The StratBlog

Want the Bosses Job?

2008-11-10T10:45:00.000-08:00

In an interesting Business Week article in the November 3rd issue, a poll by researcher Weber Shandwick show that 54% of employees say they have not heard anything from management about what impacts the financial crisis will have on their companies. About 70% say they would welcome that kind of feedback. Some 62% of those employees predict that their company would have trouble meeting its goals in the next year.

What is even more interesting was that another survey by Adecco found that 69% of 1,500 workers at all levels surveyed said they would refuse their bosses job if offered.

This is up from 54% in 2005.

Is this the economy or the increased workload for business leaders?

How to Avoid a Vampire Attack

2008-10-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

Take these easy to do steps for preventing a Vampire attack on Halloween this year...

1.) Garlic, garlic, garlic. Wear garlic and display it in your doorway.

2.) Stay outside during daylight hours. Sunlight will severely burn vampires.

3.) Wear a cross. Press the cross into the vampire's flesh to cause burning and scarring and drive the vampire away.

4.) Do not make eye contact.

5.) Carry a vile of holy water. Besides causing burning and scarring to the vampire, holy water will also glow or bubble in the presence of the undead.

6.) Carry a wooden stake. For most vampires, a wooden stake (made from an ash tree or a cross) driven through the heart causes death. The stake must be 2 to 2.5 feet long, with one end sharpened to a point and the other flat. Use a mallet to drive the stake in quickly.

Happy Halloween and Good Luck Against the Vampires!

3 Tips for Interviewing for That Next Job

2008-10-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

Do you really want to 'lock down' that interview? Follow these three tips and you will be well prepared to land the job of your dreams.

1.) Show up at least 15 min early to the interview.
2.) Come prepared; make sure you have done your research on the company for which you are interviewing.
3.) Ask questions. You're interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing you.

You're well on your way! Stay tuned for more helpful tips and advice!

Paycheck to Paycheck CareerBuilder Survey

2008-10-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

NEARLY HALF OF WORKERS LIVING PAYCHECK TO
PAYCHECK, FINDS CAREERBUILDER.COM SURVEY

25 percent of workers save nothing each month

Chicago, September 2008 – As the country continues to deal with the current
economic slowdown, workers are stretching their paychecks more than ever. Nearly half
of workers (47 percent) say they always or usually live paycheck to paycheck just to
make ends meet, up from 43 percent last year, according to a nationwide survey of over
7,192 workers by CareerBuilder.com. One-in-five (21 percent) workers with salaries of
$100,000 or more report they too live paycheck to paycheck.

Four-in-ten (42 percent) workers say they would need up to an additional $500 per
paycheck to live comfortably. Fourteen percent says they have to work more than one
job to keep up with monthly expenses.

Comparing gender, more female workers (54 percent) say they always or usually have to
live paycheck to paycheck, compared to males (41 percent). More men (77 percent) than
woman (72 percent) say they save some portion of their paycheck each month, while 70
percent of women claim to have a set budget, compared to 61 percent of men.

“Nearly two-thirds of workers say they have a set budget each pay period, although 19
percent admit to typically going over it,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of
human resources for CareerBuilder.com. “Just like in business, going over a budget can
have negative consequences on the bottom line. Workers who are facing challenges in
this area may want to reevaluate where their funds are being allocated, so they can
identify opportunities to reprioritize, recoup savings and lighten their financial burden.”

Myspace and Facebook Litigation Soon?

2008-09-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

Ran across an interesting point made by Nick Fishman on the outstanding HR/recruiting blog Cheezhead (http://www.cheezhead.com/) created by Joel Cheesman. I think he has a good point...

From Cheezhead:

"Many you have seen the recent CareerBuilder study which concluded that 1 in 5 employers is using Social Networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook as part of their employment background screening process.

While untested to date, we are going to see significant negligent hiring and discriminatory hiring practices claims arise from the use of these sites when making employment decisions.

Wait until the litigation starts. Trust me, it’s coming."

Next Recession?

2008-09-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

47 = The number of months after the start of the 2001 recession before employment matched its previous high.

(source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Considering we have entered into another recession in 2008, it could be a very competitive job market for those looking for employment for quite a while.

Highest Unemployment Since 2003

2008-09-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

The unemployment rate increased to 6.1% in August and payroll employment dropped by 84,000 jobs. This is the highest unemployment rate since September 2003.

More competition for less jobs, yikes.

Jobless Rate Continues to Climb

2008-08-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

This is a recent article from Reuters about the plight of the current US job market. While we are in the business of finding people jobs, this might indeed seem on the surface like good news, however as the economy goes so goes business and this indication does not bode well for the client side of things...

By Glenn Somerville

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. unemployment rate hit its highest level in four years during July as employers cut jobs for a seventh straight month, though less severely than predicted, a Labor Department report showed on Friday.

The jobless rate climbed to 5.7 percent from 5.5 percent in June as 51,000 jobs were eliminated in July, bringing losses for the year to 463,000. Economists had expected 75,000 jobs would be cut last month but had forecast the unemployment rate would rise only to 5.6 percent.

