ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2007 > January
January 2007
Is 50 the new 30 for employers?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With life expectancy growing with time, it is not surprising the average life expectancy is 77.9 years. With the pharmaceutical innovations and medical advances in the 21st century, it is understandable that life expectancy would be moving in a positive direction. If people are living longer, chances are they will need to work longer. How will this affect the jobseeker 50 years young?
Let’s first evaluate why employers care about age? Some thoughts:
Employers will spend more on health insurance and life insurance as their employees live longer. This is an amazing expense for organizations.
The perception of employees having less energy and becoming tired quicker is a concern for employers with older employees.
Expectation of more money is a concern for employers. Employers know the younger employees do not expect the salary of a seasoned professional with 35 years of experience.
Less IT experience is a concern. It is assumed in many cases that older professionals are not as proficient in Information Technology.
Think of it like a heavyweight-boxing match. You are both over 201 pounds, however you are the larger boxer (the baby boomer) and the newer generation is the smaller boxer. The strengths of the larger boxer are more strength and harder punches thrown or in the job market stronger loyalty and better at relationship building many times, because the baby boomers tend to take it slower.
The smaller boxer has benefits too. The smaller boxer or current generation has benefits too. A benefit for a younger job seeker can be speed and catching on to new concepts faster in many cases. Go into an interview armed with this information and demonstrate your loyalty to your profession and thorough professionalism on your resume. This will assist you in articulating the benefits of a boomer and convincing the interviewer that if 50 is the new 30, 70 is not bad. Good luck out there - use your knowledge and successes to win the match!
Professional “Discourtesies”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Raise your hand if you’ve sat through a long, mind-numbing meeting pretending to care about the topic of discussion, while another meeting participant sits across from you typing merrily away on his laptop, or his blackberry or his cell phone.
Keep your hand up if this makes your blood boil. Somehow this laptop clicker, text messenger guy assumes that his time is much more valuable than yours and he can’t be bothered to sit there politely like everyone else and pretend to pay attention. The topic may not directly pertain to you either but by paying attention, you’re extending a professional courtesy to the person in charge of the meeting. It’s simply the polite thing to do.
Keep your hand up also, if the source or your frustration is the colleague who cuts you off mid-thought during conversations. You can scarcely finish your sentence, before she jumps in with a “Well, what you have to understand is…” and asserts herself as the most knowledgeable person in the industry. You do understand what you’re talking about. You’ve just not had time to finish your thought.
You may be able to name a hundred equally irritating behaviors exhibited by your coworkers during a meeting and how you handle the situation depends on the offender. Sadly, it’s sometimes not your coworkers, but your managers who are discourteous. This is most egregious because aside from poor etiquette, they’re setting a bad example for others in the company and destroying office morale.
How have you been effected by professional “discourtesies” in the workplace?
Are you ‘really’ sick?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Several years ago there was a T-shirt with an illustration of Dogbert, a character from the Dilbert comic strip, talking on the phone. The punch line: “Sick days are just vacation days with sound effects.” Clearly, Dogbert wasn’t going to be spending the “sick day” on the sofa with a box of tissues, a bottle of cough syrup and the remote control.
A recent article in the AJC noted that February is the month with the highest number of employee absences, so the “vacation days with sound effects” should be kicking into high gear soon.
As an employee, do you feel that you’re entitled to use your sick days, even if you happen to be blessed with good health? Have you ever taken sick days when you actually felt well? Did you feel any pangs of guilt? Did you get caught? What are some of the excuses you have used for missing work? Did you ever come up with something really creative, and did the boss buy it?
Bosses, have you ever caught your employees trying to pull a fast one with sick days? What are some interesting or inventive reasons you’ve been given? If you have detected faux sick days, what did you do? Did you laugh it off, figuring we’ve all been there, or were there disciplinary actions?
Should the Confederate Flag impact your career?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, it could if you were in South Carolina. Corporations looking to expand or relocate, seek out non controversial locations. South Carolina is not high on the list right now.
