economy."
S&P analyst Michael Jaffe remains relatively bullish. It's a "pretty well-run company," he says, adding that "a lot of the human-resources companies are doing well because we've been in the midst of a labor upturn for past few years."
In a recent report, Korn/Ferry market-maker Merrill Lynch (MER) agrees with Summer that it doesn't see much more near-term upside for investors. And it doesn't expect the company to add a dividend soon.
While the company's prospects appear solid, the shares may not be able to climb the ladder much higher. Perhaps it's time for investors to start thinking about the exit interview.
How to get to grips with the dragon
October 18th, 2006China's ultimate evolution as a fully-formed commercial market has been fuelling many pound and dollar-filled fantasies ever since the country opened its doors to foreign investment.
But while numerous Western companies have already set up shop in the world's most populous country, employment issues continue to puzzle and confound many a corporate transplant, and none more so than than the issue of recruitment.
Recruiters who expect to do business in China will need to adopt a new mindset about pay and benefits packages, social concerns, status issues and even old national rivalries as local values colour candidates' perspectives about job opportunities.
Students are sought after
The UK provides fertile ground for recruiting educated Chinese who plan to return to their homeland, says Ting Zhang, chief executive of Cambridge-based China Business Solutions (CBS). As many as 50,000 students from China are currently studying in the UK. Recruiting a UK-educated Chinese person for a job with a UK company operating in China will generally mean getting a person who speaks good English and is familiar with British culture.
Employment costs are typically 30-50% higher in China's coastal area, where many of the major cities are located, than in its inland regions. But with mid-level engineers only earning an estimated £400 per month in coastal regions, pay levels are generally lower in China than in the UK. However, companies should expect to pay 13-month salaries, annual increases of 8-10%, and up to 50% of a person's salary in benefits, says Ling Ling Bravo-Escos, also of CBS.
Since the 1990s, social insurance benefits will include money for housing (to buy, renovate or build a house), pension, medical and heating, among others.
The 'one child per household' rule in mainland China also means a special consideration for women employees where time off is concerned. As well as maternity leave, women also must be given time off to end pregnancies, Bravo-Escos says.
To recruit top candidates, the points having most impact, according to CBS, are a company's brand and local awareness of that brand, the job description, job title, a pleasant working environment, a competitive salary and benefits. High emphasis is also placed on long-term career opportunities.
That emphasis on the long-term means that permanent work is still the favoured form of employment in China. Contracting as an employment choice has yet to catch on, says Patricia Leech, sales director for SAP recruitment specialist Portland Resourcing, London.
Foreign contractors
Leech says that most of the contractors her company recruits to work on multinational projects in China come from Malaysia and Australia. So far, the company has recruited but one local hire, for the position of functional team lead consultant.
One unique aspect Leech has discovered to recruiting in the Chinese marketplace is the strength of consultant networks. "Consultants' networks are very strong," she says. "What you tend to find is that they're all asking each other if they know someone for a particular job."
Lacking in market awareness
She has also found a certain naivete among local candidates as to their market worth. "People within China aren't aware of what they could be getting. They aren't very savvy to the market," she says.
The world of online recruitment in China is growing steadily but online analysts believe the market is still years off achieving its full potential. US job board operator CareerBuilder.com last month signed an exclusive agreement with Chinese job board www.51job.com that will give the US operator access to the Chinese online recruitment market.
The American giant has begun to expand its global reach with its own country-specific job boards, but company leaders felt that the Chinese market has not yet evolved sufficiently to install its own branded site. CareerBuilder wanted entry to China, nevertheless.
"We spent the last year looking at the Chinese marketplace," says Farhan Yasin, president of CareerBuilder's international group. "Our estimate is that online recruitment there is worth $150m, and it's growing at 43-48% a year."
The greatest hurdle in China, Yasin told Recruiter, is "first and foremost, the country's infrastructure". While major cities have embraced the internet, most Chinese live in rural areas where internet access may be limited.
It's a cliche that China's economic potential is as vast as its landscape. But equally as vast as the landscape is the labyrinth of cultural idiosyncrasies, regulation and growth challenges that will require years of manoeuvring and optimising before China's economic potential can be realised.
