tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1 2010-06-30T00:21:34Z Movable Type 3.31 tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1489 2010-06-29T23:54:05Z 2010-06-30T00:21:34Z

“Companies are starting to hire again, but many are turning their backs on older job seekers.” That’s the opening line from an article yesterday on CNN.com, which ran a headline announcing Job Blues for Gray-haired Workers. If you’re over 40...

Tory Johnson “Companies are starting to hire again, but many are turning their backs on older job seekers.” That’s the opening line from an article yesterday on CNN.com, which ran a headline announcing Job Blues for Gray-haired Workers. If you’re over 40 and out of work, that’s hardly a news bulletin. Even though the national unemployment rate among older workers is lower than that of younger workers, none of the recent gains in hiring have occurred for the older bracket. Where are all the equal-opportunity employers and why don’t more (or any) business leaders truly embrace the philosophy of the founder of outdoor clothing giant Patagonia? Encore Careers, iRelaunch and AARP. Inspiration can be found in a variety of places. Merrill Lynch recently launched a series called help2retire that’s moderated by my old GMA pal Charlie Gibson and focuses on reinventing retirement. Job-Hunt.org offers a whole section on job searching for older workers. We’d like you to share your best advice and resources. What’s helped you to overcome the stereotypes of older workers? Another smart solution we're seeing: More and more women, especially older women, are starting small businesses. Sometimes called boomerpreneurs, they're refusing to pursue another traditional position, only to be laid off again, except at an even later age. So they're securing their financial future by using their collective wisdom, experience and contacts to launch new ventures. If you're one of those current or aspiring "hip old ladies" as one blogger put it, I'd love to see you at next month's Spark & Hustle National Conference. Let's loudly and proudly get you going to greater success as a business owner or solopreneur. (If you need help financially, email me at tory@sparkandhustle.com for partial scholarship details.) The more we talk and act constructively about this issue, as opposed to saying "nobody hires older workers" or believing that all hope is lost, let's get the dialogue moving in a positive direction. Share your thoughts here. Smile while scanning the comments from Facebook.com/Tory below—and then let me know how we can get you to Spark & Hustle and/or post your comments here. Cheers to YOUR success at EVERY age! Tory Johnson P.S. SPARK & HUSTLE Bulletin Board One of the conference registrants from New York City is looking for two women to drive with her to the event in Atlanta. If you’re in the New York City area, and you’re interested in attending especially since you could avoid airfare by contributing to the drive, please email info@sparkandhustle.com and we’ll discuss scholarship options with you. Check out the tips from some of the speakers. Gigantic thanks again to our sponsors Walmart, Staples and Constant Contact for their generous support of this program. ]]> tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1488 2010-06-29T19:37:57Z 2010-06-29T19:44:23Z

Employers are overhauling employee evaluations to better separate top performers from underachievers, The Wall Street Journal reports. Hewitt Associates estimates 10% of managers and 11% of other employees are now judged solely on the results, as opposed to a mix...

Workplace Buzz The Wall Street Journal reports. Hewitt Associates estimates 10% of managers and 11% of other employees are now judged solely on the results, as opposed to a mix of results and softer metrics such as showing leadership, up from 7% and 8% five years ago. Nearly a third of execs are judged solely on results, up from just over a fifth in 2005. ]]> The Wall Street Journal reports. Hewitt Associates estimates 10% of managers and 11% of other employees are now judged solely on the results, as opposed to a mix of results and softer metrics such as showing leadership, up from 7% and 8% five years ago. Nearly a third of execs are judged solely on results, up from just over a fifth in 2005.]]> tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1487 2010-06-28T16:30:21Z 2010-06-29T04:50:27Z

The Wall Street Journal takes a look at common mistakes that job seekers make, which recruiters say can take them out of the running. Among them: a sense of entitlement, rudeness, arrogance and lying. One recruiter says some of the...

Workplace Buzz The Wall Street Journal takes a look at common mistakes that job seekers make, which recruiters say can take them out of the running. Among them: a sense of entitlement, rudeness, arrogance and lying. One recruiter says some of the behavior is so outrageous that she thinks she's being secretly taped by a TV reality show. ]]> The Wall Street Journal takes a look at common mistakes that job seekers make, which recruiters say can take them out of the running. Among them: a sense of entitlement, rudeness, arrogance and lying. One recruiter says some of the behavior is so outrageous that she thinks she's being secretly taped by a TV reality show. ]]> tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1483 2010-06-28T04:02:28Z 2010-06-28T04:07:07Z

Almost every day I hear from people who have been out of work for many months—if not years. They say they're desperate to work. When I ask what they've been doing and how the process is going, very often they...

