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Thursday, July 02, 2009

467,000 Cut In June

The June numbers were not good and worse than forecasted for the United States, according to Bloomberg:
Employers in the U.S. cut 467,000 jobs in June, the unemployment rate rose and hourly earnings stagnated, offering little evidence the Obama administration’s stimulus package is shoring up the labor market.
 
The payroll decline was more than forecast and followed a 322,000 drop in May, according to Labor Department figures released today in Washington. The jobless rate jumped to 9.5 percent, the highest since August 1983, from 9.4 percent.
 
Unemployment is projected to keep rising for the rest of the year
Not good...

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Astronology - Unleash the Hidden Talents of Your Employees

 
Astron Website Top
Astronology
Volume X
Issue 9
 
June 30, 2009
Dear Andrew,

Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software.

Fact or Fiction?

The Star Spangled Banner is set to the tune of an English drinking song.

Fact!

The Star Spangled Banner is actually set to the tune of an old English drinking song called "To Anacreon in Heaven".
Have a safe and happy Forth of July holiday!
Unleash the Hidden Talents of Your Employees
group globeby Ethan L. Chazin, President and founder of The Chazin Group.

Imagine being able to unleash the hidden talents and untapped skills of EVERY single one of your employees?

Imagine if every single one of your employees, from front-line staff to senior management, was 100% engaged, doing the work they were cut out for, contributing to the success of your organization by focusing on their core competencies. Can you envision the collective power you would unleash? No laggards...just a company filled with rising stars. Absenteeism would drop instantly, worker defections to your competitors would cease entirely. Entire Departments would start exceeding quotas...more
July 4th Crash Course in History

Barbeques. Retail sales. Fireworks. These are a few of the things we think of when we consider the 4th of July, or Independence Day. But was July 4th the real day that America was born? In this issue of Astronology, we take a quick crash course into U.S. History - and a holiday break from HR - with some startling and fun facts....more
Have a Question?

If you have a topic you would like addressed in Astronology, or some feedback on a past article, don't hesitate to tell us!  Simply reply to this e-mail.  See your question answered, or comments addressed, in an upcoming issue of Astronology.

Looking for a top-notch presenter for your human resource organization's meeting?  Both Jennifer Loftus and Michael Maciekowich present highly-rated sessions on a variety of compensation and employee retention issues.  For more information, send an e-mail to info@astronsolutions.com.

The Fine Print

We hold your e-mail address in trust.  Astron Solutions promises never to share or rent your personal information.  We also promise never to send you frivolous e-mails and will allow you to leave our list, at your option, at any time.

To remove yourself from this list, please follow your personalized subscriber link at the bottom of your Astronology alert e-mail.

Copyright 2009, Astron Solutions, LLC

ISSN Number 1549-0467

Quick Links

World of HR Blog

Bringing you Human Resource news from around the globe...compliments of Astron Solutions.

More

Join Our Mailing List
 

Tweaking Benefits and Coping With Your Job While Ill

First the Washington Post has an article about Washington-area firms tweaking benefits plans with works absorbing more health costs but gaining perks.

Next, the New York Times has some advice on protecting your job while coping with a chronic illness

Lastly, the atlanta illustrated has the top 5 things to say when caught sleeping at your desk at work (how many HR professionals have heard these excuses?)

5. "They told me at the Blood Bank this might happen."

4. "This is just a 15 minute power nap they raved about in the time management course you sent me to."

3. "Whew! Guess I left the top off the Whiteout. You probably got here just in time."

2. "Did you ever notice sound coming out of these keyboards when you put your ear down real close?" And the NUMBER ONE best thing to say if you get caught sleeping at your desk...

1. Raise your head slowly and say, "...in Jesus' name, Amen."
Hilarious!

Monday, June 29, 2009

Rules For Posting Your Resume Online

Want to post your resume online? Well we have some advice to protect yourself.

-First, from Coffee with Viktor, five rules for posting your resume online

-Second, Examiner has some advice for job seekers to protect their resume while online.

-Lastly, Human Resources Executive Online has some advice for Human Resources executive about how to tweak their relationship building to include social networking online. Which, in the end, may be a return to how it always was done.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Filling The Gap, Job Descriptions, Obama's Healthcare Plan, etc.

