So, just a quick note to tell you where technology has arrived. On the airplane! Kuduo's to AA for having wi/fi access now on the plane. What gets me thinking on this is really specifically the technology jobs that will be created (most likely for contract work) when the other airlines get on board with this next generation of on flight entertainment. Consider the thousands of planes that will need to be equipped with routes, wires, etc to get this going. Keep an eye out....Brian
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Monday, October 12, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Quick and Dirty Hiring Tips
One for the employers out there! The saying I live by, have taught hundreds of hiring managers on, and did I mention live by? is the following:
60% of hiring decisions are based on the soft skills and “fit” of an individual in the culture of the organization/team and 40% based on “skill”.
So to be great at making “great” hiring decisions takes a little bit of time to prepare.
Step 1: You have to define what your “ideal” person brings to the table. Don't use a laundry list of skills.
Those are easy and conventional wisdom has told you to do that before! I'm talking about what they bring... baggage and all! Values, ethics, passion, direction, mental toughness… GET THE PICTURE? You need to understand what the “ideal” candidate is before you can interview someone for the job. For example, make a scorecard. Put on there not only the old “job description” info, but also put down specifics on how they behave. Once you have that, you can ask very specific questions on past situations that either do or do not match to the predicted behaviors you want on your team.
Step 2: The values of the company must match the values of the individual you are interviewing.
If you want to create a vision, everyone needs to sing to the same sheet of music. If you deviate from the scorecard and do not interview for the values you are looking to match between candidate and company, you may end up hiring someone that does not fit. This can create issues in your group and you may even risk losing team members you find valuable all because you skipped steps and hired the wrong person with the mismatched values.
There is a butt for every seat, but not every butt fits the seat in your company!
DEFINE WHAT WORKS FOR YOUR COMPANY…WRITE IT DOWN! USE IT! RANK AGAINST IT! HIRE ONLY THOSE THAT SHOW PAST PERFORMANCE ON THE BEHAVIORS AND VALUES OF YOUR COMPANY!
Read more!
60% of hiring decisions are based on the soft skills and “fit” of an individual in the culture of the organization/team and 40% based on “skill”.
So to be great at making “great” hiring decisions takes a little bit of time to prepare.
Step 1: You have to define what your “ideal” person brings to the table. Don't use a laundry list of skills.
Those are easy and conventional wisdom has told you to do that before! I'm talking about what they bring... baggage and all! Values, ethics, passion, direction, mental toughness… GET THE PICTURE? You need to understand what the “ideal” candidate is before you can interview someone for the job. For example, make a scorecard. Put on there not only the old “job description” info, but also put down specifics on how they behave. Once you have that, you can ask very specific questions on past situations that either do or do not match to the predicted behaviors you want on your team.
Step 2: The values of the company must match the values of the individual you are interviewing.
If you want to create a vision, everyone needs to sing to the same sheet of music. If you deviate from the scorecard and do not interview for the values you are looking to match between candidate and company, you may end up hiring someone that does not fit. This can create issues in your group and you may even risk losing team members you find valuable all because you skipped steps and hired the wrong person with the mismatched values.
There is a butt for every seat, but not every butt fits the seat in your company!
DEFINE WHAT WORKS FOR YOUR COMPANY…WRITE IT DOWN! USE IT! RANK AGAINST IT! HIRE ONLY THOSE THAT SHOW PAST PERFORMANCE ON THE BEHAVIORS AND VALUES OF YOUR COMPANY!
Read more!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
What do recent increases in the unemployment rate mean for staffing?
On July 2, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an increase in the unemployment rate to 9.5 percent, reaching its highest number since 1983. The Labor Bureau also went on to report that the number of unemployed persons has increased by 7.2 million since the start of the recession in December 2007.
According to the Labor Bureau statistics, "job losses were widespread across the major industry sectors, with large declines occurring in manufacturing, professional and business services, and construction."
At a time when jobs seem so scarce, increased numbers of top-quality job candidates are becoming immediately available. Recruiting offers continual opportunities for these individuals, who can serve as a reliable source for staffing placements.