Political and social pressure influenced the State of South Carolina to remove the Confederate Flag from its State Capital building in 2000. The flag was moved to a state memorial for Confederate soldiers on the capital grounds. Seven years later, neither group is satisfied and the controversy has continued.
Several conventions, corporations and professional groups have eliminated South Carolina as a destination for their events. One such group is the National College Athletic Association (NCAA). The NCAA placed a ban on post season sporting events and it is looking to extend that ban if the flag does not come down. In addition to the financial impact this has had on the State of South Carolina economy, it has some impact on college athletes at the universities, including the University of South Carolina, Clemson and Duke.
Cities like Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia are convention and tourist destinations. If you recall, there was a great deal of debate on the prior Georgia State Flag which was in existence 44-years (1956 through 2000).The governor(s) and the legislation listen and understood the negative impact the prior Georgia State flag had on corporate and political influencers and changed the flag.
Personally, none of these flags bother me. I only salute to the one that fly’s over all fifty states. Although we may not like the decisions made about the flag, our economy, our job market, environment, and future has a brighter outlook.
Getting Organized: The Annual Battle
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At the beginning of each year, one of the most common resolutions people make is to organize their lives, homes and offices. To me this indicates that there are a multitude of us out there who just don’t keep ourselves as organized as we should.
My downfall is my office and more specifically anything that has to do with paper - file folders, correspondence, project information, bank statements, investment statements and on and on. What ever happened to the paperless society we were promised with the computer age?
Coming into an office that is cluttered and unorganized is not only frustrating and demoralizing, it can become a major source of lost productivity. You just have that defeated feeling before you ever begin.
Office supply stores cash in on the desire to have an organized workspace by offering so many storage solutions that just making a choice is difficult and frustrating as well.
Professional organizers are available to help but not everyone has the time or money to employ another person to organize their life. Self-help sites such as The Time Manager offer solutions to managing your clutter and living a more productive work life. But you know, the desire and the ability to take that first step is often most difficult. Becoming more organized can be as hard as forcing yourself to save for retirement, quitting smoking or adhering to a diet. Will-power, that’s what it takes.
Now, how about you? Are you organized? If so, pleeeease help the rest of us. What works for you? What motivates you and what books, services or websites were most effective? On the other hand, if you are in the midst of the battle to defeat clutter, what motivated you to change and how did you overcome the initial inertia?
As things change, some things stay the same
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Man invented the wheel 100,000 years ago, created Windows 22 years ago, and rolled out SAP R/3 13 years ago. It’s all been downhill from there. Year after year, man continues this endless journey of creation and “evolution” in an effort to change status quo…change, change, change with tool upon tool.
By our very nature, we constantly want to make things faster and better (and after we learned to barter - cheaper).
In the workplace, have our tools (you know, the six, seven, and eight figure investments) made life easier? Often, we fashion IT solutions in-house or make costly purchases of off-the-shelf software packages to automate finance/accounting, sales/marketing, manufacturing, logistics, and HR functions, etc. We are automation machines.
When man invented the wheel, I’m sure there was a bit of culture shock. How would this new solution integrate into their day-to-day lives? What existing methods would it replace? Who stood out in the crowd as a role model in accepting this new gizmo? Who would own, manage, and disseminate this knowledge to ensure others benefited? Who was appointed “change agent” to guide those that were scared or reluctant into this new paradigm? How would groups work together to standardize methods and share best practices?
Has your division or organization recently rolled out another tool to improve productivity, quality, or timeliness of information? Was the proper planning done to ensure cultural acceptance of the solution? Was change management top of mind or an afterthought?
It’s a shame when a company spends $20 million for a new tool only to fully utilize less than 50% of its capacity…all because people can’t or won’t embrace the new way or accept change.
Getting people to align with processes is the only way to effect productivity. Perhaps all organizations need a Pied Piper to lead the change. Who is the Pied Piper in your company?
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Can you say yes to yourself?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There is no question that most people say work-life balance is critical. I would say that it has been on the top 5 of the “must have” list for most of my clients in recent years.
