Archive for March, 2007

Archives for Research

Today might be a good day to ask for raise. That is, if you have another offer in hand. Apparently, corporate talent supply lines are understocked and that’s putting the squeeze on hiring managers.

Nearly four in five staffing directors expect the competition for talent will intensify this year, according to a new study of 3,725 job seekers, 628 staffing directors, and 1,250 hiring managers, conducted in five global regions by Development Dimensions International (DDI), in conjunction with Monster.com. “Candidates are in a very powerful position-organizations need to think about hiring as a competitive practice if they want to attract the best people,” said Scott Erker, SVP at DDI.

“Right now, there is a significant gap between what candidates want and what employers think they want,” asserts Erker. “That’s dangerous for organizations, because many don’t understand the motivations of the candidate sitting right in front of them.”

Archives for MNC

Revlon Products, the New York-based cosmetics giant, is expanding its international reach into nearly 200 countries. Revlon’s global strategy isn’t high gloss. Pursuing a cost-cutting initiative, the global-savvy company launched call centers in India last September.

Revlon executives tapped 43 trainers and other personnel to fly to Mumbai and New Delhi to brief the new team on corporate culture and processes. Can you guess how many of these 43 Revlon workers owned a passport?

• None
• One
• Seven
• Thirty-three

Let’s just say that after Revlon’s request, there was a very long line at the local post office.

Archives for Social Media

While social media such as blogs, wikis, RSS, social networking and tagging technologies have transformed the interactive web experience, corporations have been slow to adopt these ideas to enhance employee communications and collaboration.

Most of us know social media through blogs or social networking sites such as Linked-in (I’m a member), Xing (ditto), MySpace or others which house members’ personal and professional  bios and enable efficient networking, recruiting and job searches. Many executive recruiters scout these sites looking for local or global-ready talent.

I believe that this suite of Web 2.0 technologies and social networking software will be nothing less than transformational to multinational companies. Here’s why:

• Social media is a critical Gen Y retention tool
• Social media is a knowledge management tool
• Social media much improves team collaboration
• Social media is a mentoring tool

Retention. The retention issue is one that points to a potential generation gap between executives who run enterprises and younger workers who insist upon feeling connected - beyond email.

Archives for Workplace

Back in the late 90s, in the peak of the dot-com craze, Silicon Valley companies dreamed up imaginative ways to better attract, ‘engage’ and thus retain young tech workers who might otherwise bolt for the competitor’s promise of IPO riches. Perks such as onsite haircuts, gym memberships, laundry services, and sushi chefs were de rigueur.

These perks were also intended to help offset the stress of 70-hour work weeks, low pay and the lack of a social life. Yet this worker-friendly campaign never really caught on outside of high-tech companies. While notable perks such as massages-in-your-cube remain distant memories, enlightened employers still emphasize creating a fun workplace and positive corporate culture. At tech companies here you can still find juice bars, workout rooms, ping-pong tables, foosball, and espresso machines.

Archives for Social Media

Until now, the one thing you could never say about immersive, 3-D cyberworlds is that if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. Bain & Co., a global consultancy, said Wednesday that it intends to start recruiting for summer interns in Second Life, a virtual world with nearly five million residents.

Some of Bain’s recruits may be relieved to know that opportunities exist in the real world, too.  

Why recruit in Second Life? Because the bright minds Bain covets aren’t hanging out at gyms, libraries or discos.  Apparently, some of the really clever students create avatars to attend classes for them while they spend their days and nights roaming Second Life. Among the myriad things to do in Second Life: watch movies, build a dream home, fall in love, try a new career, go back to school - in short - become an entirely different person.  

Archives for Career Advice

Foreign assignments often seem exotic and enticing, especially to workers who have studied the local language and customs. But despite everyone’s good intentions these critical career moves often fizzle out, resulting in an expensive setback for the employer and a career-hiccup or worse for the employee.

One problem is the vast majority of overseas assignment candidates start with little more background than a travel guide and a passport. A lack of preparation isn’t considered by management sufficient cause to delay an assignment. Karen Beaman, founder and managing partner of the Jeitosa Group cites stats that “Between 16 and 40 percent of American international workers fail to complete their assignments.” And she asserts that, “Of those Americans who do complete their international assignments, 30 to 50 percent are considered ineffective or marginally effective by their companies.” Is it possible that Americans need extra help and guidance in global situations?

“Absolutely, they do,” says Beaman. Americans often lack international experience, she says, “it’s not an aptitude thing.”

Archives for Relocations

We think about the jobs. We think about the weather, possibly the schools, and the culture. But how many of us stop to consider infrastructure in choosing where to work?

In the current BusinessWeek, my former colleague Steve Hamm reports on how India’s decaying infrastructure undermines the country’s otherwise stellar economic growth. Hamm says India’s “economic boom is being built on the shakiest of foundations. Highways, modern bridges, world-class airports, reliable power, and clean water are in desperately short supply.”

Infrastructure is a classic business continuity issue. If you can’t keep the water flowing or fuel the power grid, then business-as-usual is next-to-impossible, right? Unquestionably, it’s a bigger headache for employers, rather than for workers. But would you rule out working in India or other locations because of poor infrastructure? Would you choose to live or work in Europe, Latin America or the Philippines instead?