Why populous China is facing labour shortages
October 1st, 2006By Abdullah Al Madani, Special to Gulf News
It may be surprising to know that China, the world's most populous country, whose economic boom has largely depended on the advantage of having a huge supply of low-cost workers, faces labour shortages. Studies conducted recently show that China's problem of worker shortage, which first appeared sporadically in 2004, has now become a more persistent one. The problem has pushed up wages at a time when costs of manufacturing goods are already rising due to increases in energy prices. This is likely to weaken Chinese-made products' competitiveness on world markets, and force investors to move to lower-cost countries such as India, Vietnam and Bangladesh.
Chinese factories had to raise the minimum wage this year by as much as 30 per cent to between $70 and $85 a month. With this increase, the largest in a decade, a worker in China today is paid 30 per cent more than his counterpart in Vietnam, for example.
Acute problem
The shortage of workers is most acute in the country's export regions, namely the Pearl River Delta, which feeds into Hong Kong, and the Yangtze River Delta, which funnels into Shanghai. For example, it was officially reported that the city of Shenzhen, on the Hong Kong border, alone faced a labour shortage of about 300,000 workers this year. Commenting on the issue, a Chinese human resource expert said that a few years ago, millions of young people were still flooding into Shenzhen to search for any job at any wage, and factories did not need to put up advertisements to recruit workers or tempt them with incentives and benefits. He added: "Now we put up a sign looking for five people, and maybe one person shows up."
Factors contributing to making a country with a population of 1.3 billion have a labour shortage of nearly two million people according to an estimate are numerous. First, demand on workers has enormously increased in recent years, owning to the vast expansion of industrial, construction and services sectors.
Second, low wages, tax cuts, and long-working hours have all pushed a large number of migrant workers to quit their jobs in the booming coastal pro-vinces and move back to their farms in western provinces. The government's decision last year to eliminate the agricultural tax has fuelled the trend.
Third, Beijing's recent policy of closing the income gap between the urban rich and the rural poor through developing the economies of poor inland provinces and launching housing and infrastructure projects has created many jobs. As a result, young workers from the countryside are less willing to leave home for booming areas in search of a better life.
Fourth, unlike China's old generation, whose members sought employment without proper education or skills, members of the new generation are more ambitious and would rather first develop their skills or have university degrees in order to avoid jobs that are harsh and pay little. This can be supported by the increasing number of university students. Last year, for example, over 14 million Chinese students joined local colleges and universities, up from 4.3 million in 1999.
More old people
Fifth, China's one-child policy, which was implemented in 1979, has turned it into a country of more old and less young people. This is most acute in Shanghai, China's model of economic prosperity, where the age group of 60 and above is expected to account for 30 per cent of the population by 2020. Because of this policy, the number of Chinese aged 15-19 will decline by 17 per cent in five years, to about 103 million from 124 million today, according to a report.
China's dilemma, however, is not confined to the shortages of unskilled or semi-skilled workers. In addition, both public and private companies are having trouble finding enough talented employees and highly skilled labour to fill junior and senior managerial and other posts.
The evidence can be derived from a decision last month by the Shanghai municipal government to hold job fairs in North America in an effort to attract expatriates and overseas Chinese professionals to work in the city.
According to a recent study conducted by McKinsey Global Institute, Chinese firms seeking to expand abroad and continue growing in the years to come will need up to 75,000 internationally experienced leaders. Currently, only 5,000 such leaders are available in the country. Local universities must be held responsible for this, given their failure in producing more graduates capable of working successfully in world-class-companies and brilliantly serving the fast-growing domestic economy. Among the 1.7 million students who graduated in 2003 from over 1,500 local colleges and universities, only a few hundreds had good English and practical experience a requirement of most multinational firms.
China Gaining Ground in Global 'Head and Brains Race'
October 1st, 2006COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Global competition, once defined by the Cold War arms race, has evolved into a "head and brains race" where nations measure success through the development and application of technology.
That was one of the conclusions from a Battelle-R&D Magazine report on international research and development trends. The report frames international competition as evolving from the arms race to a "hands race" based on lower-cost manual labor and now to the head and brains race driving the current escalation of R&D spending.
"It is tempting, and certainly reasonable, to acknowledge the fact that each of these races has involved a reliable adversary," says Dr. Jules Duga, senior research scientist at Battelle and co-author of the report. "These adversaries continue to present challenges to the United States that can be met and conquered or accommodated only by long-term strategic investment and will."
