Boston.com reports on the hottest jobs this year; MSNBC predicts that the jobs of the immediate future will focus on health care, science and high-tech and Boston.com offers a longer term outlook on the jobs that are expected to be most in demand by 2018.
National unemployment rate dips slightly
117,000 jobs were added to the economy in July and the U.S. unemployment rate dipped slightly to 9.1 percent, according to the Dept. of Labor.
You can read more here.
Professional Staffing Group Releases Quarterly HR Planning Survey
Each quarter, Professional Staffing Group surveys approximately 100 employers on their HR efforts and outlook. PSG’s July survey of Massachusetts employers shows the following:
- Planned employee headcounts level off
- Compensation increases also level off
- Employers continue to hold the line on expenditures
- Continued budget increases for training
- Recruiting becomes more of a concern
Contact Professional Staffing Group if you want more information.
PSG President Aaron Green talks to Mass High Tech about choosing a staffing firm
Mass High Tech interviewed PSG President Aaron Green for his tips on how to work successfully with a staffing firm. Read his comments here.
Internally Mobile Workforces
Giving employees opportunities to advance their career by moving up or even moving laterally to other jobs in an organization is a good way to maintain employee engagement and retention.
Now is the time
As this recent Boston Globe article points out, nearly two-thirds of workers want to leave their current position. About the same numbers of employers say they’ll be hiring this year, according to a quarterly survey of HR professionals conducted by my firm, Professional Staffing Group.
Internal mobility can be a win-win for employers and employees. It gives employees relief from a job they may have grown tired of without forcing them to give up the security of their current workplace. It gives employers a way to place experienced workers, who are already accustomed to the company and may have a shorter learning curve, without the expense of recruiting and training new external workers.
Most Companies Don’t Handle Mobility Well
Many organizations do not handle internal mobility well and therefore pay the price in terms of employee turnover. Such organizations cling to the hope that the employee will be satisfied in his or her current job or they let company politics come in to play and allow managers to block transfers.
Best Practice Recommendations
Have realistic expectations – It is important not to hold internal job candidates to unreasonable standards, expecting them to be the perfect fit. Companies risk doing damage to their culture when they reject an internal candidate then turn around and hire someone from the outside who is not any more qualified for the job. Sometimes knowing too much about internal candidates can get in the way; you know more about internal candidate’s flaws as compared to external candidates who don’t try to show you their shortcomings in the interview process. Unless the flaws are critical and impact the employee’s ability to do the new job, don’t let minor shortcomings stop you from making the transfer.
Ensure company culture and senior management support the initiative – Senior management’s visible support is necessary to develop and maintain a culture that allows for and even encourages internal mobility. Without high level senior management commitment to mobility, internal politics can take over and managers can block transfers or even discussions of transfers. Senior management should reinforce the long term benefits (retention and job satisfaction) of maintaining a culture that encourages internal mobility.
Make it easy –Most barriers that companies construct around internal hiring are well-intentioned; they are designed to prevent inter-departmental poaching and to promote transparency. But they can also make it restrictive for employees to take advantage of internal mobility and in some cases make it seem easier to look for a job outside the organization. Employers can make internal mobility as easy as possible by eliminating the need for applications, or for updated resumes, or permission from managers when applying to internal job postings.
Market your internal mobility policy –Management should consistently support and promote internal mobility at meetings, through email communications, signage in common areas and any other internal communication opportunities.
Pay internal candidates the same as you would pay an external candidate – Compensation should be in-line with what you would expect to offer an external candidate with similar qualifications. In other words don’t lower the compensation just because your internal transferee is currently making less money; such actions serve to motivate employee to look for external opportunities.
Aaron Green is founder and president of Boston-based Professional Staffing Group and PSG Global Solutions. He is also the vice chairman of the American Staffing Association. He can be reached at Aaron.Green@psgstaffing.com or (617) 250-1000.
Massachusetts Unemployment Rate Remains Steady in June
The Massachusetts unemployment rate remained at 7.6 percent in June, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Both the unemployment rate and the number of unemployed residents are at their lowest level since February of 2009. Read more here.
Unemployment Rises to 9.2 Percent
Yesterday’s report that weekly jobless claims were lower than expected and the number of private sector jobs added to the economy in May was higher than expected is countered by today’s disappointing news on the June unemployment rate. Only 18,000 jobs were added to the economy in June, the fewest number added in 9 months and the national unemployment rate rose to 9.2 percent.
Read more here.
Charitable Giving at Work
Epic flooding, wildfires, hurricanes, tsunamis, wars, a nuclear meltdown. Combined with ongoing need and the increased demands felt during our economy’s last recession, it seems there have never been more opportunities to support those in need. Because there is power in numbers, workplace philanthropy is an effective way to support others in need.
According to a study commissioned by the United Way Worldwide, just over one-third of full-time employees work at a company offering some type of workplace giving campaign. Almost one-quarter of employees with a workplace campaign were asked to give to more than one cause during the year and 54 percent of those asked to give to a workplace campaign donated.