In a separate report, the Institute for Supply Management said manufacturing activity held steady in July and noted some moderation in inflation pressures. Its index of national factory activity slipped a bit to 50 from 50.2 in June -- with 50 being the dividing line between expansion and contraction.

"If you look at ISM and the unemployment number together, it suggests an economy that is, at best, stuck in neutral," said Subodh Kumar, chief investment strategist with Subodh Kumar & Associates in Toronto.

The entire article can be found here: http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed2/idUSN3133083420080801

As always if you are looking for a job or trying to find the next batch of employees, visit us at our website at www.stratstaff.net for information.

Colorado's Job Openings - It Could Be Worse...

2008-05-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

Just came across an interesting article in the Denver Business Journal (http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2008/05/19/daily19.html?f=et61&ana=e_du) about the number of jobs in the 3rd quarter of last year.

Here is the article in its entirety:

"Colorado gained more private-sector jobs than it lost in the third quarter of last year, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.

The state has reported job gains exceeded losses every quarter since the third quarter of 2006.

Colorado businesses added 148,053 jobs in the third quarter of 2007 from companies opening or expanding, while 144,857 jobs were lost from companies closing or contracting.

That leaves Colorado with a job gain of 3,196 for the quarter.

For the United States as a whole, the private sector lost 235,000 jobs in the third quarter, the first quarter of net job losses since the second quarter of 2003."

Well as a recruiting company headquartered in Denver, CO and with most of our clients currently in Colorado this is an optimistic indicator as we continue to head into 2008 and the prospects of a worsening economy. We here at StratStaff can be thankful we are in Denver and the economy and business is healthier here than in other places.

Just an FYI....

10 Hilarious Excuses for Being Late to Work

2008-05-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a hilarious press release from Career Builder with some interesting facts about employees being late to work.

According to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey, 15 percent of workers say they arrive late to work at least once a week, while nearly one-in-four of all workers (24 percent) admit to making up fake excuses to explain their tardiness. The CareerBuilder.com survey, “Late to Work,” was conducted from February 11 through March 13, 2008 among 2,757 employers and 6,987 workers.

Here are the Top 10 Most Unusual Excuses for Being Late to Work:

1. While rowing across the river to work, I got lost in the fog.
2. Someone stole all my daffodils.
3. I had to go audition for American Idol.
4. My ex-husband stole my car so I couldn’t drive to work.
5. My route to work was shut down by a Presidential motorcade.
6. I wasn’t thinking and accidentally went to my old job.
7. I was indicted for securities fraud this morning.
8. The line was too long at Starbucks.
9. I was trying to get my gun back from the police.
10. I didn’t have money for gas because all of the pawn shops were closed.

I wouldn't recommend using any of these excuses if you show up late to work, unless of course it is true...but then again I might just come up with an excuse that is more believable, like "the dog ate my homework" or something similar.

While the majority of hiring managers believe their employees’ reasons for being late to
work, more than 27 percent say they are skeptical of the excuses.

Enjoy the weekend!

Generation "Y" Apparently Generation "Practicality"

2008-03-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

As reported by KUSA in Denver:

A Robert Half and Yahoo! Hot Jobs survey reveals that the demographic commonly referred to as Generation "Y" is now being referred to as Generation "Practicality."

Why the recent change in labels? It is interesting...

The age group of 21-28 year olds (or those about to enter the workforce) now value financial stability and job security over job satisfaction. They also seemed more concerned with benefits and retirement plans than ever before.

This marks an interesting change from the more optimistic and idealistic generational characteristics in the past and it is interesting to see that the youth in the United States is mirroring the rest of the country and showing concern for the future.

Well we are always looking for money motivated individuals, so if you think you fit this Generation "Practicality" description and are looking for work, give us a call or check out our website at www.stratstaff.net.

Enjoy the weekend!

Who Works During March Madness?

2008-03-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

CareerBuilder just put out an interesting press release about employee productivity during the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament or as known to most of us as March Madness. Here are some of highlights of the release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICAGO, March 17, 2008 — Productivity in the office may suffer a potential slowdown when workers turn to the Internet to check the scores of their March Madness picks. Nineteen percent of workers said they have participated in March Madness pools at the office and 24 percent have paid more than $10 to enter, according to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey. The survey titled, “March Madness at Work,” was conducted from November 13 to December 3, 2007 and included 6,704 workers.

Men vs. Women

Men are more likely to bet on March Madness in the office than women. Twenty-four percent of male workers say they have participated in March Madness pools in the office, compared to 13 percent of females. Eight percent of males indicate that they monitor the games during the workday, more than double their female counterparts.

By Region

More workers in the Midwest have played the March Madness brackets than any other region. Twenty-five percent of workers in the Midwest say they got in on the March Madness pool at work, compared to 22 percent in the Northeast, 18 percent in the South and 11 percent in the West.

I don't know about you all but I am in a few office pools and I will be tracking the scores online, are you in an office pool? If so, who are your sleepers this year?