While the U.S. remains the standard-bearer in terms of worldwide R&D, China is emerging as an R&D giant. That trend will continue, the report projects.
The U.S. is responsible for 32.4 percent of global R&D this year, compared to 13.4 percent for China. Those numbers were first and second, respectively, worldwide but represent a decline for the U.S. and an increase for China. The same trend will continue in 2007, according to the report, when the U.S. will be responsible for 31.9 percent of global R&D and China 14.8 percent.
"There still is a considerable gap," says Duga, "but it's closing."
With China leading the way, Asia continues to seize more and more of the international R&D market. Asia's share of global R&D grew from 34.9 percent in 2005 to 35.6 percent this year and should continue to grow to a projected 36.5 percent in 2007, according to the report. The U.S., over the same period, has declined from 32.7 percent to 32.4 percent this year and is projected to dip to 31.9 percent next year.
Changes in government attitudes, direct government investments, liberalization of their economies, and an increased emphasis on developing a highly educated, technology-oriented population are some of the factors leading to the R&D growth in Asia. These also are reasons why industry from all over the world is changing the way it develops relationships with the R&D communities from these burgeoning countries. The first steps could be characterized as casual, "testing-the-waters" interactions that included preliminary contract research arrangements. These quickly have evolved into major investments in institution-building, the creation of subsidiary operations, and the development of a wide range of joint ventures.
"It is apparent that the modifications in the internal policies of East and South Asia, in particular, have had and will continue to have an influence on the amounts and patterns of R&D performance in the U.S. and other nations," says Tim Studt, editor of R&D Magazine and Duga's co-author on the report.
Outsourcing of R&D has been a growing trend and will continue to grow as long as the cost of doing business makes sense for U.S. companies, concludes the report. The lower costs in most areas, especially China and India, enhance the competitive position as compared to other (usually domestic) resources and lead to measures of higher productivity. When other advantages, such as enhanced global R&D infrastructure and improved support for other global operations, are considered, the value of outsourcing becomes apparent, says Duga.
"Host countries like China and India have come well down the road in terms of providing a technology-friendly environment," Duga says.
Battelle has prepared a report on U.S. R&D funding annually for more than 40 years, including the last 12 in partnership with R&D Magazine. Duga has co-authored that forecast for 27 years. This is Battelle's second comprehensive report on international R&D spending.
The full report is included in the September issue of R&D Magazine. Reprints are available by contacting Battelle's Jean Hayward at (614) 424-7039 or at haywardj@battelle.org.
Battelle is a global leader in science and technology. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, it develops and commercializes technology and manages laboratories for customers. Battelle, with the national labs it manages or co- manages, oversees 20,000 staff members and conducts $3.4 billion in annual research and development. Battelle innovations have included the development of the office copier machine (Xerox); pioneering work on compact disc technology; fiber optics for telecommunications; development of new medical products to fight diabetes, cancer and heart disease; breakthroughs in environmental waste treatment; homeland security technologies; and advancements in transportation safety and security.
Recruiters in China - Information Smart or Information Starved?
October 1st, 2006By Frank Mulligan, Talent Software
Unlike in the past, we are awash in information here in China right now.
We know the economy is developing at 9% every year and that Foreign Direct Investment is in excess of US$50 billion per year. We know about the ’War for Talent’ and that staff turnover is now in excess of 25% for most companies in China. So getting information is easy, especially numbers that underline the narrative of a growing, developing economy. On the other hand, getting validated information at the right time is always difficult to do, and costly.
Recruiters are essentially in the business of finding, evaluating and using information about the suitability of a candidate for the positions in their company or client.
In order to achieve their goals they must separate truth from fiction, fact from rumour. And to do this they have to be able to evaluate the information they have using the current toolset of the recruiter; behavioural interviewing, psychometric assessment, Performance Profiles, background checks, Topgrading, skills tests, Work Samples, reference checks and so on.
Missing Data
Each of these methods has it’s own limitations. There are figures for the validity of each method that would suggest that there is a strong case for using them.
However, a couple of years ago we asked 40 companies in China about their hiring processes and the results were not very encouraging. Few did reference checks (<10%) and very few did backgrounds check(<1%). Some did a scripted phone screen with candidates(<3%) but most had not even considered the idea. Many knew what Behavioural Interviewing was but less than 20% said they used it in practice.
A majority of companies in our informal survery did not use any type of intelligence, skills or personality testing during the recruiting process. This was a bit surprising given that these kinds of tests have been available in China for many years. And in Chinese.
Add to that the huge costs of hiring the wrong person and you have a strong justification for using them. But companies didn’t at that time.
Since then we have seen the introduction of affordable background screening, and the arrival or more and more validated psychometric and skills tests. This has clearly increased the numbers of companies using these kinds of tools but we won’t know what the figures are until we check again.
If you want to know a little more about the validity of various assessment methods this chart might be a good start.
Selection Method - "Predictability"
Handwriting Analysis - 0%
Age - 0%
Amount of Education - 0%
Self Assessment - 3%
Projective Tests - 3%
Traditional Interviews - 4%
Grade Point Averages - 4%
Expert Recommendations - 4%
Personality Tests - 4%
Motivation - 4%
Reference Check - 6%
Biographical Data - 9%
Situational Interviews - 9%
Behavioral Event Interviews - 10%
Mental Ability Tests - 25%
Content Valid Simulations - 64%
Adapted from a meta-analysis conducted by Hunter and Hunter, Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 96, 1984. Percentages have been rounded. Predictability refers to the explained variance.
Large numbers of low quality talent hurt China
September 24th, 2006China needs to take action against the large number of poorly qualified and low quality professionals with university or college certification, Chinese Talents Society Vice President Wang Tongxun said.
China Youth Daily reports Wang Tongxun issued his warning at a forum on human resources development held recently in Beijing.
Record numbers of Chinese citizens have received higher education in recent years. Over 66.5 million people have college degrees or above and around 17% of high school graduates enrol at university. There were 2.8 million graduates in 2005, nearly 9 times the number of graduates in 1985.
But Wang Tongxun said that as universities and colleges grow from institutions that cater to an elite group of students to institutions that education the masses, several problems have been created.
Degrees and titles are easy to obtain in China. Some universities or colleges issue diplomas recklessly, even providing them to people who have not attended the university courses. The lack of a sound qualification system allows poorly skilled Chinese professionals to receive titles more easily than their foreign counterparts.
Wang Tongxun also said the academic research at Chinese universities and research institutes is often carried out in a poorly planned and impatient manner. The resulting papers are rarely cited by foreign researchers and rank below 120 in the world in terms of citations. As a result, most of the research has no value and can't be put into practice.
To compound the problem, the tendency for employers to value people according to their degrees rather than their talent and work experience has led to a culture of degree-hunting where people neglect to improve their talents in a measurable way.
Finally, Wang Tongxun said the phenomenon has led to a brain drain. Around 930,000 Chinese have traveled overseas to study since 1986, but only 230,000 have returned
Obstacles To Innovation In China And India
September 17th, 2006From the CEO of Infosys
Globalization and the convergence of information and communication technologies have dramatically boosted the power and speed with which businesses, organizations, and individuals can access, process, and adapt information. This has given rise to the knowledge economy, where markets can trade what has long been untradable: workers' education and skills. In the new dynamic, efficiencies in productivity growth are less important. Instead, growth is driven by the capacity of economies to create knowledge and innovate.
Three new innovation models are emerging. One is process innovation: wiring everyone to the same network and leveraging the cost, talent, and volume of an integrated global economy. Another is creating pint-sized products and services sold cheaply to masses of poor people. A third is innovating through local partnerships and networks to get around external hurdles, whether bad roads in India or bad government policy on IP in China. You see all three models in India. Boston Consulting Group put out a list of 100 emerging global companies; 21 of them were in India.
Initially, cost advantages attracted global companies to the emerging markets of China and India. China's Pearl River Delta quickly became a hub of low-cost manufacturing, and the country's manufacturing sector grew annually at 11.4% from 1993 to 2003. After economic reforms in 1991, India's large pool of low-cost, technically trained talent made possible that nation's growth as a global provider of IT services.
But today multinationals are beginning to leverage the skills of Indian and Chinese knowledge workers to innovate, and they are building strong R&D capabilities in these markets.
