End of the Year Data

Making up for lost time and articles and catching you up on the happenings of 2007...

CNNMoney and Fortune write that jobless claims are higher than analyst forecasts: click here

Also from CNNMoney and Fortune is word that the writer's strike has been crippling small business: click here

Next, from MSNBC, courtesy of the Associated Press, word that health insurance has jumped twice past inflation: click here

Lastly, the Christian Science Monitor, word that ethical infractions are back to pre-Enron levels: click here

Back from the Holidays

Sorry about the layoff...but we're back with a lot of articles for you:

First, from the Tennessean, advice (which may be a bit belated) on how to survive the office party: click here

From Federal Computer Week, word that the USPS is consolidating their Human Resource system: click here

Next, from HR Daily Adviser Business and Legal Report, an article about laughing your way to wellness: click here

Also from HR.BLR, an advice column that tells you the things to never put into a job description: click here

From the Fresno Bee, tips for the HR personnel in the hot seat of the witness box: click here

Lastly, eight signs from Computer World that it's time to look for a new job: click here

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Talking About the Past

Diversity Inc. ends our recent theme about leaving jobs with some advice about how to answer the interview question of "why did you leave that last job"? click here

Next, Human Resource Executive Online has a review of what happened in the year 2007 in the world of Human Resources: click here

We also have an article from Smart Money that Facebook profiles can spoil job searches for some people when HR professionals do background checks (a past Astronology topic): click here

The New Jersey Star-Ledger says that staffing during the holidays can often be a slippery slope: click here

Lastly, from Spousebuzz.com, word that changes are coming for military pay systems: click here

Two Weeks Notice?

No, we're not talking about the Sandra Bullock/Hugh Grant movie: click here

But like the movie, it can also be a bad idea although it seemed so good in your head (this author has never seen the movie, but can just imagine...and the Roeper of Ebert & Roeper says "This thing works on no level whatsoever for me." That doesn't seem like too good of a review...)

Anyways...Two Weeks Notice is the general way of quitting in many businesses, but there can be times it's a really bad idea...

This article in the Wisconsin Technology Network says that two weeks notice went out of style with nickel beers: click here

This Monster.com article asks what happens when you give two weeks notice and the employer tells you that two weeks is too many?: click here

HRMagazine says to make sure that the way your company treats departing workers is good for business and for those remaining: click here

This Yahoo! Question asks what are the ramifications of releasing someone before the two weeks are up: click here

How to Say Good-bye

Although the temptation may be out there to leave a job like Tom Cruise's character famously did in Jerry Maguire, the key is to say good-bye in the right way.

Even though you may have felt wrong or slighted or have all the reason in the world to tell your old boss off, don't do it. Similarly, if you're an HR professional, an employee leaving may feel like the right time to tell them how you REALLY feel about them; don't do it.

If you feel you have something appropriate and constructive to get off your chest, by all means do it, but do it in a good, respectful way. Even if it's very, very far from it, make it seem like it was your problem instead of the other person's. And by all means, if you're going to go out there and tell someone off, try not to drag anyone else under the bus.

Employment Search Guide says that when leaving a job, do not burn bridges: click here

The Boston Globe (with credit to Monster.com) answers in this Q&A that how you leave the old job is as key as finding the new one: click here

More on this to follow....

Strike 3

The Baseball Analogy is key today on the day of the Mitchell Report release which tells you not to turn a blind eye on bad things going on within your organization....

First, on our strike theme, the Christian Science Monitor has an article about France and Germany swapping Strike Tactics: click here

Also from CS Monitor, word that workplace attitudes are changing to include more "face time": click here

Lastly, from Systematic HR, a resource for recruiters and applicants alike: a recruiting cheat sheet: click here

Leaving a Job

We'll be doing a few articles this week about leaving a job...

The first is about when to leave? Is it worth working to the last possible second? Is it good to get a little vacation time in there before you start? When should you give your notice? About.com gives some advice about resigning from your job: click here

But the key is to understand that you probably won't be able to take off time right when you start your new job so if you elect for time now vs. waiting until the last second, you may want to aim for resigning sooner.

Evil HR Lady gives some advice in this article: click here

The key, she says, is to quit when you have another job lined up. The key is definitely to have a job lined up, but if you are truly miserable, let your superior know that...there may be a way to solve that within your own organization through a move within the organization or maybe a changing of responsibilities or maybe being able to talk to someone about the problems you are having with them.

The HR Capitalist has some advice about when and how to have someone leave once they resign: click here

More coming in the next post....

Small Biz Healthcare Reform

First, from CNNMoney and Fortune Small Business, word that the Senate is considering small business healthcare reform: click here

From Business Week, an article about Asia's hunger for management talent: click here

Lastly, from the Wall Street Journal's CollegeJournal, a column in their On The Job section of when performance reviews don't meet potential: click here

It's Holiday Time

Happy Holidays to everyone (Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, Bodhi Day, Winter Solstice, Festivus, and whatever other holiday you celebrate)...

In the spirit of the holidays, we have an article starting you off from the New York Times about the office party being a tightrope walk: click here

The Associated Press on Google News has word on the government revising rules on illegal immigrants and the employers that get penalized: click here

CNNMoney has a report on the economy that says that jobless claims have dipped and indicators have shown slow growth: click here

The Vault Blog has advice for both sides when an interviewee is rejected: click here

From HR Matters and HR Answers an article about health obligations under the FMLA: click here

Also, from the same source, a Q&A about pregnancy leave when not covered by the FMLA: click here

Happy Holidays...you're fired!

