How to you market yourself in a job search Employers Free Choice Act is now here

 The Staffing View

On business, the workplace and employee relations

_April, 2009

Become a Recruiting Target

Develop Your Personal Marketing

To quote marketing guru Seth Goden in his book Meatball Sundae, “Every successful career and every successful organization has a foundation based on some business advantage” The question is, as you conduct your job search, what’s your advantage?

Whether you’d like to be a permanent employee or a temporary placement, in the current recession it helps to have a personal marketing plan to find the right job By that we mean identifying your business advantage in skills or experience, then making the right people aware of your advantage Consider yourself a business of one and your corporate mission is to make merely one sale – yourself to an employer Who are the “consumers” (employers) who would be interested in buying your product (you) and how can you appeal to them?

One advantage of the Internet is that you can produce your own useful marketing information and distribute it directly to the people who would be most interested In fact, marketing online is so affordable it’s ridiculous for you not to include it in your plan Use it as a way to create leads that go in to the top of your funnel, which you ultimately convert in to a sale (job) at the bottom

What are we talking about? Here’s a low-cost approach Determine the skill you have that sets you apart from others If a small advantage is the only one you can identify, then that’s the one you should leverage

Create a blog Does the thought make you groan? That’s understandable if you’re unfamiliar with technology or uncomfortable writing But it’s worth the effort to investigate The reality is that a new form of marketing has emerged on the Internet that can ultimately help you generate leads and create a sale Creating a free blog on Wordpress, Typepad, Blogger or other services takes moments But it will allow you an opportunity to write about that special skill that is your business advantage and create some leads

Once you start writing about your business advantage – topics can vary from experiences you’ve had to problems you can tackle – send an email around to friends, family and business contacts Make them aware of the blog and invite them to view Then join a social media site such as LinkedIn and Facebook and build a network of contacts Not just friends There are groups you can join on each site related to different professions or alumni associations When you’ve written a new blog, post a message with the group and invite them to read your thoughts

Marketing yourself on line shouldn’t be your only approach But it is a new and affordable way to connect with people, demonstrate your expertise, create some opportunities and – with luck – ultimately land a job

Employer Update: Employee Free Choice Act

Employers following the proposed Employee Free Choice Act in Congress will note that proponents for the measure suffered two setbacks last month One was the announcement by Sen Arlen Specter, R-Pa, that he would not support the bill That was a reversal of his earlier stated position Additionally, several high profile retailers proposed a third way to reform federal labor laws that was less pro-labor, but still of concern to employers

The Employee Free Choice Act, also called “card check,” was backed by President Obama when he as running for office It would make it easier for workers to unionize by giving them the option of holding an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) or a simple card check

Under present law, the NLRB will call for an election if 30 percent of employees in a work group sign union-interest cards A secret ballot election is held six weeks later, giving the employer and union organizers time to campaign for or against a union But under the Employee Free Choice Act the organizing rules would change If a majority of employees in a work group sign a union card, the union would become the official bargaining unit There would be no six-week campaign period for employers to argue against creating a union

The proposal has met strong resistance from employers, who say it will force them to give up control over the ways they manage their companies They also argue that removing the secret ballot will make it easer to intimidate workers who do not want to join a union Labor leaders say the proposal would help restore bargaining power to workers whose wages have fallen behind inflation in recent years They point out that since the 1950s, when more than a third of private-sector workers belonged to unions, membership has dropped to less than 8 percent today Coinciding with that decline has been a widening gap between the growth in wages and a rise in productivity

Specter’s announcement means that the bill’s backers are close to not having the support of 60 senators needed to avoid a filibuster Meanwhile Whole Foods, Starbucks and Costco have proposed a plan that leaves out the revised card check language, as well as mandatory arbitration But it proposes fixed election dates, which organizers have said would give employers less time to exert pressure and it improves unions' access to workers The compromise has not been endorsed by either side

Job or No Job the Recession Can Affect Your Health

In today’s struggling economy many people who hold secure jobs feel lucky to have a job But that doesn’t mean they aren’t feeling some affects of the recession Whether they are a permanent or temporary employee, the need to assume more responsibility on the job; concerns about their company’s prospects; and anxiety from watching colleagues being laid off can have a negative impact on their health

Fortunately, many employers recognize that fact and are responding A recent survey by Buck Consultants found that many firms are increasing their employee wellness communications and most expect wellness budget cuts will be no greater than other cutbacks They realize that those programs help employees cope with issues brought about by the economic downturn Buck Consultants is a human resource and benefits consulting firm

About 45 percent of respondents said they were increasing their wellness communications to remind employees of available services that can help with stress, depression or financial planning The survey also revealed that 19 percent of those queried were likely to increase spending on wellness Another 59 percent had not experienced budget changes, though many were concerned about the possible need to make cuts in the future Among those expecting cuts, however, 78 percent estimate they will be no larger than other corporate cutbacks

The benefits of wellness programs for employers and employees are many Employees are the most valuable assets to any company A wellness program helps reduce absenteeism, maintain productivity and lower health care costs for employers For employees, they provide a way to reduce health risks such as stress, unhealthy eating, lack of exercise or sleep, drinking or smoking

Buck’s survey was conducted in February at the 4th Annual Employer Health & Human Capital Congress in Washington, DC About 53 percent of the employers who responded said they have seen an increase in the use of wellness services by employees since the start of the financial crisis Only five percent have seen a decrease

Local Staffing Matters

Regrettably some of the country’s largest newspapers have closed, scaled down or are in jeopardy of folding In some cases corporations based in other states are making decisions that will affect longtime readers of newspapers in regions where they don’t live It has reminded us of the value of a locally owned and operated business Our company is based in our service area, managed by people who live in our community We know the local job scene We’re very familiar with the companies in this region and we’re focused on being the best in our market

 

Living the Dream

Highly paid Wall Street bankers may be feeling the public’s scorn, but there is another group of New Yorkers who are paid well and applauded at the same time Baseball returns this month and five of the seven most highly paid players in the game will have an “NY” on their cap this season

• Alex Rodriguez, Yankees, $275 mill


• CC Sabathia, Yankees, $23 mill


• Johan Santana, Mets, $22,9 mill


• Mark Teixeira, Yankees, $225 mill


• Manny Ramirez, Dodgers, $225 mill


• Miguel Cabrera, Tigers, $19 mill


• Derek Jeter, Yankees, $189 mill