Innovation in China and India, however, has not grown on a truly global, commercially significant scale. Indian companies have yet to come up with significant innovations in entire product lines. Chinese outfits have launched clever but imitative products, and China's R&D capabilities lag those of Taiwan and South Korea.
China and India rank 49th and 50th in the world respectively in terms of productivity growth. Their economies face major challenges to improved innovation. They lack end-to-end logistics, effective infrastructure, and strong regulatory systems. By understanding such weaknesses, corporations can devise alternate strategies and business models to transform the two countries into growth markets.
India has poor infrastructure, low literacy levels for many people, and labor inflexibilities. So high-volume manufacturing has not taken off yet in a big way. Yet businesses are using technology and communication networks to build virtual, interconnected innovation ecosystems to overcome the gaps. A network can tap multiple sources of innovation, including entrepreneurs, research labs, and students and faculty in educational institutions, such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS).
Unearthing specific consumer needs in emerging economies can also aid innovation. HP Labs in India identified power outages as a key factor limiting the access and utility of computers in rural areas, so it designed a community PC that can run on car batteries.
There's huge innovation in creating a high-volume, low-price business. CavinKare, an Indian company, began selling shampoos in the 1990s in cheap, single-serve sachets to make them accessible to the nation's rural poor. This business model was replicated by Unilever (UL ) and Procter & Gamble (PG ).
India absorbs about 4 million to 5 million mobile phones a month, and its mobile rates are about 1 cents a minute, the lowest in the world. Clearly companies have innovated: They figured out how to stay profitable even selling telecom services at a penny a minute. They're reaching consumers who are essentially not part of the formal financial system. If you can deliver to such people products or services in small units at a low price, the market is suddenly open to a much larger base.
In the end, innovation capability depends on economic flexibility. The U.S., with its entrepreneurial culture, relaxed labor markets, and free capital flows, continues to be the most innovative economy in the world. India and China need such an environment to bridge the growth and productivity gap between emerging markets and the developed world and to truly transform themselves into innovative, energetic economies.
The Talent Behind 'China Inc.'
September 15th, 2006By Thomas Hout and John Wong
From The Wall Street Journal Online
A stereotype is forming around China's acquisitions in the U.S. -- buy fast rather than build slow. Lenovo's buyout of IBM's PC unit, TCL's buyout of France's Thomson and with it RCA, and now Haier's bid for Maytag all suggest that China is in a hurry to go global and will freely spend low-cost money to acquire our brands and distribution access, plus secure an outlet for their low-cost products made in China.
The problem with this view is that China's most successful acquisitions to date in the U.S. have little to do with China's low-cost money and workers or buying our brands. They are instead all about Chinese management skill and U.S. workers. These no-name Chinese acquisitions are turn-arounds founded on hard-nosed Chinese business practices, and they import less product from China than most U.S. manufacturers do.
Haier in fact doesn't fit the mold either. It has spent 10 years building its own brand in the U.S. and now has its name on 10% of new U.S. refrigerator sales. Large units, too expensive to ship from China, are made in the U.S. Haier succeeded by partnering with a young, market-savvy U.S. entrepreneur, Michael Jemal, who created down-market, niche refrigerator products that the big U.S. brands ignored and won its own distribution access by customizing products for the big box retailers. Haier's bid for Maytag is a turn-around play premised on Haier's proven management practices. Otherwise, sophisticated co-investors like Blackstone and Bain Capital would not be aboard.
Chinese companies that are successfully building slow in the U.S. include Wanxiang and China International Marine Container (CIMC). Wanxiang Group, China's leading auto-parts maker, tried to export auto parts from China to the U.S. but found itself under-priced by Polish and Romanian imports. So it adopted a private equity role in building a U.S. business: it joint ventures or acquires stakes in struggling U.S. manufacturers, then restructures their management and operations based on what Wanxiang learned in China. The Group now has equity positions in over 30 auto-parts companies world-wide, and its U.S. sales of nearly $400 million are more profitable than its business back home.
CIMC may be the world's least visible globally dominant company, making 40% of all shipping containers. In the 1990s it consolidated South China's big container business -- much like GM rolled-up U.S. autos in the 1930s -- by buying up smaller local producers with non-voting stock, then rationalized production among these subsidiaries. Only then did CIMC acquire a U.S. truck-trailer maker from a bankrupt parent and turn it around, using Chinese-made container components and factory floor technology.