According to an article published on ERE, “there is evidence that while monthly job losses have eased since the winter, the economy is not yet in recovery.”
Recruiting provides options that are easier, more cost effective and less permanent through outsourcing and staff augmentation solutions. Companies can save time and money while producing the best results with these top-quality job candidates.
We will discuss the important role of the recruiter in the hiring process. What characteristics make an exceptional recruiter?
Read more!
According to the Labor Bureau statistics, "job losses were widespread across the major industry sectors, with large declines occurring in manufacturing, professional and business services, and construction."
At a time when jobs seem so scarce, increased numbers of top-quality job candidates are becoming immediately available. Recruiting offers continual opportunities for these individuals, who can serve as a reliable source for staffing placements.
According to an article published on ERE, “there is evidence that while monthly job losses have eased since the winter, the economy is not yet in recovery.”
Recruiting provides options that are easier, more cost effective and less permanent through outsourcing and staff augmentation solutions. Companies can save time and money while producing the best results with these top-quality job candidates.
We will discuss the important role of the recruiter in the hiring process. What characteristics make an exceptional recruiter?
Read more!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
SkillStorm
June news for SkillStorm!
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- SkillStorm is now working with Liberty Power. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Liberty Power is one of only four national retail electric providers licensed in 16 or more states and is the only certified, minority-owned, independent retail electric provider with a national presence. SkillStorm is providing Liberty Power with development team and Information Technology support.
- SkillStorm recently provided a Linux administrator to Jettis Technologies. Based in South Florida, Jettis Technologies offers end-to-end, real time secure transaction processing solutions.
- SkillStorm recently provided a Web Developer to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. PADI is the world’s leading scuba diving training organization. With more than forty years experience and 5,300 dive shops and resorts worldwide, PADI training materials and services let people experience scuba diving from nearly anywhere.
- SkillStorm recently provided a Technical Support Representative to the Governance Institute. The Governance Institute is a membership organization serving non-profit hospital and health system boards of directors, executives and physician leadership. Based in San Diego, this organization conducts research studies, tracks healthcare industry trends, and showcases governance practices of leading healthcare boards across the country.
- SkillStorm is currently providing engineering recruiting support to Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG). PSEG is a publicly traded, diversified energy company headquartered in New Jersey, and one of the ten largest electric companies in the U.S.
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Are Resumes True?
So, for all readers out there that have ever hired anyone, here is a great question for you: How many interviews have you done (Percentage wise) where what was on the resume did not actually match up to what the person had done on the job? Well, I'm sure you are thinking carefully about this...right? I can tell you in 14 years of hiring internal sales member, plus the 5000+ interviews I have completed for my placement at customers, more than 60% of all resumes I have seen do not match 100% with the truth of what someone has accomplished.
Hence my creation of the following: "There are 2 times in someone's life when they are perfect. 1) When they are born and 2) When they write their resume!"
So, 2 quick lesson's need to be learned here for both the hiring manager (interviewer) and the job seeker (interviewee): 1) Don’t lie! It will all come out in the end and you will certainly lose credibility with anyone you’re interviewing with immediately. 2) Managers, dig and dig deep! Be a master at getting to the truth. I don’t think people are liars by nature, but remember, this is their personal commercial and embellishment happens all the time. It is your job to not just look at the fit of the person to your team, but look at the ethics of how they present themselves. If they embellish on the resume, what will they do in your workplace?
For more tips, follow the blog here and/or contact a SkillStorm representative.
Read more!
Hence my creation of the following: "There are 2 times in someone's life when they are perfect. 1) When they are born and 2) When they write their resume!"
So, 2 quick lesson's need to be learned here for both the hiring manager (interviewer) and the job seeker (interviewee): 1) Don’t lie! It will all come out in the end and you will certainly lose credibility with anyone you’re interviewing with immediately. 2) Managers, dig and dig deep! Be a master at getting to the truth. I don’t think people are liars by nature, but remember, this is their personal commercial and embellishment happens all the time. It is your job to not just look at the fit of the person to your team, but look at the ethics of how they present themselves. If they embellish on the resume, what will they do in your workplace?
