Archive for November, 2010
Executive Hiring Up; Passing Responsibility Down
Posted by: | Comments‘C’ you soon! That’s right, the C-suite is set for a comeback. Recent benchmark data shows positive trends for executive hiring. ExecNet’s Executive Job Creation Index (EJCI) showed the rate of employers adding executive jobs in the next six months outpaced those planning to eliminate or postpone filling top roles. And Boyden Executive Outlook has revealed increases in upper management hiring in several major industries.
In the meantime, current CEOs are hanging on to their seats. According to the latest report on CEO turnover by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., the pace of CEO departures in 2010 is virtually even with 2009.
Yet before we get too caught up in retaining, increasing or adding to C-level talent, we would all benefit from asking a much more basic question first: what should top execs be good at doing, anyway?
What does a CEO do? Read More→
New Hires Start on Friday…..That’s The Rule!
Posted by: | Comments
At CityMax.com, a build-your-own-website service headquartered in Vancouver, new employees always start on Fridays, not Mondays as most companies do. This is a cool idea that makes sense. Work is less hectic, everyone is in good spirits, and most are ready for the weekend. Friday is a good time to make introductions and allows new hires to get down to business the following Monday.
Does this practice make payroll and benefits a little more complicated? Maybe. New hires arriving at the start of a new pay period is nice and clean, but that’s not what’s most important. A positive first day experience is what matters.
CityMax.com also welcomes each new employee with balloons, streamers and a greeting card signed by the entire staff. Their staff even includes two Directors of Greeting (DOGs) named Jack and Farley.
By lunchtime, “the comfort level is through the roof,” says co-founder and president Dean Gagnon. That’s when new hires are asked to relate an embarrassing story about themselves to the group. “It gives everyone insight into the new person,” say Gagnon. Read More→
Recovery Demands Rethinking the Org Chart
Posted by: | CommentsWe hear a lot about down-sizing, right-sizing and restructuring these days. In order to meet twenty-first century demands, it seems we need to re-imagine and reorganize everything from the way we produce energy to the way we manage personal networks of friends.
The article Thinking HR in Good Times warns that many companies must evolve their organizational structures if they are going to succeed in the hypercompetitive environments we are in today and will remain in the future. Those firms, tied to organizational structures that no longer make sense, are going to wobble in the recovery.
In short, the same old, same old isn’t going to work. Read More→
Social Media: The Next Mid-Life Crisis?
Posted by: | CommentsIn the past, we countered a mid-life crisis by buying a new sports car, changing a hairstyle or making-over our wardrobes. (When I turned 36 I just had to have a Ferrari – so I bought one!) Successful in our careers and young at heart, we were determined to enjoy the best of both worlds: the wisdom of experience and the adventurous, sometimes reckless spirit of youth. Could modern times cause us to take more drastic measures when reinventing our identities- mid life or mid career?
Google boss, Eric Schmidt, thinks so. He recently warned that one day people may need to change their names to escape their previous online activity. That means when you’re ready to take the next step in your career-to accelerate towards peak earning power and position-the online behavior of your younger years could come back to bite you in the butt! Read More→
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
SlideShare
FourSquare
Youtube