BlogWorx

What Comes First? The Cost or The Customer?

 Earlier this week I had an infuriating experience. An offshore customer service rep, working for a global Fortune 500 financial services firm, contacted my vendors to verify some financial information. In call after call, he mispronounced the name of my company during his inquiries. To make a long story short, his broken English created a Read more »

MadMen on Management: What to do when your boss feels threatened by you

Do you watch MadMen? I’m obsessed … especially by the portrayal of office politics at the fictional ad agency of Sterling Cooper Draper Price. Have you noticed that much has changed since 1966, yet so much remains the same? Case and point: Managers feel threatened by their direct reports. Last Sunday Night’s “Dark Shadows” episode Read more »

NETWORKING CARDS: AN EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE

The most vital weapon in your networking arsenal is your business card. Without it, your new contacts and connections have no way of continuing their initial conversation with you. But sometimes your current card may not be appropriate. For example, if you are planning a significant change of career direction, or if you would rather Read more »

When is it OK to Say, “Take This Job and Shove It?”

A JetBlue flight attendant did it. After an altercation with an abusive passenger, he ranted his resignation over the plane’s PA system. Once safely landed, the flight attendant grabbed a beer and made an unforgettable departure by deploying and then disembarking via the emergency slide. A Goldman Sachs executive did it. He quit over the Read more »

Was it the Winter of Your Discontent? (Fear Not, Hope Springs Eternal…

Time ticks by. The first few years at your job were exciting. Last summer and into the fall, things at the office were going fairly well. But as the days grew shorter and the chill set in, work became a drag. Projects stagnated. Objectives changed. Your frustration grew…and grew! Soon, you came to realize that: Read more »

3 THINGS YOU MUST SAY WHEN TURNING DOWN A JOB OFFER

Yes, you read right. Turning Down a Job Offer. Even as unemployment statistics continue to hover at a dreadful 8.3%, there are job hunters who, at this very minute, are struggling with this so-called “dilemma”. Perhaps they applied for several jobs and received more than one offer. Or maybe they learned something about the prospective Read more »

Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day, March 2, 2012

    According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the Number 1 reason people leave their jobs is because they don’t feel appreciated. A Gallup poll of over 4 million employees shows that regular recognition and praise increase company loyalty, productivity and even safety. In Inc. Magazine’s recent article, 9 things that Motivate Employees More Read more »

EPIC FAIL: An HR Process turns into an HR Nightmare

Here’s one of the worst HR stories I’ve heard in a while. And it happened to a friend. Let’s call him Jerry. Jerry works for a global financial firm. A large portion of his compensation is in the form of a bonus. This bonus is, in part, determined by the performance review he is given Read more »

Temp Your Way to your Dream Job: 5 Smart Strategies for Success

  Security?  The concept of job security is eroding quickly in this country. Frankly, “permanent” jobs are becoming a delusion. According to the Washington Post, more than a quarter of people who have found jobs since the recession ended have landed in temporary positions. This is a dramatic and unprecedented shift in the work place.   Read more »

HOW TO BE AN UNFORGETTABLE JOB CANDIDATE: 8 TERRIFIC TACTICS

Standing out. Getting noticed. Being recognized and remembered. It all comes down to how we brand ourselves. So much has been written about this subject yet so little has been implemented in the job hunting arena. Recently, someone asked me how successful job seekers set themselves apart. I thought back on my 15+ years in Read more »

Supercharge Your Job Search and Get Results with References Done Right

Last month, a potentially great job candidate lost out on an excellent opportunity–his poor choice of references sunk him.  Although his resume was written perfectly, his skill-set fit the job he was applying for, his phone interview was very successful and the client was anxious to meet him in person, one vital phone call derailed Read more »

7 Smart Moves Everyone Should Make

As we look hopefully toward better things in 2012, let’s not forget the old, wise adage, “Expect the best, plan for the worst and prepare to be surprised.” People, especially Americans, are generally optimistic by nature. We live in the moment, not imagining how our lives and lifestyles can change in an instant. Many continue Read more »