For more tips, follow the blog here and/or contact a SkillStorm representative.
Read more!
Friday, June 12, 2009
SkillStorm Lends a Hand!
This week our Dallas office lent a helping hand to the Mi Escuelita preschool. Mi Escuelita is an inner city preschool where many families are below the poverty level. The school needed to be cleaned, organized and rearranged in order to shut down until the students return in the fall. Our SkillStorm team assisted with the clean up and shut down of the school for the summer. SkillStorm learned about Mi Escuelita through a local connection with the Salvation Army.
After supporting the Salvation Army Angel Tree program every year, the office decided as a team to look into other community service programs offered throughout the year and not just at Christmas. Mi Escuelita served as a great way for SkillStorm to support the school, the staff and most of all the children.
“We thought it was a great experience. It was the least we could do for the teachers and other staff that work so hard throughout the year,” said Ted Stout, Managing Partner of SkillStorm. “Now that the school’s summer vacation has been shortened due to a new schedule, the last thing they want to do is spend that time cleaning the school. That’s where we come in! We were able to assist with sweeping, mopping and washing all of the various toys, puzzle pieces, letters & numbers, chairs etc. Basically, anything that the children use on a day to day basis.”
While the Dallas team was there, the staff and many teachers made a video to show at their Teacher Appreciation Dinner this week. They made a music video to the Nickelback song, “Rockstar. “It was great to see them all unwind and have fun together after the stresses of the school year.” said Stout. “We will be looking for the video on YouTube soon!
About Mi Escuelita Preschool :
Mi Escuelita serves children ages 2-5 and is located at St Matthews in Dallas. Mi Escuelita Head Start locations admit children ages 3-4, while Mi Escuelita Private locations admit children ages 2½-4. With over 80% of language skills developed by age 5, early childhood education is imperative to reduce dropout rates in later years. In Dallas, the dropout rate among Hispanic children with limited English proficiency is estimated to be 64%. Over 80% of Hispanic dropouts claim that their inability to effectively communicate in English significantly impacted their decision to leave school. Mi Escuelita works with at-risk children to ensure that they receive a quality education as well as preventative health, dental, vision, nutritional, speech, and behavioral care.
To learn more about Mi Escuelita and how you can get involved visit their website at www.miescuelita.org
Read more!
After supporting the Salvation Army Angel Tree program every year, the office decided as a team to look into other community service programs offered throughout the year and not just at Christmas. Mi Escuelita served as a great way for SkillStorm to support the school, the staff and most of all the children.
“We thought it was a great experience. It was the least we could do for the teachers and other staff that work so hard throughout the year,” said Ted Stout, Managing Partner of SkillStorm. “Now that the school’s summer vacation has been shortened due to a new schedule, the last thing they want to do is spend that time cleaning the school. That’s where we come in! We were able to assist with sweeping, mopping and washing all of the various toys, puzzle pieces, letters & numbers, chairs etc. Basically, anything that the children use on a day to day basis.”
While the Dallas team was there, the staff and many teachers made a video to show at their Teacher Appreciation Dinner this week. They made a music video to the Nickelback song, “Rockstar. “It was great to see them all unwind and have fun together after the stresses of the school year.” said Stout. “We will be looking for the video on YouTube soon!
About Mi Escuelita Preschool :
Mi Escuelita serves children ages 2-5 and is located at St Matthews in Dallas. Mi Escuelita Head Start locations admit children ages 3-4, while Mi Escuelita Private locations admit children ages 2½-4. With over 80% of language skills developed by age 5, early childhood education is imperative to reduce dropout rates in later years. In Dallas, the dropout rate among Hispanic children with limited English proficiency is estimated to be 64%. Over 80% of Hispanic dropouts claim that their inability to effectively communicate in English significantly impacted their decision to leave school. Mi Escuelita works with at-risk children to ensure that they receive a quality education as well as preventative health, dental, vision, nutritional, speech, and behavioral care.
To learn more about Mi Escuelita and how you can get involved visit their website at www.miescuelita.org
Read more!
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