The Washington Post reports that amazingly 200,000 Pentagon employees may be fired just in time for the holiday season: click here

The New York Times Career Couch talks about hobbies being rich in psychic rewards as well as a few other topics in this Q&A: click here

Lastly for our Wednesday, Human Resource Executive Online has an article titled "HR On Trial": click here

De Paris

Women and Minorities Targeted to Fill Executive Suites, According to International Executive Search Organization

Industry Experts Recently Met in Paris to Discuss the Anticipated Executive Shortfall Crisis Throughout the World Due to Baby Boomer Retirement

PARIS – Women and minorities are the coveted demographic for executive search firms throughout the world to help meet the critical talent shortage at the top due to Baby Boomer retirement, according to industry experts who recently met in Paris to discuss this burgeoning issue.

More than 50 delegates from IMD International Search and Consulting, an organization of boutique executive search firms with locations in 25 countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia, gathered for a biannual conference in Paris in late November, where they discussed the phenomenon.

“In terms of age, origins, gender… there is a need to open the doors to new profiles and how organizations will manage to deal with the problem,” said Albert Hiribarrondo, chairman of the IMD International board, representative from France and managing partner of Sirca/IMD.

As the critical talent shortage worsens and nearly 80 million Baby Boomers in North America alone enter their retirement years, executive search leaders from throughout the world discussed the pressing question: Who will take their place in the executive suite?

“We must find ways to bring more women and minorities into management ranks, mentor them and give them the ability to then rise in upper management positions. Again, 30 percent of the current executive suite will be retiring within five years, it is a huge percentage, and we don't have anyone replacing them,” said Thomas Fuller, one of IMD International’s seven board partners, director of the Americas and general managing partner of Epsen Fuller/IMD based in New York.

The Paris conference included a dual celebration and gala dinner in honor of IMD International’s 35th anniversary and the 30^th anniversary of the host firm, Paris-based Sirca/IMD.

The critical demand for senior level executives led these industry thought leaders to meet and discuss how the corporate world will deal with changing demographics, organizational transformation, talent acquisition and diversity in the executive suite.

“To win the talent war we need to explore targets previously untapped. One of the largest targets is the female in management. Only two percent of the CEOs in the UK are female,” said Sherilyn Shackell, CEO of Highfield Human Solutions/IMD of the UK, and IMD Board partner.

“There must be an evolution in minds, in families and in society. Mothers must educate their daughters and tell them that things are open for them. The first step is the awareness that things have to change in order to tap into this phenomenal potential. My daughters grow up with this belief that they can behave the way men do, expect what they do, and be just as influential,” Shackell added.

Just 10 of the CEOs among the Fortune 500 companies were women in 2006, and only 20 Fortune 1000 companies had women as their leaders.

“Japan is notorious for not promoting ladies,” said Katsusuke Yokota, executive managing director of Human Associates in Japan. “Nevertheless, more talented women are now joining international companies that treat them more and more equally.”

While the lack of women at the top was echoed by the IMD partners from Italy, Japan, Korea and Germany, others said the trend seems to be moving toward more females in the executive suites in Spain, Denmark and Mexico. In Finland, the numbers are equal.

“In Finland women are considered as equal. Lots of money is put into the education system, in society it is normal that men help at home, but we still don't have enough women at top management positions, maybe because women are different in their behavior, they are not into competition as much as men, a female network is mostly composed of females,” said Mimma Silvennoinen, managing partner of IMS Talent in Finland.

At the Paris conference, IMD International announced the launch of a new global survey, “The Changing Face at the Top,” which will be released at its spring 2008 conference in New York as a follow up to its 2005 survey, “Mobility of Managers.” The survey will poll senior executives from the global 1,000 companies.

The baby boom generation is generally defined as the population born between 1946 and 1964. Employees in this demographic group range in age from 43 to 61, and are expected to begin leaving the workforce in 2008, as the first wave of boomers turn 62.

Paris was selected for the conference because IMD International’s Paris office, Sirca, is celebrating its 30^th anniversary and because of the city’s location at the center of Europe, where growth due to a robust economy is forcing corporations to confront the challenge of attracting talent to the executive ranks in the face of the world’s fast-changing demographics.

U.S. CONTACT: PARIS CONTACT:

Rosa Cirianni Estelle Carrere

rosa.cirianni@beckermanpr.com ecarrere@sirca.fr

(908) 781-6420 +33 1 44 55 33 55

Embracing HR Executives

Human Resource Executive Online starts us off with an article about embracing HR: click here

Human Resource Executive Online then has an article about the most admired companies for HR: click here

Lastly, following our strike theme, the Washington Post has word that Jay Leno will pay the salaries of the laid-off workers: click here

Welcome to December

We're in our last month of December but we're not slowing down with our blog articles...

First, on our theme of the recent strikes, word from the Washington Post that the democrats have canceled a debate over fear of the writer's strike: click here

Next, from the Kansas City Star, some advice about the difficult task of testifying: click here

Lastly, from the Franchise Business Opportunities weblog, word about HR for franchises: click here