Chinese management is an under-rated asset in American discussions of China's global strategy. Almost all large successful companies in China are turn-arounds of formerly politically managed state-owned enterprises. The managers who took them over during the 1980s and 1990s reforms had to learn what any turn-around specialist does -- flatten layers, fire the pretenders, prune losing businesses, and hammer operating costs down. The CEOs of Haier, Wanxiang, and CIMC all started and spent their careers on the factory floor. China's low-cost mentality is just as much about cheap management as about cheap labor.
So it makes sense that China's first and surest global companies will be in mid-tech or modest brand businesses built on ground-level operating skills, opportunism, and local partnerships -- not high-profile consumer brands or high tech. These proven Chinese strengths also play perfectly to deep changes going on in the U.S. economy -- revitalization of distressed small manufacturers through new partnerships, private equity's growing role, and even lower income consumers' trading-down to lower-priced household durables.
Not all Chinese companies, however, think they have the time to build slow. Lenovo and TCL are in fast-moving businesses where strong global competitors are breathing down their neck in China -- especially, Dell, Samsung, Nokia and Motorola. Computers, flat-screen televisions, cell phones, and mobile consumer electronics devices of all kinds may be made in China but controlled by multinationals there who are pulling away from Chinese competitors.
This issue of pace is a problem for China. Product and marketing innovation is rooted in close contact with customers and close collaboration with adjacent, complementary technologies. Chinese state-owned companies have typically been separated from end customers by government-controlled distribution intermediaries. The result is China doesn't have what Silicon Valley and other innovation clusters have -- diffusion of knowledge horizontally and movement of technologists between firms.
Too much can be expected of China's high-profile companies now. The early rounds of Chinese globalizing favor less glamorous, hard-nosed Chinese companies who have a lot to offer to industrial America right now.
Executives Trained Abroad Are Sought After in China
September 15th, 2006By Andrew Browne
From The Wall Street Journal Online
When Dominic Leung moved to China this year as chairman of the country's second-largest life insurer, the Hong Kong executive startled his senior managers with a blunt message: Skip the formalities.
On his first outing to a branch office, the staff formed a welcoming line that snaked from the elevator lobby down a long corridor to the reception counter -- the kind of over-the-top gesture that strokes the egos of many Chinese corporate VIPs. But Mr. Leung was embarrassed, and annoyed. "I said to the general manager: 'You never do that again,' " he recalls. " 'I don't need that.' "
Mr. Leung, who worked previously for American International Group and the United Kingdom's Prudential PLC, says he is now trying to persuade managers at Ping An Life Insurance not to greet him personally at the airport. "To me it's wasting time -- they should be working in the office," he says.
Mr. Leung, a 56-year-old insurance-industry veteran, is part of a new wave of "overseas Chinese" being recruited to fill top slots in Chinese companies. These executives -- from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and other locales where Chinese have settled -- have long been wooed by multinationals to run their China operations. Now, some of the brightest are jumping to Chinese companies instead.
In some ways, the trend points to the relative fortunes of Chinese companies in China's vast domestic economy, where local businesses have proved to be at least the equal of multinationals in the battle for market share. Increasingly, Chinese companies are seen as a springboard for the ambitions of overseas Chinese with U.S. and European graduate degrees in business. Some who have made the leap say they were prompted by a glass ceiling at multinationals for ethnic Chinese employees.
Once the new recruits get over initial culture shock, they report few regrets. Middle-ranking managers who once reported up a chain of command to New York or Frankfurt suddenly find themselves controlling companies that are emerging as national leaders in the world's fastest-growing major economy.
In a multinational company, "headquarters calls all the shots. But if you work for a Chinese company, you call the shots," says Zheng Xue-cheng, a corporate search executive with Egon Zehnder International, which recruits high-level talent for Ping An and other Chinese companies.
Corporate perks may be meager in Chinese firms, but pay is competitive and stock options can be generous -- in rare cases, sensational. After quitting his job running Microsoft China, Tang Jun, a naturalized U.S. citizen, joined Chinese online gaming company Shanda Interactive Entertainment and picked up 2.6 million stock options now valued at more than $90 million. (The company was listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market this year.)