But reality doesn’t always synch up with our desires. The other day, a client told me, with a tinge of regret, that she would be cutting back on her newly launched personal trainer sessions. Why? Her office has a “face time” mentality-that is you need to be on site until 6:30 p.m. each night or you are not seen as a player. When asked if she had a choice in the matter, she said no, not really.
Can you say no in corporate America today? I think that is important to check out the corporate climate you are in or are entering. It’s great if you can find a spot in the increasing number of places that value a balanced lifestyle. These places are made up of people who know that you bring a healthy perspective to your job if you also have a life. It may not even be a department or office but could even be your manager.
If you value health and fitness then why not explain to your boss that you have a standing appointment and leave the guilt at home.If she wants to punish you despite your performance than seriously evaluate the situation.Unfortunately, my client probably has lost the war before she has begun to fight.
Any thoughts on how to manage this tricky path of work life balance?
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What’s your Sales Quota for the New Year?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“I was having a great year and now I have to start over … and with a bigger quota!”
“When is management going to get us our new quota and new compensation plan?”
“This new compensation plan is complicated!”
“I hate changing to a new territory!”
Are you a quota salesperson? Every one of these things statements has happened to me. It’s probably been about 50-50 that changes in quota, compensation, territory, etc. for the New Year have been a good thing. And with 50% of the changes making the situation worse, that’s bad odds!
(If you’re not a quota salesperson, you probably have been through and may be going through your own new sets of goals, objectives, organizational changes, etc. for the start of the year.)
Sometimes things were “broke” and they needed fixing. However, sometimes things weren’t broke and they got changed anyhow. When that happened, I either had to live with the changes or spend months trying to get things back to where they were.
Of my co-workers who were in departments other than sales, I could count on some of them getting behind us and help us though the changes. Others could get very aggressive and expect us to just “deal” with it.
As a salesperson, what changes are you facing? How do you plan to deal with them? What kind of support do you think you’ll get?
Sales people seem to be looked upon in extremes. There doesn’t seem to be a mid-ground. If you’re not in sales, how do you feel about the sales people in your company? How are the sales people treated in our company?
Are you interviewing???
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Recently, I coached an individual who shared with me that she was being over-worked and considering making a change. Having been employed with the same company for more than 7 years, she was contemplating leaving due to the never-ending stress of this current position.
In addition to grueling 14 hours days, multiple re-organizations, and constantly shifting responsibilities, this professional had reached a serious burn-out point that was driving her to want to leave her job. Not only had this loyal employee tolerated a boss who never understood any realistic human limitations, her boss confronted her on multiple occasions when she needed to leave the office during the day with the question: Are you interviewing? She asked me what she should say since now she was going to actually begin interviewing to find a new employer.
My advice to her was to reply with a smile when asked the question of whether she was interviewing: Should I be? Another possible response could be: What makes you ask that question? Answering a question with a question boomerangs the focus of the conversation back to them and begs their reply without providing your answer. Some adversarial people will not be satisfied with that answer and point out that you didn’t answer the question.
At this juncture, you have to decide whether you feel obligated to truthfully respond to question. The problem with answering ‘yes’ even when it’s the truth is that you may find yourself in the unemployment line by nightfall. The problem with answering ‘no’ when yes is the truth is that hopefully you don’t like to lie and frankly may not be good at it. The fundamental problem is the question itself. No boss should ask the question since it is really not their right to know the answer. I believe question is usually asked when your boss senses your dissatisfaction.
Ideally managers would get better at addressing employee dissatisfaction in a proactive way, prior to employee burn-out. Unfortunately often times, they are under too much pressure themselves, or planning their own exit strategy. Since it is an unfair question to ask, try converting the question into an opportunity to have a meeting with your manager.
Set aside time to discuss what you like about your job and some of the things you would like to see changed or improved to achieve greater satisfaction in the position. Whether you stay employed for a few more days or a few more years, finding a way to improve your circumstances, your results, and your attitude will serve both you and your boss very well.
