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Organizational Culture? You’ll Know It When You Hear It

noreply@MyPath.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:45:08 GMT

You’re out there interviewing for jobs. You’ve decided that, in your next gig, you want to work for an employer that clearly and observably values its relationship with its employees. So, in prepping for your interviews, you compose this question, and you set out to ask it to anyone who will listen, every time the chance arises:

“Can you share with me a few specific examples of employee programs, benefits, or perks offered here that might best represent the organizational culture here?”

Then, listen up. But to be sure you’ll recognize a good answer when you hear one, I suggest you read the February 8, 2010 Fortune Magazine's "Best 100 Companies To Work For" article. Here’s how some of those employers would answer that question:

Wegman’s Food Markets would say: We over 36,000 employees, and have been in business for 94 years. And in all those years, we have never had a layoff. In 94 years. And more than 4000 of our current employees have been with us for over 15 years.

Baptist Health South Florida would say: We just put $2mm into a new benefits program that focuses on work / life balance, leadership development, and employee retention. The $2MM includes funds for a three-year retention program that pays out retention bonuses of $1500 - $4000 annually to employees who stay with us.

Nustar Energy would say: We have a no layoff policy, free health insurance for employees and their families, an old-fashioned defined benefit pension plan for all employees, and a turnover rate of 3%.

Whole Foods would say: Salary cap limits are in place here that restrict the top wage earners in the company to making no more than 19 times the average hourly employee rate.

American Fidelity Assurance would say: We have over 1500 employees, and over 25% of them have been here longer than 15 years.

Adobe Systems would say: For one week every May, we have what we call Community Action Week. During this week, our employees are free to volunteer for public service projects - across the world. Also, based on tenure, our employees can become eligible for periodic 6-week paid sabbaticals.

And the big winner, SAS in North Carolina, would say: We have a campus here that includes a 66,000 square foot fitness center and swimming pool complex, and an on-site medical center with 4 doctors and 10 nurse practitioners – both are free. The health care facility doesn’t even have a billing department. On-site childcare is available to all at a steep discount, along with summer camps for our employees’ kids on campus. 90% of health care premiums are paid by the company, and all employees are granted unlimited sick days. And our turnover rate is the lowest in the software industry: 2%.

I’m curious: What’s the best answer YOUR employer would give?

Hopeful Signs for the Jobless Rate?

noreply@MyPath.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:42:17 GMT

WSJ Blogs reports on the unemployment rate decline based on a recent Labor Department survey.

Taking Charge at Work

noreply@MyPath.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:27:41 GMT

Advice for taking on new responsibilties and advancing at your job
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Upside of E-Learning

noreply@MyPath.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:25:46 GMT

In the old days, you'd often have to travel and serve as someone's apprentice if you wanted to change careers. Now, e-learning makes getting educated about something new a lot faster and simpler.
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JobCamp3 Time Change!

noreply@MyPath.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:19:40 GMT

Due to added features, Milwaukee JobCamp3 now begins at 8:30 AM instead of 9. Check out the flyer here.

Find out more about the events at this year's JobCamp.

Improve Your Job Interviews with Scripts and Tape

noreply@MyPath.com — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:33:51 GMT

I discuss job interview strategies regularly during meetings with customers, mock job interviews and seminars. Some recent experiences of my own have given me new perspectives on the topic. To publicize my book, I have conducted several interviews on radio beginning in December. Several were taped for future broadcasts, so I was able to listen at air time. Others I have downloaded to save and replay on my own.

In my initial interviews, I simply answered the questions of the host, many of whom encouraged me to speak as long as I wanted. After a few interviews, another author (my sister Maureen Dezell) advised me that she always prepares bullet points prior to a radio interview, so I began doing this. My most recent interview was one hour for the Career Catalyst show on BlogTalkRadio. The host, Kenrick Chatman, has sent me a script of questions ahead of time. Here I outlined my answers prior to air time.

As I listen back to my interviews, I’m struck at how much better I sound in the interviews where I had bullet points prepared. People that have heard me on multiple shows agree. What concerned me was that in some instances of longer answers, while speaking freely, I heard myself either make mistakes or confuse my message.

I will now always emphasize anyone involved in a job search to find a way to tape yourself in a mock interview setting. You will discover many things of your delivery that you will want to improve. Plus prepare a list of bullet points you want to make. Interestingly, I need to encourage this more in extroverts. Many of them feel that they don’t need such preparation since they are comfortable talking to people. Since most interviews involve open-ended questions, extroverts are more prone to ramble and not get to the point. I saw that problem in myself after hearing a tape of my answers to such style of questions.

Make the Most Efficient Use of Your Search Time

noreply@MyPath.com — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:05:38 GMT

Hei Tom, great to have the opportunity to reply to your article...how about my situation...I have been in Finland 5 months now and my only friend is my wife and her family do not speak English. Also I have no colleagues because I havent been working here. Its not that easy being here contacting people, companies or potential experts in my industry. Most dont return email messages, they keep telling me I must be fluent in Finnish ( it takes 5 years for that), loads of experience but just too old. 99% of the employment agency websites are in Finnish and when I rack up huge phone bills on follow ups to my unanswered emails its the same effect, too many English Teachers & we dont need any more, try again in spring, summer or autumn 2010. I will call you when I need you or when are you going back to Australia? Of course there are in excess of 300,000 unemployed here about 8.4 % of the population...I have a few names on my network at facebook but they are not in Finland and not work related. I also have a profile at LinkedIn but havent received any enquiries...Please Tom what do you recommend I should do...Regards Franko.

How can I start my own Job search network ?

noreply@MyPath.com — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:41:52 GMT

http://www.facebook.com/taqi.poya?ref=profile

Please go to the above link and read my comments about my search for work in Finland as a Native English Teacher.

Also when you are there have a look at the links to Manpower. fi (facebook)

There is more stuff about the Job situation I find myself in.

Your help and advise is sort on how to create a network & how to manage it???

Thanks a lot...

Franko

Listen your way to your next job

noreply@MyPath.com — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:04:26 GMT

Social media makes it so easy to share thoughts -- but that's not where the greatest value lies. If we learn to listen well we can pick up on trends and grasp new ideas -- and even make that next career move a little less scary.

This article on ReadWriteWeb is aimed at marketers. It's called 5 Simple Twitter Listening Tips Every Marketer Should Know. If you're looking for a new career opportunity -- which is really all about marketing you -- read it while thinking about the potential employers you might learn about.

Here are a couple of excerpts:

Hashtags are basically a hack for the search system to easily find everything on a particular subject
The true power of Twitter is realized when you start to use search, groups and conversation tools to build community, networks and identify expertise around your product, service or learn about a particular topic of interest

MyPath in the News

noreply@MyPath.com — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:33:17 GMT

Check out these video interviews with Jeff Joerres, Chairman and CEO of Manpower Inc, about the job market, job creation, social/commercial networking and how you can help yourself find the right career with MyPath:

CNNMoney.com

http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2010/02/02/n_manpower_ceo_davos.cnnmoney/

Davos Hub Culture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyEAxgdxilQ