Latest employment news and Tips for job seekers

The Staffing View
On business, the workplace and employee relations




Watch Employment at Staffing Firms For Signs of a Jobs Recovery
Last month's rally in the stock market prompted many hopeful commentators to declare that the recession was nearing an end The stock market is considered a leading indicator by many and the buying suggests investors believe we're nearing a bottom We'll keep our fingers crossed as we follow another leading indicator - employee staffing




According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, temporary help services jobs slipped to 173 million in June, down from 177 million in May, marking 18 consecutive months in which employment at temporary help services firms has declined In December of 2006 the sector peaked at 267 million




But the worst is likely over From November through April the industry suffered an average monthly loss of 72,900 temporary help services jobs From March through June, however, that average was down to 39,225 And for May and June, two months in which the figures are still preliminary, the average loss was 22,850




Those recent numbers bring the temporary help sector back in line with the slow slide that was occurring before the financial crisis and the stock market crash of last fall And they offer some hope for a change because of a new study recently released by the American Staffing Association (ASA) on the reliability of temporary help as a leading indicator




The ASA commissioned the consulting firm Inavero Institute for Service Research to analyze data dating back to 1972 to understand the link between employment among temporary staffing firms and economic trends The study covered 148 quarters and more than five recessions The results showed that a sustained upturn in temporary and contract staffing employment would signal the end of the current recession It also showed that total non-farm employment would begin to grow about three months later




That upturn has yet to occur, obviously, and at the earliest hiring won't turn positive until the fall at the earliest There are also other lagging indicators that are still discouraging The unemployment rate reached a 26-year high of 95 percent in June, for example, and is expected to eventually top 10 percent But conditions need to stop getting worse before they can get better and for temporary employment, that part of the recovery is already underway




Firms Plan to Restore Only Some Jobs and Salary Cuts After Recession
Eventually the economy will recover, but don't look for employers to return to business as usual with their staffing or their compensation According to a new study by the consulting firm Watson Wyatt, a majority of employers surveyed plan to reverse some of the changes they've made during the economic crisis, but not all of them




In a poll conducted last June, about 62 percent of employers who instituted hiring freezes and 69 percent of those who froze salary levels said they would end those edicts by June of 2010, if the economy continues to show some positive signs Among those that have reduced their employer matches to 401(k) and 403(b) programs, 48 percent said they would reinstate those contributions within 12 months




But the 179 employers who responded to the survey also said those rollbacks won't be total Only 60 percent of employers who reduced salaries expect to reverse those reductions, while 20 percent plan to maintain them




As for staffing, slightly more than half of the respondents said their staff sizes will actually decrease from pre-recession levels, yet they still expect difficulties in finding and keeping skilled employees at their firms More than 80 percent of companies that plan to reverse their hiring freezes will do so only partially




If that's the case career building will remain challenging Consider some of these tactics to keep moving forward


Continue to upgrade your skills Professional education never stops Attend workshops offered by your employer and look for seminars or courses outside that will enhance your skills If your company still offers tuition assistance, take advantage
>br>


Connect your work to results The stronger the connection you can make between your efforts and positive results for the company in terms of sales, savings, productivity or other important benchmarks, the better




Keep developing your network Strong professional relationships take time to foster, but they can be very valuable when you need them Grow your business contacts as the economy improves by joining associations and social networks, or by volunteering for non-profit boards or community programs When the next recession comes about you'll be prepared should your job be cut




Answer Those Interview Questions Before You Get Asked
Employers who are hiring new employees want people who are results-oriented They want to add people to their staff who can be given a task and complete it successfully That's why it makes sense to include your accomplishments in prior jobs on your resume or on any social networking profiles




Yet when you get to that interview you might still face a hypothetical question from a hiring manager to determine how you'd perform in a given situation "How would you solve (name a problem)," they might ask But rather than wait for the interview, get ahead of the question by posting an answer on your web site Obviously you don't know what you'll be asked in the interview, but you can still create a page in which you write about challenges you've faced on the job Lay out the particulars of the problem, your options and generally how you came up with a solution that was a benefit to your employer




Here are some tips to help put your page together




Think about three successful episodes you've had in your past work There's an old saying that three of anything makes a trend Demonstrate that the trend in your career has been one of clearing hurdles as they've arisen You may have 10 stories you could tell, but pick out the best three and tell them well




Intro Paragraph Put a one-paragraph summary at the top of the page that explains what the following three stories are about Write that they're intended to show the types of situations you've encountered in your career and how they qualify you to be a senior engineer, sales manager or whatever the next rung is on your career ladder




What's the message of each story? It's not that you're a fixer You've made that point in your Intro Paragraph Rather, through three anecdotal stories you want the reader to understand that you have depth of knowledge that comes with experience; that you tackle problems creatively; and that you can be decisive when implementing your solution




Don't ramble Internet readers prefer short articles to long stories People search for information and when they find it they want it quickly Cover the ground you need to cover, but don't wander down Memory Lane and lose your audience Identify the main points of your story and stick to them




Quantify the outcomes Did your solution boost productivity? Did it open channels to a new client or generate additional business with an existing customer? Did it reduce employee absenteeism? Be concrete about the benefits




Twitter Tips



Okay, Twitter is the new hot social networking phenomenon You've read about it, seen news reports on television, probably visited it on line and possibly even "tweet" yourself It's basically microblogging, sending out messages no longer than 140 characters Will it be a flash in the pan? A craze no more lasting than hoola hoops or flag pole sitting? Time will tell For now the question is, can it help you find a job?




It could help There's no question Twitter provides another channel to reach out to people you know and others who are in similar fields or have similar interests




Suitable for nonscribes If you just can't get comfortable writing a blog as a way of sharing your expertise, sharing short bursts of text - your tweets - might be more suitable for you




About what? Tweet about yourTwelf Tweet your observations of industry happenings Make references to useful articles to demonstrate you're well read




A mini-elevator pitch If you can boil down what you do and why you should be hired to 140 characters, you'll make it very easy for some employer to remember you




Be tech savvy Use Twitter to direct readers to your website or your LinkedIn page Point them towards a video you've made, perhaps a podcast or some infographics about your career




Follow others On Twitter you can "follow" others who are posting Start tweeting and they may follow you Check out sites such as Twittersearch and Twazzup to find people writing on similar subjects




Ask for a job Write regularly, build a following and when you reach a critical mass tell the group you're looking for work as (fill in the blank) Your followers might be able to help