What are the hidden perks of your job?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sometimes, we just really luck out when we get a new job! It’s great that the job is interesting and that we’re happy to be in our new role. But it’s even better to land at a place that offers its employees small, unwritten perks that cost the company very little, but really make a difference in the work life of the employees.
Some companies randomly give away sports tickets to a lucky winner a few times per year. One company I know keeps the fridge stocked with sodas for the office staff. Another company has an agreement with the YMCA for discounted membership and offers employees flexible lunch hours, so they can work out during the day.
One of the managers I worked for several years ago would schedule our staff meetings for 3:00 pm, every other Friday. We had offices all around town, so it made sense for us to meet at a central, off-site location. Most of the time, we finished our meetings a little early, so we all looked forward to beating rush hour traffic and getting home early on those Fridays. This little perk cost the company nothing and fostered a positive attitude among our staff.
Flex-time or the ability to occasionally work from home is perhaps one of the biggest perks that companies can offer. In a city like Atlanta, when traffic is miserable and unpredictable, having a staggered start time makes a lot of sense. What a fabulous perk to be able to work from your laptop on your back deck on a warm, spring day! That is, as long are you’re actually working!
What kinds of hidden perks are you finding at the places you’ve worked? Are there any perks that you miss now that you’re not at your former employer? Any ideas for Atlanta employers who are looking for creative workplace solutions to boost employee retention and morale?
Unions hope to gain members with new Congress
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Labor unions, like the AFL-CIO hope to increase union membership with the newly elected democratic congress. Massachusetts’s Democratic Senator Ed Kennedy and California’s House of Representative George Miller are expected to sponsor a bill that will force employers in the U.S. to recognize a union as the official collective bargaining agent, if the majority of the workers in a company sign cards favoring representation.
Under current labor laws in the U.S., the card sign up process only allows union organizers to conduct a organizing campaign at the company, however, an actual election among the company work group has to take place during the campaign and the union is recognized as the collective bargaining representative only if a 51% majority of those who vote say yes to a union. Under this potential legislation, there would not be a secret-ballot election process.
Labor statistics show that employees represented by labor unions have declined. There are many factors that contribute to this trend including deregulation, a decrease in manufacturing in the U.S., increase competition from non-union competitors, a more positive environment in the U.S. workforce between employers and workers, off shoring, and a significant increase in a workforce that does not feel inclined to be represented by a union.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, twelve out of every one-hundred American workers (12.5 percent) belong to a union. The largest percentages of these workers are employed by the Federal, State or local Government.
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Does your company observe MLK day?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, January 15, 2007 is the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday (MLK day). Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential people during the civil rights movement in the 50’s and 60’s. He was assassinated in 1968.
After Dr. King’s assassination, several petitions were submitted to Congress to create a National holiday honoring Dr. King. There were mixed feelings about creating a holiday for several years to follow.
In 1980, singer song writer Stevie Wonder released a song “Happy Birthday” which is written in honor of the memory of Dr. King. Wonder’s Happy Birthday song grew in popularity and became the theme song at the “Rally for Peace Press Conference” in 1981. Approximately six million signatures were collected on a petition and submitted to Congress.
Congress overwhelmingly passed a bill that was signed by President Reagan on November 3, 1983. MLK day was officially observed as a Federal holiday on January 20, 1986.
In the beginning, not all state governments observed the MLK Federal holiday. It wasn’t until January 17, 2000, that all 50 U.S. states honored MLK day as a Federal and State holiday.
The objective of MLK day is to honor and pay respect to the work of Dr. King for his contributions to society. MLK day is the third Monday of January, which is in proximity to Dr. King’s birthday, January 15th.
Some companies ask their staff to participate in volunteerism, while others are off playing golf!
Does your company observe MLK day or do you have to work on Monday?
Things to consider before your next interview…
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Distinguish yourself from your competition in the job market. With awareness of a few small things commonly overlooked by a jobseeker you will be sure to get the recruiter’s attention in the first interview.