Tory Johnson Almost every day I hear from people who have been out of work for many months—if not years. They say they're desperate to work. When I ask what they've been doing and how the process is going, very often they tell me that they've "only" been offered jobs that pay $8 to $10 an hour. That's followed by the same refrain from everyone, "I can't possibly work for that little." Almost every day I hear from people who have been out of work for many months—if not years. They say they're desperate to work. When I ask what they've been doing and how the process is going, very often they tell me that they've "only" been offered jobs that pay $8 to $10 an hour. That's followed by the same refrain from everyone, "I can't possibly work for that little." Why I wonder? Because making NO money is better than making some money? I'm not talking about people who make more on unemployment and don't want to jeopardize their much needed benefits. I'm talking about people who've exhausted their benefits and don't have a penny coming in. They say working for so little would negatively impact their ability to job seach effectively. Really? Working 20 hours a week in a low-paying part-time job wouldn't leave you ample hours in the day to devote to your search? Maybe they'd be more deliberate with their time if they had such a busy schedule, no? I challenge them to think about why they SHOULD work for so little: it gets them out of the house, it puts their mind to work, it connects them with new people, it's someting to talk about, and it's cash in hand. The gal who was the senior VP of sales is now working a cash register—how would that look to a future employer? Potentially quite well if she spins it as a unique opportunity to get back to basics after 30 years away from the front lines and a chance to see the end-user experience up close and personal. What's your take? To work for less in the interim or not? tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1482 2010-06-25T21:48:34Z 2010-06-25T21:53:05Z

Inc. is one of my favorite magazines and the June issue focuses on America’s best run companies. One of the top places to work is Patagonia, the outdoor apparel company based in California. When asked what he’d do to create...

Tory Johnson Inc. is one of my favorite magazines and the June issue focuses on America’s best run companies. One of the top places to work is Patagonia, the outdoor apparel company based in California. When asked what he’d do to create the best workplace if he were starting a company today, founder Yvon Chouinard said, "I'd search out older women as employees. Inc. is one of my favorite magazines and the June issue focuses on America’s best run companies. One of the top places to work is Patagonia, the outdoor apparel company based in California. When asked what he’d do to create the best workplace if he were starting a company today, founder Yvon Chouinard said, "I'd search out older women as employees. Ones that have already raised families and are looking for something to do. These people have lived with a budget. They are aggressive. They are honest. You can't find better employees. They are one of the most underused resources in America." Why don’t more business leaders believe that way—and, more importantly, what can we do to convince them to follow this theory? tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1481 2010-06-24T15:38:38Z 2010-06-24T15:41:54Z

The Business Roundtable, a survey of 106 CEOs from some of the country’s biggest corporations, finds that 39 percent of executives planned to increase hiring during the second half of 2010, the highest percentage since 2007. Only 17 percent of...

Workplace Buzz a survey of 106 CEOs from some of the country’s biggest corporations, finds that 39 percent of executives planned to increase hiring during the second half of 2010, the highest percentage since 2007. Only 17 percent of CEOs said they would lay off employees. ]]> a survey of 106 CEOs from some of the country’s biggest corporations, finds that 39 percent of executives planned to increase hiring during the second half of 2010, the highest percentage since 2007. Only 17 percent of CEOs said they would lay off employees.]]> tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1480 2010-06-21T20:10:52Z 2010-06-21T20:20:01Z

Business is picking up for many companies but employers are still asking employees to work overtime to fill the demand because they're still being cautious about making new hires, USA TODAY reports. Still, employers say they can't risk burning out...

Workplace Buzz USA TODAY reports. Still, employers say they can't risk burning out workers with too much overtime and will begin hiring if the recovery continues.]]> USA TODAY reports. Still, employers say they can't risk burning out workers with too much overtime and will begin hiring if the recovery continues.]]> tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1479 2010-06-21T19:03:11Z 2010-06-21T19:14:43Z

The federal government, education officials and giant military contractors are collaborating to recruit a new class of tech professionals trained to battle data thieves, online scammers and cyberspies. Community colleges are expanding cyber programs -- and drawing adults seeking to...

Workplace Buzz USA TODAY reports.]]> USA TODAY reports.]]> tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1478 2010-06-21T15:22:40Z 2010-06-21T15:31:40Z

Lots of reaction from you about job postings that require applicants to be currently employed. Most of you were outraged, but plenty weren’t surprised—having experienced it firsthand. How about this one: Since we focus exclusively on women’s career advancement, we’re...

Tory Johnson Lots of reaction from you about job postings that require applicants to be currently employed. Most of you were outraged, but plenty weren’t surprised—having experienced it firsthand. How about this one: Since we focus exclusively on women’s career advancement, we’re often approached by recruiters asking for recommendations of female candidates. But there’s sometimes a catch: No kids, no spouse, a willingness to put in long hours and travel. Long hours and travel we can accept, but anytime there’s a demand about family and marital status, we refuse to engage. How about this one: Since we focus exclusively on women’s career advancement, we’re often approached by recruiters asking for recommendations of female candidates. But there’s sometimes a catch: No kids, no spouse, a willingness to put in long hours and travel. Long hours and travel we can accept, but anytime there’s a demand about family and marital status, we refuse to engage. We know plenty of moms who work long hours and travel for work. We also know bias in every form exists, but when it’s so blatant it’s a cold reminder of how far we still must go. Even if you weren’t affected, would you want to work for an organization that used such recruitment tactics, even behind the scenes? Tell us what you think. We also got this question: "Is it ok for a woman to flirt while interviewing or does it automatically crush her credibility? Some of my friends say I'm a great flirt—and to flaunt what I've got. Others say, no way—they urge me to be all business." What's YOUR take? ]]> tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1477 2010-06-11T22:36:02Z 2010-06-11T22:40:10Z

I hear from women every day who are suffering greatly from job loss. My staff and I offer them whatever advice, leads and resources we can, but it’s often challenging since we can’t possibly give everyone the one-on-one help they...