We're reading all the articles so you don't have to...

-BizTimes talks about Human Resources filling the gap with interim executives

-Vault has job descriptions. They're not as good as the ones we do at Astron Solutions.

-WebProNews says that Yahoo! is putting a new spin on the recruiting process by launching pay-per-candidate for their Yahoo! HotJobs

-Workforce Management talks about how an economic crisis is creating an opportunity for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). "As companies slash payrolls and tighten their belts in other ways that squeeze employees, the association is trying to make itself indispensable to HR professionals."

-Lastly, the Chicago Sun-Times talks about President Barack Obama being pressed on healthcare during his ABC special by an Human Resources executive:

One questioner -- Marisa Milton, vice president of health care policy for the HR Policy Association, a public policy advocate for human resource executives -- said that "other industrialized nations provide coverage for all their residents" with "high quality care" without spending more money.

"A lot of those countries employ a different system than we do," the president said. "Almost all of them have what would be considered a single-payer system in which the government operates what is essentially a Medicare for all."

The president said he didn't think it wise to attempt to "completely change our system root and branch" since health care is one-sixth of the U.S. economy. It "would be hugely disruptive," he said, arguing that citizens would be forced to change their doctors and insurance plans "in a way I'm not prepared to go."

End-of-life issues were raised as well; right now it is estimated that nearly 30 percent of Medicare's annual $327 billion budget is spent on patients in their final year of life.

Jane Sturm told the story of her nearly 100-year-old mother, who was originally denied a pacemaker because of her age. She eventually got one, but only after seeking out another doctor.

"Outside the medical criteria," Sturm asked, "is there a consideration that can be given for a certain spirit & and quality of life?"

"I don't think that we can make judgments based on peoples' spirit," Obama said. "That would be a pretty subjective decision to be making. I think we have to have rules that say that we are going to provide good, quality care for all people.

"We're not going to solve every single one of these very difficult decisions at end of life," he said. "Ultimately that's going to be between physicians and patients."

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Using Twitter and Facebook to Find a Job

TIME Magazine had an interesting article earlier this month about how more people are using Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites to help them find jobs. Nearly 1 in 10 people are out of work and the typical job search lasts 12 weeks. But they found out software architect who used social networking to get a new job in 11 days after being laid off using social networking. This is especially interesting for people who are the sole breadwinner for their families--as this software architect is--and need to find a job very quickly.   
 
For Human Resources, it may be expanding your search base beyond Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com to find the best candidates on the Twitters and Facebooks and LinkedIns of the social networking world. Especially if you work in a company that favors having people savvy in social networking: software, IT, PR, Marketing, sales, internet, etc.
 
The New York Times Freakonomics blog has an interesting response to this:
Will the recovery favor the internet-savvy in other fields as well? (Or: maybe this guy was just a super employee who, if he hadn’t been wasting his time tweeting, would have found a job in 10 days?)
The former question will be interesting to watch as the economy slowly recovers (the latter question is interesting to think about as well) and more people look for unique ways to find jobs once hiring starts up again.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Vault's Layoff Tracker

Wanted to pass this along, but Vault has been keep track of all the big layoffs that have occurred. Definitely worth checking out.

Also from Vault's blog "Pink Slipped", advice on how to make being laid off, pay off.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Obama on Same-Sex Benefits

Ben Smith of Politico goes into the White House's distribution today of press guidance to its personnel office about same-sex benefits. Smith points out that they only seem to cover long-term care insurance and sick leave to which he says "That's pretty far short of the health care and retirement benefits common at major American corporations."
 
But, he says "The White House will also 'request the heads of all other executive branch departments and agencies to conduct internal reviews to determine whether other benefits they administer might be similarly extended,' according to the fact sheet."
 
And it seems that President Obama will use tonight's presidential memorandum to "reassert his broader support for gay rights, repeating his support for repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and pushing Congress to back legislation offering more substantial benefits, like health care, to same-sex partners"
 
In other HR news:
-The New York Times started a new blog about small business and entrepreneurship which sounds like a wonderful new source of good information including one post already on how the stimulus package discourages hiring.
 
-And Jim Stroud from The Recruiters Lounge has some funny advice on how to figure out if your co-worker has turned into a co-stalker
 

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Astronology - Open Communication....How Important is it really?

 
 
Astron Website Top
Astronology
Volume X
Issue 8
 
June 16, 2009
Dear Andrew,

Astron Solutions provides high-quality, low-cost, innovative human resources consulting services to organizations like yours. Call us for advice, innovative program design, and user-friendly Web/PC based software.

The Astron Road Show

Will you be in the Portland area of Maine anytime soon? If so be sure to see Astron's Michael Maciekowich at the 2009 ASHHRA Region 1 conference (June 28-30th).
 
Astron will also be exhibiting at the 2009 SHRM Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA (June 28th - July 1st).  If you'll be attending the conference, please be sure to drop by. If you would like a free pass to the conference's exhibit hall please contact us so we can be sure to see you.
Astron Team Members Take 2009 - 2010 HR/NY Board Roles!

At today's HR/NY breakfast meeting, the results of the 2009 - 2010 Board elections were announced. Congratulations to Astron's own Jennifer Loftus and Brendan Williams! Jennifer will be HR/NY's President-Elect starting July 1st. Brendan will become the Vice President of Finance and Treasurer for the association. For more information on HR/NY and how to join, please contact either Jennifer or Brendan.
Fact or Fiction?
The community of Myspace is large enough to form its own country. Fact or Fiction?

Fact!

Believe it or not, Myspace has a registration of over 110 million users. If it were its own country, Myspace would be the 10th largest country, right behind Mexico.
Open Communication...How Important is it really?
communicate
In professional organizations, open communication is used to maintain stability and ensure organizational success. In this time of shaky economics, employees may question the reliability of those in charge. It is now more important than ever to use communication frequently and clearly to remove any form of fear or apprehension that may cost an organization not only dollars, but also employee trust and an honest work ethic. This week, Astronology explores open communication and how important it really is for an organization...more 
Have a Question?

If you have a topic you would like addressed in Astronology, or some feedback on a past article, don't hesitate to tell us!  Simply reply to this e-mail.  See your question answered, or comments addressed, in an upcoming issue of Astronology.

Looking for a top-notch presenter for your human resource organization's meeting?  Both Jennifer Loftus and Michael Maciekowich present highly-rated sessions on a variety of compensation and employee retention issues.  For more information, send an e-mail to info@astronsolutions.com.

The Fine Print

We hold your e-mail address in trust.  Astron Solutions promises never to share or rent your personal information.  We also promise never to send you frivolous e-mails and will allow you to leave our list, at your option, at any time.

To remove yourself from this list, please follow your personalized subscriber link at the bottom of your Astronology alert e-mail.

Copyright 2009, Astron Solutions, LLC

ISSN Number 1549-0467

Quick Links

World of HR Blog

Bringing you Human Resource news from around the globe...compliments of Astron Solutions.

More

Join Our Mailing List
 

Saturday, June 13, 2009

View From the Seats

Todays view from the seats (today, actually standing room) comes from Citizen Bank Park in Philadelphia where the game is currently delayed by rain.

The Phillies had about as bad a top of the first you can have at home. Bastardo was all over the place and walked way too many. Jason Bay hit a bomb of a homerun. The Phillies had 3 errors, including a two base error by Ryan Howard that should have looked like this in the boxscore: E-3, laziness. Seriously. Made Luis Castillo look like a good fielder (just kidding). And then instead of walking Lugo to get to Dice-K, Bastardo finally throws a strike and Lugo hits what should have been a single to center...which of course Shane Victorino let go past him leading to the bases being cleared.

So the Red Sox have 5 runs on 3 hits and 3 Philly errors. Although I won't be back, I wouldn't mind them raining out this game. It's nasty here and I can't stand to see the BoSox win anymore. Will update later if there's anything worth updating from The City of Brotherly Love.

UPDATE: realize I sent this to the wrong place...but hope you enjoyed my baseball update :)

Friday, June 12, 2009

Google, Twitter and Employee Surveys

-First up on our Friday is Wallet Pop which has an article about Google fighting brain drain with an algorithm

-Social Media Today continues by talking about Twitter and the cost to a company by judging the opportunity cost of not allowing employees to use it during work hours

-Lastly, HR Resource talks about the value of employee engagement surveys as part of a change management strategy

Have a great weekend!