Glassdoor Launches “Inside Connections,” Leveraging Users’ Facebook Networks for Career and Job Hunting

SAUSALITO, Calif. – (February 2, 2012) ­– Glassdoor, a jobs and career community where people share job and workplace insights, today announced the launch of Inside Connections, a new product that leverages Facebook to help job seekers quickly uncover if they know someone at a company where they want to work.

To access Inside Connections, job seekers simply sign in to Glassdoor (www.glassdoor.com) using Facebook Connect to instantly see where they have an “in” at more than 150,000 companies around the globe. For example, if you are interested in working for Google, simply sign in to Glassdoor using Facebook and visit the Google profile page to discover who within your Facebook friend network, including friends of friends, currently works or has worked there. From there, you can browse the deep content Glassdoor maintains about each company, including job listings, anonymous reviews and ratings, salary reports and interview questions and reviews – all for specific job titles from current and past employees and job candidates.

Mid-career Changers: Hays Identifies the Changing Face of Japan’s Workforce

Tokyo, Jan 23, 2012 – (JCN Newswire) – Ninety five per cent of companies plan to hire new staff in 2012, and almost one half (47 per cent) of these job vacancies will be filled by mid-career changers, according to a survey by recruiting experts Hays.

For one third (33 per cent) of those who make a mid-career change, their motivation is career advancement. Other factors driving people to make a mid-career change include securing a higher salary (29 per cent), the opportunity to specialise in a new field (22 per cent) and work/life balance improvements (22 per cent).

SmartSearch® integrates with Adobe’s EchoSign electronic signature service

OCEANSIDE, CA January 5, 2012 – Advanced Personnel Systems, Inc. (APS), the maker of SmartSearch® recruiting business software, announced a new integration with Adobe’s EchoSign, the world’s leading online digital document signing service. When used in conjunction with SmartSearch® automated tasks, EchoSign gives corporate employers additional paperless document management and onboarding capabilities, and for recruiting firms, digital document signing helps streamline the sales and placement process by reducing the time needed to capture and manage required signatures from both customers and candidates.

The EchoSign integration includes a new document signing portal on the built-in SmartSearch® career center to facilitate signature gathering. Web portal options allow candidates to upload documents with their online employment application, and specify desired documents when applying for a position or at any time during the hiring process. New hires may be directed to the candidate portal to begin the on-boarding process by updating their records with additional documentation, e-signatures, voluntarily provide EEOC data, and more. Hiring Managers and other designated portal users may access documents via their own web portal to e-sign contracts, offer letters, job requirements, or other documents that require their approval. The portal enables web site visitors to view documents that require a signature as well as previously signed documents. Single sign-on eliminates the need to distribute passwords, and SmartSearch users may include an expiration date and reminders to limit how long a person has to sign each document.

Steady U.S. Employment Reported for December 2011

MILWAUKEE, Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), the world leader in innovative workforce solutions, warns workers that failing to update skills and communicate their intrinsic value to employers will derail their re-entry into the workforce, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics today reported that the overall December unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent, the lowest level since February 2009, and that 212,000 new private sector jobs were created last month. November’s unemployment rate was revised up to 8.7 percent.

The economy has added U.S. jobs for 15 consecutive months. While today’s figures are generally positive, the pace of job creation has not yet compensated for the number of roles lost during the recession.

CIOs Reveal First-Quarter Hiring Plans

MENLO PARK, CA — Technology executives expect information technology (IT) hiring to continue in the first quarter of 2012, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report. In the latest quarterly survey, 20 percent of chief information officers (CIOs) said they plan to expand their IT departments, and 10 percent expect cutbacks, for a net 10 percent projected increase in hiring activity. This is up four points from the previous quarter’s projections.

Lumesse Announces New Version of SaaS-based E-learning Authoring Platform: CourseBuilder V6.1

AUSTIN, Texas & LONDON, Dec 14, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Lumesse, a global leader in integrated talent management solutions, today announced the latest version of its SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) e-learning authoring platform, CourseBuilder 6.1.

This version features a new software architecture that brings customers greater speed, availability and an enhanced user experience through CourseBuilder’s cloud-based technology. This is the first product release of the award-winning CourseBuilder authoring platform following the acquisition of Edvantage Group by Lumesse. The new version is available immediately to all customers.

ManpowerGroup’s Global Hiring Confidence Index for Q1 2012 Reveals Employers in 30 of 41 Countries and Territories Surveyed Set to Slow Hiring from Fourth Quarter 2011

MILWAUKEE, WI, USA (13 December 2011) – According to ManpowerGroup’s (NYSE:MAN) first quarter 2012 Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today, job seekers can expect a slower first-quarter hiring pace than fourth quarter of 2011 in the majority of the world’s labor markets. But while the more subdued employer hiring plans continue to reflect current economic challenges and uncertainty, forecasts do remain in positive territory in 31 of 41 countries, with results for the U.S., Japan and India revealing some positive signals. Meanwhile, hiring optimism in the Chinese market declines considerably from this time last year.

CKR Interactive Launches Peer Group US

December 12, 2011 — International recruitment marketing agency CKR Interactive has launched Peer Group US, an employer brand consultancy specializing in Employer Value Proposition (EVP) development and custom primary research projects aimed at improving an organization’s communications with current and prospective employees.

Outplacement Solutions Provider RiseSmart Wins 2011 Red Herring Global Top 100 Award

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) December 12, 2011 – RiseSmart, the leading provider of next-generation outplacement solutions, has been named to the Red Herring Global Top 100, which recognizes the leading private companies in North America, Europe and Asia. RiseSmart is among just 47 U.S. companies on the Global Top 100 list.

SimplyHired.com Releases December Employment Outlook

SimplyHired.com released its December Employment Outlook highlighting national and local market forecasts, as well as industry and employer trends.

According to the report, nationwide job openings increased for the fifth consecutive month, up 2.7 percent month-over-month and 7.4 percent year-over-year. Most industries and occupations experienced job growth. Average job competition decreased, most likely a combined result of a slight decrease in unemployment and a slight increase in job openings due to seasonal hiring.