Staples isn't the only one - age discrimination lives!

See yourself or your managers in any of the language here? http://www.hrmorning.com/age-bias-cost-staples-how-much/ I am confident that Staples is not the only organization where this kind of thing occurs. $26M is a huge award to one person - think about what it will cost your company?

Intern vs. Apprentice - a good argument for today

A Tip o' the fedora to Suzanne Lucas for this interesting article: http://www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/forget-the-interns-hire-an-apprentice.html I agree that none of us ever learned our profession in 3 months of an internship - what we learned in that time was basically if we liked the nature of the work, and not necessarily how to perform any of the work itself. Many of us did "apprentice" with someone more senior to learn a craft. Even when there is more science than art to a profession, much of the professional skill is acquired by doing the work under the direction of a senior and highly skilled worker. This is as true in software development as it is in product management or human resources or recruiting.

Wrongful termination

One of my favorite subjects. No, I'm not an attorney, and I don't play one on TV... But I do love to help companies lose employees in the best way - rightful termination. I've traditionally said that when one door closes, a window opens. I really believe that in terms of employment. When it is time to leave your employer, many people need a push. http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/02/22/wrongful-termination-employment/ And I like to ensure that people walking out of my clients are doing it with a bounce in their step, and not on the way to an attorney's office, which will cost a lost of money, time, and effort, and yield little in most cases. If you are an attorney with a wrongful termination case that you think is a winner, I'm happy to act as your HR Expert if it makes sense. If you are a company looking to lose some employees in the best way, I'm happy to work with you to build and execute the program that will be firm, fair, and avoid litigation. Email Info@Broadbandhr.com with your contact info and we'll talk.

Good points on Employer Branding

This is something every recruiter thinks they know how to do, but few do an excellent job. Think objectively and specifically about what your branding campaign should look like. It's easy to go astray and have your ads and your methods bring you unexpected results. http://www.exaqueo.com/2013/02/employer-brand-its-what-you-measure-that-counts/ In the online world, every image is connected. And an employer must be vigilant to develop a brand that is consistent with the products and services and the company overall. It can be a challenge. If your company needs help on smart employer branding, contact me at info@broadbandhr.com I work with tech companies across the spectrum - not just the broadband world.

First : Fire all the unhappy people!

This is such a good article, would that every manager could do this - what a wonderful world corporate america would become. How many times have we felt our enthusiasm wane because of the negativity of co-workers?

First, fire all the unhappy people

A worker who is unhappy in his or her job can drag down morale and take a serious hit on a manager's time and energy. Some employees just aren't a good fit with your company, and as a business owner you have a right to surround yourself with people who want to be there and who will contribute positively to the company, Jay Goltz says. New York Times, The/You're the Boss blog (03/09) http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/the-secret-to-having-happy-employees/

I haven't blogged because I've been depressed!

A recessionary environment is a depressing time for a recruiter. When the phone doesn't ring with new search assignments and existing clients don't return calls, it gets lonely to be a recruiter.

But enough about me - you knew all of that if you thought about it. You also knew that many recruiters took up other pursuits while the economy was so far down. So last week's unemployment numbers were a particularly nice surprise.

Temporary positions hit a big uptick, and that's good news for those looking for work -
there actually are some of those "temp to perm" opportunities to get your foot in the door. For more detail, check out Perrin Peacock's blog:

http://www.recruiter-talk.com/profiles/blogs/more-temp-jobs-added-in-feb?xg_source=activity

Here's hoping the next report shows what I'm seeing in the willingness to hire measure for employers - they are actually opening new positions! Hurray!