KeenHire Blog by Margaret Graziano

Off shoring is in the past, can’t afford to hire salary? Why don’t we start leveraging the power of our contingent workforce?

We all want to increase jobs in America, but what if that is not economically possible. What if companies can simply not afford to hire on more salaried workers? In the past companies have turned to off shoring, relocating their business process from this country to another. Well, this is no longer working. New evidence suggests that shifting production overseas has inflicted worse damage on the U.S. economy than the numbers show. Off shoring is a problem because it takes interviewing 100 candidates to find the right one, not to mention the language and culture differences that come with moving operations overseas. Currently there is an average of 40% employee turnover when companies decide to off shore; this causes serious intellectual property issues and inadequate infrastructure, not to mention the shrinking salary differentials.

So then what are American Companies to do? Not get the work done, lay off more people? NO! Why don’t we start leveraging the power of the contingent workforce we have.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 14.0 million Americans unemployed. If we can’t get those people back into the workplace our economy is going to continue to contract. The HR profession has identified that the trends have shown that the rise of the contingent workforce is making a major strategic impact on the workplace and there is a growing need to develop retention strategies for current and future workforces.

Forms of contingent workforce:

• Temp Workers
• Consultants
• Contractors
• Mentors
• College Interns
• Job Sharing
• Remote Workforce

Not only are Americans unemployed but also there are a significant overlooked population segments. Retired military, displaced homemakers, older workers, welfare-to-work and the underemployed just to name a few. We need to be opening our eyes to the possibility of expanding our vision and opening the doors to new workers.

By using these different outlets we can decrease the unemployment rate, promote the American economy from within and create a flourishing workforce.

 

By: Emily Eastman

Rising Unemployment Tax Calls For A Drop In Hiring

The rise in unemployment tax is giving companies around the country a reason not to boost hiring.  Having a significant rise on taxes such as this forces companies to dish out to their laid off works instead of focusing on their currently employed or creating jobs and hiring more people. “More than 30 states have had to borrow billions from a federal fund to cover unemployment benefits for their jobless residents in recent years.”

 Those billions of dollars are doing nothing for our economy, employer are getting slammed with taxes and employees are fighting for their jobs everyday, if they have one at all. Plus, this is only the first of two tax spikes employers are being challenged with, on both the state and federal level.

The president of Strategic Services on Unemployment & Workers' Compensation tells the nation that, "unemployment taxes, which were a relatively low bottom-line cost in 2008, are now becoming a significant cost," Holmes said. "It discourages companies from electing to hire new employees."

So what does this mean? Well for a lot of people it means the continuation of losing jobs, and for recruiters its just tough to watch. Knowing and having a hiring process that works and could decrease unemployment by giving people the right jobs and having them stick.  A conscious hiring process is so key to retaining top talent. Not just creating jobs but putting the right people in the right roles ensuring long term career paths is what puts companies in a better position to have less laid off workers.

By engaging in a Conscious Hiring process you hone in on the key elements it takes to produce consistent results in your sales organization and you learn to identify the core behaviors, values and competencies needed to achieve those results reliably over time.

Some states however are trying to spare their employers; California for example borrowed its $303.3 million interest payment from a disability insurance fund. "We did not want to increase the tax burden on job creators," said Ben Johnson, spokesman for Ohio's Department of Job and Family Services. With the state, employers and recruiters all working together it can maximize the workforce, and ensure lower unemployment and higher employee retention.

By: Emily Eastman

President Obama- Newest LinkedIn Member!

President Obama now on LinkedIn! Ten short days ago the white house invited LinkedIn to host the President in a town-hall style presentation and Q & A; Monday it became a reality. The President was seeking out unique ways to promote his up coming job bill, The American Jobs Act. President Obama believes “we need to do more than just recover from this economic crisis – we need to rebuild the economy the American way, based on balance, fairness, and the same set of rules for everyone from Wall Street to Main Street. “

This act is simple it will “put more people back to work and put more money in the pockets of working Americans, doing so without adding a dime to the deficit.”