Start with a great first impression - Have confidence, look nice in your suit, shake firm but not over the top and never do the “kiss your hand” handshake. Make eye contact and smile during the interview, but not too much. You want to show personality. We all know it is always uncomfortable in an interview when you are dealing with a candidate that is stone-faced and exhibits little personality.
No colored paper or clip art on your resume - The focus of a resume is your professionalism and successes throughout your career, not the cleaver way you printed your resume on a light leopard print. You are getting a new professional job, not applying for a part in Legally Blonde 3.
Read your audience - Answer the interview questions concisely and be sure you stay on topic. Don’t ramble so much that you forget the question. This is not the time for you to discuss your life, old bosses or anything in this area. If you know there is a chance you could fall into this trap, practice your answers to some general interview questions ahead of time with a friend. Nobody wants a motor mouth with unending information to convey. Stick to the point.
Make eye contact - Have some self respect. Look at the interviewer with confidence. Engage the interviewer. Make them really get to know you. Answer the questions looking the interviewer directly in the eyes. That is a good way to keep the interviewer’s attention and make an impression.
Armed with this information, you can go in to your next interview and make a great first impression.
Work for the best company in Georgia?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Earlier this week, an AJC Business story revealed a list released by Fortune that highlights the best companies to work for in Georgia.
A lot of Atlanta-based businesses were highly ranked, including law firm Alston & Bird (19th), Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (35th), and HomeBanc Mortgage (67th) to name a few. Here is the full list of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Some of those companies were cited for the services and amenities they provide to their employees, for instance, daycare facilities, bonuses, and use of the executive dining room were just some of the perks.
How do you feel about your employer and the services they provide for you? What constitutes a really good place to work?
Do you work at one of the ‘best’ companies? What makes your company such a good place to work even if it’s not included on Fortune’s list?
Never Too Early: Transitions to Retirement
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Most believe retirement is a phase at the end of a career where you become career-less and carefree. Whatever your beliefs about retirement, it’s never too early to start planning your trajectory toward this milestone or as I see it, one of a series of milestones.
Whether retirement is in the distant future or just a few years away, some areas you must force yourself to look at are:
Are you saving enough and are you investing wisely? Get advice and know what you will need to maintain that retirement lifestyle. When you’re young, the easiest course is to decide that it’s just too depressing or too hard to make a decision about a financial planner. Begin saving early, find that balance between the day-to-day “needs or wants” and socking away something for the future.
Develop interests outside your profession; if you don’t plan to continue working in your field, what would you really want to do if you had the time?
Where do you find your friends and acquaintances? Is your job your life? Does your self-worth come from your title and responsibilities? If so, you’re already in trouble. Finding friends only at work can be a real problem when you leave the job.
What about housing? If you have kids now, begin thinking about what you will do when they leave - and they do leave before you can imagine it. Having a plan to stay or downsize helps in the long run.
Take care of your health - exercise, eat right, have regular checkups and focus on prevention and screenings for early diagnosis.
If your family has health problems, determine what they are and take early precautions and prevent or delay the onset. Even though only about 5% of people need a nursing home at the end of life, but for those who do, it can be financially devastating, think about a long-term care policy.
Finally, don’t forget your mind! Studies show that keeping the mind active through thinking games like sudoku or even better several different mind challenging activities can make a difference in the quality of memory and thinking as you age.
Have you begun to plan for your retirement? Anymore points to add to my checklist?
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Your check is in the mail
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Technology is slowly but surely removing this response from payer to the payee. Whether it is paying bills or payroll, electronic transfers are in.
Direct deposit for employee paychecks is becoming part of the norm. Many start-up companies and high-tech companies require employees to sign up for direct deposit.
For the employee, it is an instant guarantee that your money will be in your account at midnight prior to payday and it saves the employee the expense and time of having to travel to the bank.
Direct deposit prevents paychecks from getting lost in the mail, and more importantly, eliminates the fear of the paycheck bouncing or your bank teller explaining to you that it nears to clear both banks before you have access to the cash.
For the employer, it saves them money. Cutting real checks is more costly than direct deposit, even though the employer may still create a dummy check for tax and explanation purposes.