6 ESSENTIALS FOR MAKING THE BACK-TO-WORK TRANSITION EASIER AND MORE SUCCESSFUL.

Last Saturday night, I spent a quiet New Year’s Eve at a friend’s house with 6 other families. The kids hung out, the men settled in for a few rounds of poker and the ladies gathered around the kitchen island for some catching-up. Our small talk quickly turned into a lengthy chat about the trials Read more »

Mastering the Fine Art of Thank You

There is no better time of the year to contemplate the graciousness of saying “Thanks”  then at the holiday season. It is a time to reflect on the previous year’s experiences and accomplishments, and to remember those who helped you meet and achieve them. It’s a fact: Saying “Thank You” in a memorable way makes Read more »

The Eternally Open Requisition: Top 6 Regrets of the Under-Staffed

So, it happened again. You lost the best candidate to the competition. You believed that you and your fellow decision-makers were being thorough. Vetting meticulously. And explaining the role clearly. You assumed that the candidate would wait for your return phone call and then jump at the opportunity, once offered. You thought wrong… Everyday, I Read more »

SPEED NETWORKING GOES TO WORK

You’ve probably heard the term speed networking and assumed that it’s similar to speed dating. Well, it is. And it isn’t. First, the similarities: Like speed dating, speed networking follows the round-robin approach to connecting with others. In both cases, people gather in a large meeting area (maybe a restaurant, conference hall or catering facility) Read more »

Shopping for Bargains or Searching for Jobs: Quick Tips to Survive Both!

As I sat on my sofa on Friday, watching the news coverage of the chaos at shopping malls across the country, it struck me that those throngs of holiday shoppers had much in common with many of the millions of today’s unemployed. Think about it: thousands upon thousands of stressed out, frustrated people –many with Read more »

BAD BEHAVIOR: Do you turn a blind eye or blow a whistle?

From the US Presidency to Congress … From Penn State to the Catholic Church … From Enron to Haliburton… all of these powerful institutions and businesses have allegedly attempted to cover up shady practices, incompetence, gross misconduct and other shenanigans. Most disturbing, these unacceptable activities continued unabated while employees, members and/or leaders had knowledge of Read more »

Today’s Children are Tomorrow’s Workforce: A Perspective in Parenting

I recently took a short break from an otherwise hectic business day to attend a “Lunch and Learn” seminar with a local working mother’s group. The discussion centered around Parenting For Busy Professionals. The conversation took on a life of its own and before long it morphed into a discussion about my favorite subject: The Read more »

No Money? No Promotions? No Problem! 5 Tips to Keep Your Key People in Place During Difficult Times

“…and then he just said it… ‘I’m giving my 2-weeks notice…’. It was like having the wind knocked out of me. I was losing the best player on my team and there was nothing I could do! My company recently placed a freeze on all promotions and pay raises. I had nothing to offer. No Read more »

Do Your Job Candidates Possess the “X-Factor”? Don’t Dismiss That Feeling in your Gut!

A colleague friend and I grabbed a bite for lunch today. Our conversation, as usual, turned to the trials and tribulations of hiring in today’s job market. We shared war stories, funny anecdotes and pondered some of the more philosophical questions surrounding the search process. And we talked about one of our favorite TV shows, Read more »

Picking a Team: Career Insight from a Soccer Mom

This Fall, my soccer-loving son is playing on two different teams. One is a fairly competitive, local travel team , the other is a highly competitive, regional club team. Needless to say, soccer has taken center stage in our lives, creating a ridiculously busy and disruptive schedule of practices, games and travel. “Quitting” has never Read more »

Lighten-Up: 4 Smart Solutions for Having More Fun at Work

It seems like every employment-related blog or article I read these days features a troubling statistic: everything from under-appreciated workers to low workplace morale to increasing workloads has been measured and reported. When I sat down to write this blog, I was determined to lighten things up. Here goes… THE LIGHTEN-UP CAMPAIGN Simply stated, a Read more »

6 reasons why older, out-of-work workers are good for your business!