A Presidential invite, and 80,000 people viewing the live video feed over the Internet, creates coverage that brings social media sites like LinkedIn straight to the top. According to the New York Stock Exchange they had a drop in stock in earlier months to $72.14 per share; however, after the town hall meeting closed they were up to $78.70 per share, a 4 percent gain in a very short amount of time!

Promoting a program like this could be easily averted to newspapers, casters or online blogs and such, but President Obama obviously wanted something more. He chose the world's largest professional social networking site to host his movement. Though he had visited facebook just 5 months earlier, this time he has switched gears and put the focus on jobs and the economy; two major issues that figure to dominate the upcoming presidential race and are on the minds of the American people.

This also shows the Presidents respect and recognition for the growth of social media and its influence on Americans. Social Media is the new great way to generate exposure; it opens up any company to new areas that you might not have been in before and has the ability to increase traffic. LinkedIn alone has more than 120 million member, all focused and participating for the same reason- being professionals in the workforce, looking to network with other professionals, explore new opportunities and keep up with what is happening in the business world!

Employers and employees have previously used Professional Social Media Sites, now with our President involved and on LinkedIn who knows what the future may hold!

 

By: Emily Eastman

Solyndra. Any Business Is Only As Strong As The People Inside.

Solyndra. Once one of the greatest solar companies just a few years ago, today is dead, and sending over 1,100 employees home. “As the manufacture of solar panels in the USA has fallen from 40% of the market a few years ago to around 5% today, the fossil-fuel-lobby is quick to suggest that the whole idea of the government supporting a dying solar energy industry is misguided” (Forbes). 

They have said that the “global economic and solar industry market conditions have forced the Company to suspend its manufacturing operations.” How is this possible when the National Lab report shows that, the solar power industry is the fastest growing industry in America and we are delivering strong economic returns? Something must be up. 

Can this down fall be traced back to a hiring process? Could it be not the economy, or the jobs available but those who are doing them? A company is only as strong as the people inside; no matter how fast the industry is growing or how many jobs they are creating for the American people.

Secretary Chu of Solyndra told FORBES, “On Thursday, President Obama spoke about the need to continue creating the jobs of the future,” said Secretary Chu. “And that’s exactly what today’s investment does—putting Americans to work right away and helping position us to win the global race for the clean energy industries of tomorrow.” Although job creation is important and a significantly high priority in this country, the benefit of creating these jobs goes out the window when the candidates applying and the new employees holding them are mediocre at best.         

With the right type of hiring process all of these mishaps could be avoided and steer clear of. With a Conscious Hiring process management is enabled to learn how to identify the right people for the right roles, which directly impacts the ability to achieve corporate sales objectives and leads to success.

By engaging in a Conscious Hiring process you hone in on the key elements it takes to produce consistent sales results in your sales organization and you learn to identify the core sales behaviors, values and competencies needed to achieve those results reliably over time.

The impact of mis-hires can result in unwanted unhappiness. It produces unhappy clients, it damages a reputable company’s reputation, and it will affect all salary and benefits outlays, and in Solyndra’s case- destroy the company from the inside out.

Great companies invest more time, and ever more time. Companies must spend the time isolating what great performance is in the role, define what the employee needs to do to achieve great performance, and proactively assess & define the right behaviors, values, motives, of the right person. Only then can a business flourish to the top.

Hiring decisions make or break your business; what you don’t know COSTS YOU.

 

By: Emily Eastman

New Progressive Green Opportunity- Communications Specialist, CA

The Open Space Authority is seeking a creative and highly effective Communications Specialist who will be responsible for Media Development, Content Development & Support, and Community Outreach for a small agency committed to preserving open space in Santa Clara County.

The Communications Specialist develops, writes, coordinates and maintains media content and publications, including newsletters, reports and press releases and is excited about sharing a passion for land preservation through written communications and distributing these communications via social media, mailings, event posts, blog, web updates, board reports, videos and grass roots community efforts. The Communications Specialist may also serve as the agency spokesperson and primary contact for local media.

The position is accountable for implementing the Open Space Authority providing public communications related media including delegating project components to a highly effective external vendor team.  The ability to provide detail orientation, organizational skills, follow up and follow through positions the best candidate as the person to administer, coordinate and complete agency wide marketing and community relations projects.