Employers are not beginning to take direct deposit to the next level by allowing employees to file their expense accounts online and receiving their expense account reimbursements also via direct deposit.
This process benefits the accounts payable department and eliminates the excuse of the check must be hung up in the Postal system.
Do you prefer electronic payments or just a plain old-fashioned check on pay day?
Home sweet home
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The New Year is filled with lots of trend predictions. In an AJC article on the changing designs of homes, one expert described kids bedrooms as containing “flat screen t.v.’s, a mini refrigerator and space to serve all his electronic needs. She went on to say that,”we shouldn’t expect them to leave when they are 18”.
Why should they?! There is little impetus to venture out on your own when you are so comfy at home. The cushy cocoon described by our trend watcher would make anybody hesitant about going to live in a mediocre apartment where you have to share a tight space, grocery shop, cook, clean and pay bills, etc.
Part of making the transition to the adult world is getting out and making it on your own. I know it is not easy today and people in their early 20’s are “boomeranging” after college while they save enough to move out.
They are often holding down multiple jobs and going to school. However, I also believe that you gain a sense of independence, self-confidence, and essential coping skills when you get out of that bedroom you grew up in. This sense of responsibility and initiative carries over to help you succeed at work.
Any of you holding out from moving out because it is too good at home? What about your parents? How do they feel? Do they support you so you don’t have to work?
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Lessons to learn from Jim Mora
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you have not heard, Falcon’s Coach Jim Mora Jr. was fired. The Falcon’s 2006 season ended with seven wins and nine loses.
Despite the unacceptable performance, Jim’s overall win-loss record with the Falcon’s is best in the NFC South.
Many believe the deciding factor for owner Arthur Blank was the comments Jim made on a Seattle Washington radio station a few weeks back.
Mora said that he would leave the Falcons in a minute for an opportunity to coach football at Washington State.
Joking or not, this comment cost the coach his job. I am sure at some point in his life, this was probably the ideal job Jim has in mind.
Most of us dream of an ideal job. The lessons we can learn from Jim’s experience are:
- Once the boss finds out you are looking for a job, you may get booted first.
- Don’t tell anyone publicly you are looking for a job.
- The grass always seems greener on the other side.
- Companies would rather hire someone who is happy in their current job vs. someone who is unhappy.
- Be careful about what you wish for, you just might get it!
Staying out of Office Politics
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Okay, I have a few questions for you, well, maybe more than a few - and I want some straight answers.
Are the political dramas of your workplace hindering or promoting achievement of organizational goals? How involved are you in office politics? Have you ever been burned by choosing the wrong side, gossiping to the wrong person, trusting the wrong person, assuming that work friendships are really friendships. Has a friend ever become the competition? All of the above can put your job and career in jeopardy.
Is it as simple as following the unwritten rules of political survival?
Don’t choose sides in an office controversy if you have the option.
Thou shalt not gossip. Trust no one; assume anything you say will go elsewhere, probably just where it shouldn’t go, so be careful what you say.
In most cases, never completely trust a work friendship, one day they’re your friend, the next day they’re glommed onto someone else and won’t give you the time of day. No matter how long they’ve worked with you.
Never give your complete trust to a subordinate, you may have mistaken subordinate behavior for friendship or loyal support.
Don’t assume that because someone agrees with you that it’s for real. Ten seconds later they’ll be agreeing with someone else on the complete opposite view point. Thirty seconds later they are running you down to someone in the restroom.
And on and on and on - what other realities of office politics can you add to this list?
If you’ve been burned by any or all of the above, you’re probably not in the minority these days. No matter how many management books you’ve read or courses you’ve taken, organizations are hierarchical and hence political.
How do you stay out of office politics and at the same time appear to be connected? Is it necessary to play the game these days to get ahead or even survive?
Are all workplaces ruled by the same political systems? Is it ever really possible to be an effective employee, manager or survivor by staying out of the day to day drama?
What role do you play on the stage of the office drama?