Tan Wee-Seng, an ethnic Chinese from Malaysia, gave up housing, education and car allowances when he left a senior business role at Reuters news service last year to join Li-Ning Sports, a sportswear company run by a former Chinese Olympic gymnast. "But the options are better," says Mr. Tan, Li-Ning's chief financial officer who steered the company through a Hong Kong listing this year.
Another lure: the chance to "help and transform this country," says Mr. Tan. Ping An's Mr. Leung says moving to the company gives him a feeling of belonging in China. Working for a multinational "I was an outsider, maybe even a foreigner," he says. "Now I'm one of them."
Chinese companies are more open-minded about international recruitment than their counterparts elsewhere in Asia. In part, the openness is driven by necessity: Chinese companies planning to raise capital overseas often lack financial managers with the skills to navigate complex international regulatory and compliance issues.
In some industries, like banking and insurance, Chinese companies face an onslaught of foreign competition as domestic markets open, and they need managers who can implement smart sales and marketing strategies and internal restructuring.
China Construction Bank, one of the country's Big Four lenders, planning to issue shares next year, has invited a leading Japanese banker to sit on its board of directors -- a first for the bank. The Bank of China, also in line to list, is searching overseas to fill positions up to the level of vice president.
Ping An Group, parent of Ping An Life Insurance, has gone further than perhaps any major Chinese company in opening its staff ranks: Half of its top 50 managers come from outside the Chinese mainland, says Sun Jian Yi, the group's deputy chief executive officer. As a start-up in 1988, Ping An was up against an established state monopoly, the People's Insurance Co. of China. To compete, it had to look as different from PICC as possible. "We said we wanted to follow the international market," says Mr. Sun. "We needed overseas money, overseas systems, overseas talent."
Goldman Sachs Group and Morgan Stanley came in as early private-equity investors. The Shenzhen-based company, which listed just across the border in Hong Kong this year, hired the McKinsey & Co. consultant who drew up the company's long-term strategy, Louis Cheung.
Mr. Cheung, a 40-year-old Cambridge-educated Hong Kong native, joined Ping An after turning down offers from an international investment bank and a dot-com. Mr. Cheung, 36 when he joined Ping An, says he wanted a company offering super-charged growth, and "China is the only country where you can get that kind of growth." Now Ping An's chief operating officer, he shuttles between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, where his wife, a Singaporean investment banker, lives.
For Ping An and other Chinese companies, overseas Chinese are an easier fit than other outsiders. For a start, they can speed-read office memos in Chinese handwriting. But the high-paid recruits can also spark resentments. Ping An runs a two-track pay system. "At first people asked: 'Why are you paying so much?' " says Mr. Sun, who happily admits he earns less than some of the overseas Chinese who work under him. "We had to educate our work force."
And imported management methods don't always go down well. Staff at Ping An headquarters are fuming over a new electronic card system at the main door. Employees who leave the building for longer than 30 minutes must explain their absence to a supervisor. "Not even a mosquito can get out of this place without permission," grumbles a junior manager.
Alan Ku, Ping An's Taiwan human-resources manager formerly with Unilever, says the system is now being reviewed.
Firms in China Think Globally, Hire Locally
September 15th, 2006By Cui Rong
From The Wall Street Journal Online
BEIJING -- Du Limin is living the American Dream -- in China.
A decade ago, Ms. Du joined Wal-Mart China as an accountant. Today, she is a director overseeing three Sam's Club supercenters and more than 1,500 employees in China for the U.S. retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Ms. Du's rise has been replicated across China as multinational corporations fill management positions with local talent. According to Taihe Consulting Co., of Beijing, about 70% of foreign firms' top positions today are filled by Chinese workers. In the mid-1990s, almost all such posts were filled by non-locals.
In recent years, more Chinese have studied or worked overseas, strengthening their English-language and leadership skills and making them more suitable for management positions, executives at multinationals say. "My first choice will always be local," says Niklas Lindholm, human resources director for Nokia Corp.'s Chinese investment unit in Beijing. "We are an international company and we need the variety."
Multinationals in other developing countries also have localized their staff after establishing themselves in a market. Many locals, for example, have moved up through the ranks of foreign corporations in India. These kinds of developments have uncovered a wellspring of new managerial talent and are changing the way global corporations do business locally.
