The Leadership Vacuum

In one of his classes, Deepak Chopra, the founder of the Chopra Foundation, talks about what he calls “the soul of leadership” and says “that leaders appear when awareness meets need.” He goes on to suggest that there is a hierarchy of needs that contributes to what roles a leader has to address once that person steps into this void. Even though this premise feels reasonable and pragmatically comforting I am not at all convinced in the practicality of this theory in real terms. Are leaders really made not born? In the midst of chaos and stress can someone who knows what a group needs really prioritize and fill the Leadership Vacuum?

Why Substantive Job Growth Remains Elusive

GREAT BARRINGTON, MA – The U.S. economy is now producing about the same amount of goods and services as in 2007, the year before the recession hit. Unfortunately, it is doing so with 6.3 million fewer workers.

The American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), a nonprofit economic research organization, recently compared production and employment across various industries in 2007 and 2010 (the latest data available). Their findings are charted and explained below.

AIER FINDINGS:

While production totals are similar in 2010 as in 2007, the mix of goods and services is different. Underlying the country’s current economic expansion is a radically reallocated market.

The industries that are growing are not the ones that lost the most jobs during the recession.

Dwindling employment in nearly every industry signals that the economy has become more efficient in using labor. Nearly all industries need fewer workers to produce the same amount of goods and services.

Critical Corporate Interviewing Improves Retention

When trusted employees are promoted into management, generally what is their first task? Replace themselves. How do they interview candidates for their replacement? Go to HR and ask for a list of acceptable questions to ask. If they are lucky, HR has a list of “approved questions.” Are the questions targeting the skills required to be successful in the position? Generally not, they are simply acceptable interview questions.

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).

Trends in Recruiting v1.01 Social Technology Experiments

Social technology has been evolving for nearly a decade (LinkedIn opened for business in 2003). For that entire time (more if you count the emergence of blogging in 1997), we have been trying to harness social technology for Recruiting purposes. All manner of company has emerged to aggregate data, introduce people to each other, harness referrals, post job ads, augment resumes and smooth out the hiring process.

Lumesse Sponsoring Webinar on “The Flow of Technology in HR” Featuring John Sumser, CEO of HRExaminer, on January 11, 2012

January 09, 2012 07:57 AM Eastern Time — AUSTIN, Texas — (EON: Enhanced Online News) — Lumesse, a global leader in integrated talent management solutions, today announced that it is sponsoring the first in a series of insightful webinars focused on important industry trends. It will feature John Sumser, CEO of HRExaminer, on Wednesday, January 11, at 1 p.m. EST on the topic of “The Flow Of Technology in HR.”

According to Sumser, “There is a huge supply of conflicting information about social media and its utility in HR. The evangelists seem to line the streets insisting that the end is near and that you are a loser if you aren’t an early adopter. The truth is a little slower.”

The Eeyore Candidate

Many months ago, I was interviewing candidates for a recruiting position. The position had been open for months, and I felt like I was never going to find a candidate who had the unique experience I wanted. That was until I found the perfect resume.

StartWire Survey Reveals Companies Risk Reputation by Not Responding to Job Applicants

Lebanon, NH (January 10, 2012) – A new job seeker survey from StartWire™, a game-changing Internet job search organizer, has found that leaving job candidates in the dark about their application could potentially damage a company’s reputation.

The survey, with more than 2000 respondents, found that 77 percent of job seekers think less of a company that doesn’t respond to a job application. Going further, 72 percent of respondents said they would be less likely to recommend companies’ products or services, and 58 percent would think twice about buying a product from a company that did not respond to their job application.

The Workforce Institute at Kronos Announces Availability of New Book: Elements of Successful Organizations

CHELMSFORD, Mass., Jan 09, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — The Workforce Institute(TM) at Kronos Incorporated today announced the publication of its second book, an anthology on workforce management issues affecting both hourly and salaried workers. Elements of Successful Organizations is a rich collection of articles written by some of the most distinguished human capital management thought leaders. The book looks at the similarities that successful organizations share and provides actionable advice on how to replicate this success.

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.