Tory Johnson I hear from women every day who are suffering greatly from job loss. My staff and I offer them whatever advice, leads and resources we can, but it’s often challenging since we can’t possibly give everyone the one-on-one help they really need. I hear from women every day who are suffering greatly from job loss. My staff and I offer them whatever advice, leads and resources we can, but it’s often challenging since we can’t possibly give everyone the one-on-one help they really need. So now we’re turning to you—our resourceful readers. We’d like you to offer your advice to one woman in particular who wrote to me last week. Her email resonated with us because it summed up so clearly the frustrating sentiments of others. She’s been out of work for a while after being laid off from a top job. Now she’s buried in severe debt and is facing a family crisis because of the strain poor finances have placed on her family. She says, "I'm strangled by self doubt, fear of failure and low self esteem." What's your advice to help her get unstuck to rebound with gusto? What’s YOUR advice to this woman—and countless others like her? Tell us how can she reboot to rebound with gusto? Let’s rally together to lift everyone up. tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1476 2010-06-11T22:30:11Z 2010-06-11T22:35:53Z

Talk about disturbing job ads. Last week The Huffington Post got a ton of outraged reaction to a piece about how some companies are saying that job applicants “must be currently employed” to be considered. Seemed like an incredible tactic...

Tory Johnson The Huffington Post got a ton of outraged reaction to a piece about how some companies are saying that job applicants “must be currently employed” to be considered. Seemed like an incredible tactic for any company to take, since it wrongly implies that if you’re out of work you’re lazy or worthless.]]> The Huffington Post got a ton of outraged reaction to a piece about how some companies are saying that job applicants “must be currently employed” to be considered. Seemed like an incredible tactic for any company to take, since it wrongly implies that if you’re out of work you’re lazy or worthless. And it’s particularly stunning during one of the biggest economic downturns in history when millions of people have lost their jobs through no fault of their own and would love to work anywhere. I did my own checking and sure enough, found dozens of postings for a wide variety of job sites—from medical sales jobs to business development to restaurant workers—which have that requirement spelled out in their postings. Predictably, when confronted, many of the companies backtracked, saying that the requirement was a mistake. Which makes me think it’s probably happening a lot. Could the unwritten rule at some companies be to ignore applicants who don’t have jobs? What do you think? Does this bother you or are companies justified? Tell us your opinion.]]> tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1475 2010-06-11T17:28:28Z 2010-06-11T17:32:46Z

Industries that grew in April were education and health services, where openings rose 7% from March, and professional and business services, which grew about 24%. Government job openings saw the largest contraction--about 8.5% fewer public sector jobs were available in...

Workplace Buzz The Wall Street Journal reports. ]]> The Wall Street Journal reports.]]> tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1474 2010-06-10T23:14:11Z 2010-06-10T23:19:55Z

Federal labor statistics show that nearly 2 million workers resigned from their jobs in April, while 1.75 million were laid off the same month. The Christian Science Monitor says it's a sign of economic recovery when resignations begin to outnumber...

Workplace Buzz The Christian Science Monitor says it's a sign of economic recovery when resignations begin to outnumber layoffs because it shows workers feel confidence in their ability to find new work.]]> The Christian Science Monitor says it's a sign of economic recovery when resignations begin to outnumber layoffs because it shows workers feel confidence in their ability to find new work.]]> tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1473 2010-06-07T21:02:30Z 2010-06-07T21:07:19Z

As the labor market slowly heals, some hiring managers are offering salaries lower than what workers previously received, The Wall Street Journal reports. "Companies are more worried these days about margins, profitability, and they are cutting costs across the board....

Workplace Buzz The Wall Street Journal reports. "Companies are more worried these days about margins, profitability, and they are cutting costs across the board. Even though [workers are] qualified and have prior experience, the hiring department has been told to set a budget at a lower range," says one career coach.]]> The Wall Street Journal reports. "Companies are more worried these days about margins, profitability, and they are cutting costs across the board. Even though [workers are] qualified and have prior experience, the hiring department has been told to set a budget at a lower range," says one career coach.]]> tag:blog.womenforhire.com,2010://1.1472 2010-06-07T18:02:22Z 2010-06-07T18:06:49Z

If the old paradigm was that you spent 40 years with the same company, we’re moving toward the opposite extreme, where workers are free agents and a job is less a landing spot than a way station, The New York...

Workplace Buzz The New York Post reports. "Companies are looking at talent in a more strategic way, and the idea of working a 40-hour, 9-to-5 job for the same company year after year will be less and less the norm," one expert says. ]]> The New York Post reports. "Companies are looking at talent in a more strategic way, and the idea of working a 40-hour, 9-to-5 job for the same company year after year will be less and less the norm," one expert says. ]]>