Workplace giving campaigns offer benefits to the office as well:
- Workplace giving campaigns can improve employee engagement by instilling a sense of pride toward their employer, a sense of accomplishment for making a difference, and a greater connection to co-workers
- Studies also show that if employees are philanthropic through their work, they are more likely to recommend their employer
- The newest generation of workers takes a company’s charitable efforts very seriously. According to a USA Today article, “61 percent of people aged 13-25 feel personally responsible for making a difference in the world.” Additionally, “69 percent consider a company’s social and environmental commitment when deciding where to shop, and 83 percent will trust a company more if it is socially/environmentally responsible.” Most importantly, 79% said they “want to work for a company that cares about how it affects or contributes to society.”
- Giving campaigns can be part of branding and marketing efforts if the campaign is linked to the company’s mission or industry, e.g. a building supply company that donates to construction repair efforts
However, workplace giving campaigns can backfire if employees feel pressure to participate or feel that the effort is not a company-wide one, i.e. senior management does not participate. Asking employees to give above and beyond their job responsibilities can be a delicate task and should be handled sensitively. It’s also important to establish a company-wide policy — how extensive and formal the policy is depends on the organization.
When determining how to set up a workplace giving campaign or set policy, here are a few recommendations:
- Look for innovative giving campaigns that can advance your company’s broader corporate responsibility goals and strategies. Seek philanthropic partners who understand and work with the company’s commitment to support brand strategy while providing value to employees and consumers beyond the dollars they raise.
- Utilize technology to reduce the resources and time needed to run a campaign while expanding the options for sharing campaign information.
- Support causes that resonate with your employees; they’ll be more enthusiastic if they’re working for a cause they believe in or have a hand in choosing to support
- Have senior leadership set the tone and demonstrate involvement
- Understand that workplace giving is a long-term commitment. If a giving campaign isn’t successful or doesn’t seem to resonate with employees, shift tactics and learn from the experience to establish a new campaign that is successful.
Aaron Green is founder and president of Boston-based Professional Staffing Group and PSG Global Solutions. He is also the vice chairman of the American Staffing Association. He can be reached at Aaron.Green@psgstaffing.com or (617) 250-1000.
Ask A Recruiter: How to Resign Professionally
Q: I found another job and will be leaving my job; what’s the best way to tell my employer?
A: When resigning from one job and transitioning to another it’s important to stay professional and consider the impression you’re leaving. You may have spent years building a positive reputation and there are many business and maybe personal reasons why you do not want to tarnish that reputation in the last two weeks. Here is some general advice:
- Announcing your resignation – Your boss should be the first person you tell at work; resist the temptation (if any) to tell co-workers or friends; and while it might not be inappropriate to tell an HR person, the professional way to do it is to tell your boss. It’s typically best to resign both in-person and in writing and the way to do that is to prepare a letter and then deliver it to your boss in person. Keep the letter short, simple and positive. It should include the effective date of your resignation and an offer to stay on for a period of transition (typically two weeks). In the letter you should also thank your boss and the company for the opportunity they gave you.
- Keep it positive and remember that less is more — refrain from offering criticism (however constructive you think it will be or however sincerely it is asked for). Also don’t talk at length about your new job and how wonderful it is, it is likely to come off as a criticism of your current employer. You don’t need to explain or justify your personal goals and decisions and try not to react to those who take your decision to leave personally.
- Anticipate a counter-offer – It is helpful to think about this in advance. A counter-offer is your current employer’s way of trying to keep you, usually by offering more money or a promotion, in response to the announcement of your intention to leave. Take note that the vast majority of people who accept counter-offers are no longer working at the same company 6-12 months later; so threating to quit is not a great long term strategy to career satisfaction. If you don’t really want to leave, don’t resign – try to address your issues in other ways. If you do get a counter-offer, while it is flattering to hear what they are offering, don’t lead the company on – if you intend to leave, tell them that fact and don’t make them grovel only to ultimately tell them “no.”
- Prepare to transition – Whether you know who will be taking your place when you leave or not, it’s a good idea to make sure everything is in order and to make it as easy as possible for others to take over your work when you’re gone. This can range from creating a file with status on all unfinished projects to setting up notices and new contact information for online accounts (like email) to offering to field queries after you’ve left.
- Keep the same work habits – Continue to work your normally scheduled hours. Don’t come in late, leave early, or take long lunches. Even if your workload is diminished find a way to remain focused on productive work.
It would be easy enough to get away with not taking my suggestions. It may even be likely that there are no immediate negative consequences to handling your resignation and notice period “all wrong.” I make these suggestions not based on my value judgment of what is polite or right, rather I make these suggestions as I believe they are in your best interest. You just never know where your career will lead, and/or where the careers of the people you leave behind will lead. Your paths my cross again and it will help if your positive reputation remained in tact.
About the Recruiter
Greg Menzone is a 10-year veteran of the staffing industry who has made hundreds of successful placements. Greg and the team he manages specialize in direct hire placement of accounting and finance professionals.
PSG Named One of Largest Temporary Staffing Firms
PSG is proud to be named to the Boston Business Journal’s list of the area’s largest temporary placement firms. This year, PSG was ranked as the second largest staffing firm in the Boston area, up from #5 on the list last year.
Professional Staffing Group 