The ideal candidate has social marketing and public relations expertise and is adept at using the programs in Adobe Creative Suite, especially Photoshop, InDesign and Dreamweaver. The candidate possesses excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as the ability to create compelling articles, press releases, online media and aesthetically pleasing graphic presentations and is committed to expanding and maintaining newsletter and event mailing lists. Success in the position is rewarded by increased event and activity participation, expanded media mentions and an abundance of new community advocates of diverse backgrounds.  

The Open Space Authority provides a fun and challenging position, a team of highly committed individuals, a rewarding working environment and a great benefit and retirement plan.  This is a full-time, non-exempt position. Salary range begins at $28.86 per hour.

QUALIFICATIONS
A minimum of two years of increasingly responsible experience in public relations or public information/marketing work including experience in composing news releases, articles, graphics, marketing materials both online and hard copy. Skills and experience include:  Two years’ experience with Photoshop and InDesign in a work environment, ability to manage web-content with Dreamweaver a plus.  Must be very good at Microsoft  Word, Power Point and Access.  Other skills:  articulate public speaking, spelling, grammar, strong internet research and social media. Also, you must possess a valid California Driver’s License and be insurable.

EDUCATION
A minimum of two years of increasingly responsible experience in public relations or public information/marketing work including experience in composing news releases, articles, graphics, marketing materials both online and hard copy.

WHO WE ARE
The Open Space Authority is an independent special district in Santa Clara County. Our purpose is to preserve key portions of the natural environment in order to balance continuing urban

growth. We are committed to developing ongoing community awareness and increasing key constituency relationships that forward our mission. To date, the Authority has preserved over 15,000 acres of open space land.

If you’re excited about sharing your passion for land preservation, apply now and help forward the green mission! 

Does your Organization Work to Keep Its Top Performers?

Think about it: Your company's only truly sustainable competitive advantage, which cannot be copied by competitors, is your corporate culture and the strength of your leadership. Does your company reward innovation, reinforce positive results and cultivate relationships with its top performers? Or do you find yourselves consistently losing top talent?

If so, ask yourself another question: How actively does your organization identify, invest in and motivate leaders? If you ignore this important component of talent development, top performers might leave because of lack of opportunity, and your organization will never achieve its true potential.

Hiring Better 101

Hiring better people starts with a mindset. In an ever changing world, adapting to new technologies and reevaluation of current systems should always be in consideration. Specifically, the staffing industry is riding a wave of social media correspondence as well as introducing new ideas within the hiring process as a concept. The days of "resume-interview-hire" are over and the power of behavioral interviewing, benchmarking, role analysis, succession planning, and leadership development have shot to the forefront of the industry. For a successful company, incorporating these concepts into your current hiring process can only improve your results and drastically impact your bottom line in a positive way.

Corporate Writing Position Now Available! Milwaukee

You are a confident, self assured business minded writer/journalist with 2 years of writing experience in a professional setting.  You have well defined organizational abilities, excellent written and verbal communication skills and solid competency in proofreading, editing, grammar and use of business terminology.
 
You are skilled in using corporate verbiage and appropriate terminology as well as knowing when to turn on your persuasive writing style. 

Exciting New Manager Position Available! Milwaukee

You are a results-driven individual, with three or more years of proposal writing and oversight experience.  You have proven success with governmental RFP’s, proposal writing, and are capable of leading a team through an efficient proposal development process. You are excellence-focused and passionate about proposal win rates. 

You properly identify the right resources to determine engagement levels and response criteria to produce quality, effective proposals that win business within established and at times last minute timelines.  You collaborate well with others to meet objectives and you are open to suggestions and feedback in order to produce a superior proposal.

The 6th Annual NHRC Forum May 5th in Schaumburg

The 6th Annual NHRC Forum is just two weeks away! Where else can you see top-notch presenters deliver credit-worthy material at such an affordable rate?   Members: $150 Non-Members: $200 What are you waiting for?!  Register Now!   More Forum Information