Enjoy the NCAA Tournament this year and don't worry about work this month.

How to Dress for the Interview

2008-02-28T08:18:00.000-08:00

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

We have all heard this saying before but when it comes to the job interview, your first impression can be the difference between landing that job or failing in the job interview. It is always very important to dress professionally for a job interview, even if the job environment has a casual atmosphere. You want to make a great impression from the moment you step into that job interview, that is why you should always dress to impress.

Here are some tips for dressing professionally for that next job interview:

Men's Interview Attire

Suit (solid color - navy or dark grey)
Long sleeve shirt (white or coordinated with the suit)
Belt
Tie
Dark socks, conservative leather shoes
Little or no jewelry
Neat, professional hairstyle
Limit the aftershave
Neatly trimmed nails
Portfolio or briefcase

Women's Interview Attire

Suit (navy, black or dark grey)
The suit skirt should be long enough so you can sit down comfortably
Coordinated blouse
Conservative shoes
Limited jewelry (no dangling earrings or arms full of bracelets)
No jewelry is better than cheap jewelry
Professional hairstyle
Neutral pantyhose
Light make-up and perfume
Neatly manicured clean nails
Portfolio or briefcase

What Not to Bring to the Interview

Gum
Cell phone
Ipod
Coffee or soda
If you have lots of piercings, leave some of your rings at home (earrings only, is a good rule)
Cover tattoos

Interview Attire Tips

Before you even think about going on an interview, make sure you have appropriate interview attire and everything fits correctly.
Get your clothes ready the night before, so you don't have to spend time getting them ready on the day of the interview.
If your clothes are dry clean only, take them to the cleaners after an interview, so they are ready for next time.
Polish your shoes.
Bring a breath mint and use it before you enter the building.

Follow these simple style tips for your next interview and you can be assured you will make a positive first impression, now all you need to do is focus on the interview itself.

Tips for Time Crunched Days

2008-02-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

I have read many articles about saving time during the work week and how to prioritize my day, so I thought I would give you guys a summary of some of the better tips I have been using lately and getting great results.

Tips for Time Crunched Days:

1) Plan your day the night before. I know this might seem obvious and I also know many of us who stay awake the night before making list of chores and tasks for the next day, but a simple assessment of your most important priorities or task for the next day can start you off the next morning with focus and drive.

2) Keep a printed calendar on your office wall. Many of us have calendars on our email or in our PDAs but a large desktop calendar or wall calendar makes it easy to see what events are coming up and makes it east to adapt to any scheduling changes. Having a game plan is great, but the unexpected will always pop up. I find that a large calendar in my office really helps me plan and anticipate for the month.

3) Right of refusal. Don't be afraid to turn other down when asked to do task that do not help accomplish your daily goals. Write goals down and keep them visible everyday. If someone requests your time and energy ask them if it will help you accomplish your goals, if it doesn't don't be afraid to politely decline.

4) Make an agenda. Any meeting or phone call that is important and worth your valuable time is also worth making an agenda for. Agendas keep everyone accountable and on task during the meeting and also keep your thoughts organized. I have found agendas to be a quick tool to plan out a meeting and make meetings more efficient.

5) Work out your mind and body. Studies have shown that physical and mental activity is the key to maintaining health of body and mind. Exercise can relieve stress and give you more energy throughout the day, making you more productive and improve your quality of life in general. Studies have shown that mental activity in rich environments actually increases the brain's capacity. Keep your mind fresh and active and you will notice fewer "out of it" days.

More to come in the future check back for more tips and advice from StratStaff. We would love to hear your feedback too, feel free to post comments or visit us at www.stratstaff.net

Get The Offer Letter

2008-02-06T16:31:00.001-08:00

You want to make sure you remember your ABC's. Always Be Closing for the next step in the process. You do not want to leave a 1st interview without a 2nd schedueled, you don't want to leave a 2nd without a 3rd, and you never want to leave a final interview without an offer letter. Here is a example of a stament that you can use "I can appreciate the fact that you want to see other candidates before you set another interivew with me but you better either call security or pull up your schedule because I am not leaving until I set up the next interivew." Try it out and I am sure you will be happy with the results!

Introducing the New StratStaff Blog

2008-02-05T09:51:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

We just began our new blog here at StratStaff and we wanted to introduce the blog to everyone and let you all know what you can expect to find on the new StratStaff Blog.

We wanted to reach our candidates and clients in a more compelling and easy to use way, so in addition to redesigning our website we have begun a blog with the hopes of building a lasting and helpful resource for job seekers and employers.

At the StratStaff blog you can expect to find useful tips and advice from our experienced staffing agents, as well as fun information, useful web links, other great blogs, pop culture, jokes and entertainment related to looking for that next job. Feel free to ask questions and comment on any and all topics. And as always you can contact us at our offices located in Denver, CO at (303) 863-8343 and www.stratstaff.net.

Thanks for visiting the new StratStaff Blog. We are excited to begin blogging and look forward to sharing more with all our readers. Until next time....