Executives at foreign companies in China say local hires cost less to employ than expatriates and often have a better understanding of the Chinese market. A Chinese manager, on average, has a total compensation package that is only 20% to 25% of that of a hire from a Western country, says Taihe Consulting. Having a local boss also serves as a morale booster, giving career hope to ambitious junior employees.
When multinationals first opened in China in the early 1990s, expatriates filled most mid-level and senior management posts. Locals settled for junior positions. The expats, usually from the company's home country, were valued for their knowledge of corporate culture. Some multinationals would tap managers from Singapore or Hong Kong where they were already established, before they would consider developing local talent.
Chinese managers began gaining ground in the late 1990s. Expats usually had costly relocation expenses, and often they proved less effective than locals as a result of cultural and language differences. Meanwhile, changes in China's labor market -- such as the reform of state-owned businesses and restructuring of government offices -- freed many experienced managers to take jobs at multinationals.
The trends have helped transform the staff makeup of many companies.. At Siemens Ltd. China, a unit of Siemens AG, seven of nine regional managers are Chinese. Richard Hausmann, chief executive of the Chinese unit, says he wants to elevate a Chinese executive to the China operation's six-person board of directors. Three of four regional managers at Motorola Inc.'s unit in China are local Chinese. At FedEx Corp.'s China operations, locals account for 78% of management positions.
Tu Min, vice president of communications at Telefon AB L.M. Ericsson's China subsidiary, graduated from college in 1992 and took a government job. Three years later, as some of China's best and brightest went to work for foreign companies, Ms. Tu heard about an opening for a translator at Ericsson. She joined the company in 1995, a year after it had set up its wholly owned business in China.
Her supervisor recognized her as a "quick learner" and "cheerful person," and recommended her for a job as a public relations executive, she recalls. After stints in sales and business development, Ms. Tu was promoted to manage the communications department.
Ericsson helped pay for her advanced degrees, including a master's in journalism and an MBA from the company's China Academy in Beijing. Last October, Ericsson promoted Ms. Tu to vice president. Local managers now account for 90% of the firm's middle management posts and half of its senior management.
Wal-Mart's Ms. Du was also in one of the first waves of Chinese to benefit from localization. A few years after graduating with an accounting degree from a Shanghai college in 1986, Ms. Du took a job as an accountant in a Chinese cartoon company in the city of Shenzhen, bordering Hong Kong. When Wal-Mart started recruiting staff for its first China store, which was set to open in Shenzhenin 1996, Ms. Du applied for a job -- although she knew nothing about retailing and had never heard of Wal-Mart, except that, as a friend told her, it was a big name in the U.S.
Ms. Du's first job at Wal-Mart was as team leader of the Shenzhen store's finance department. She says virtually all the managers at that time were Westerners or from Hong Kong. When the store's general manager, who was from Hong Kong, predicted at a staff meeting that five years later someone from China would head the store, "all of us burst out laughing, thinking he was telling a joke," Ms. Du recalls.
Ms. Du was named the store's training manager in 1997 and its general manager in 2000. She became director of Sam's Club in January. Today, local Chinese account for 100% of Wal-Mart China's middle managers, and 99% of its senior managers.
Stephanie Wong, vice president of Wal-Mart China's personnel division, describes Ms. Du as "an outstanding performer and one of many success stories at Wal-Mart China." Ms. Du says one advantage she has as a local Chinese manager is that she can communicate better with her employees. "They take me as their big sister and they confide their family issues with me," says Ms. Du, 43 years old. That "is impossible if you're an expatriate."
When SARS hit China in 2003, people were reluctant to go to stores and other public places. To assuage customers' fears, Ms. Du required staff at the Shenzhen store she was managing to disinfect shopping carts after use by each customer. Although almost all of Shenzhen's stores saw a decline in sales volume during the period, Wal-Mart's Shenzhen branch maintained growth, Ms. Du says.
Ms. Du says for many Chinese, a barrier to advancement to Asia-Pacific or other regional posts is their lack of knowledge about the rest of the region. "We need to know more about other countries before heading the regional operations," she says. But China's vast market is a great training ground, she adds. "Being successful in China, Wal-Mart's Chinese managers surely have a better chance to move up," she says.