One of the most troubling unemployment figures released over the past few months has been the jobless rate for those 55 and older, which has doubled since the recession began, to 6.8 percent. That’s more than 2 million folks who are struggling to make ends meet, many of whom once had high-paying jobs.  Last fall, Read more »

Crash the Gate with a Killer Resume: 7 Timely Tips

 It’s no secret. These days there’s an incredible amount of frustration amongst the unemployed. One of the most common complaints I hear …  “ I send out dozens of resumes every week for jobs I am perfectly qualified for, and don’t hear back from any of the companies I apply to…”  Obviously, today’s job market Read more »

Lessons Learned: Hurricane Irene and Today’s Job Market

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, I ponder all of the lessons I’ve learn from this — and other, similar experiences, It has become clear to me that life is full of potential threats and it’s how we deal with them that really defines us. Like living through a dangerous storm, today’s work force is Read more »

Emails That Work

 This blog post concept developed as a result of a rather enlightening experience I had recently. Here’s the story …  Several weeks ago, I reached out to a prospective client by email. After a week or so, I sent a follow-up email to see if he had read my initial proposal, since he had never Read more »

Balancing Life and Work: It is all About Working Smarter!

In this time of job uncertainty and doing more with less, there is once again a lot of chatter about work-life balance. What does it mean and how can we achieve it? Let’s explore! Balance is simply the sense that all of the parts of your life (work, home, finance, health) form a harmonious whole. Read more »

Recent College Grads: Does Your Alma Mater Matter?

I recently met a very bright, personable and eager Yale graduate who was desperate for a chance to prove herself at a new, entry level opportunity. I was shocked that  she’s had no luck with her job search. She seemed the picture-perfect young candidate. She had concerns that ivy leaguers were stigmatized; perceived as something Read more »

In Transition or Unemployed? Let’s Call a Spade a Spade

 Maria Schriver is “in transition”. Chaz Bono is “in transition”. Even tadpoles are “in transition”. But the 13.9 million Americans currently unemployed — are they “in transition”, too? Lately, I’ve been seeing these words on far too many resumes and wondering: Could “in transition” be the most overused words in the business lexicon today? A Read more »

Attention Workforce: Appearance Matters

Have you ever notice that the roles of high powered executives and successful business leaders are almost always depicted by tall and strikingly attractive actors, both in the movies and on TV? Well, a slew of recent studies and surveys prove that a pleasant personal appearance does in fact directly correlate to success. Hollywood, it Read more »

Networking Karma

Networking. What’s it all about? Growing your business? Making your sales quotas? Expanding your fundraising efforts? Finding your next job?  Actually, no. Networking is not about YOU or YOUR goals. Networking is about Karma. It’s about giving and then getting back what you give. The most successful networkers look at each connection as an opportunity Read more »

Recruiters and Hiring Managers on the Front Line.

Smart recruiters understand the value of marketing. In fact, much of their time is spent “selling” their company by crafting compelling job posts and targeting the distribution of those posts, developing a unique employment brand to promote their workplace and company’s mission statement, and the like. But lately I’ve been wondering: Do recruiters (and their Read more »

Too Slow to Hire

Today, the hiring process seems slower than ever. Strange indeed, given the massive unemployment figures, not to mention the huge number of employed folks who are currently searching for better opportunities.  In addition to 8.7% of the workforce that is unemployed, CareerBuilders  estimates that more than 80% of employed workers will search for another job opportunity Read more »

Outsource Sourcing

As the economy changes, corporate leaders must find smart ways to drive profitability and growth. Today, many firms are outsourcing manpower acquisition and other HR functions to third party providers who often execute remotely. More and more frequently, we hear of these cost-cutting measures — offshore “recruiting specialists” taking on the critical functions of sourcing Read more »

Unemployment Discrimination

NJ Governor Chris Christie recently signed legislation making it illegal for hiring companies in NJ to discriminate against the unemployed. Basically, the law makes it illegal for an employer to state — in print or online — that out of work candidates would not be considered for an open position. Employers who violate the law Read more »

Blah. Blah. Blah. BLOG!

Finally, we can shares our rants, raves and our irreverent perspective on all things “staffing”, in a place where others can join the conversation. We’re Sondra and Gail and we’re co-authoring our first post so we can introduce ourselves and say “Welcome.” If you look up on the sidebar, you’ll see our photos and learn Read more »