First lady Michelle Obama is beginning her fight against childhood obesity.  Read more...

First lady Michelle Obama is beginning her fight against childhood obesity.

Tiger Woods made a horrendous goof in the world of employment and it’s not what you think. Cheat on wife? Horrible! Not biggest goof. Engage with a harem of ladies? Horrible! Not biggest goof. Leave his actual voice on several...  Read more...

Tiger Woods made a horrendous goof in the world of employment and it’s not what you think.  Cheat on wife? Horrible! Not biggest goof. Engage with a harem of ladies? Horrible! Not biggest goof. Leave his actual voice on several of his ladies' voicemails? Stupid! Not biggest goof. Hurt family who supported him? Whew, I want to say biggest goof….but NOT biggest goof.    He quit playing golf. Think about it. He is a highly skilled worker, who chose to quit his career indefinitely. Anyone in a hiring gig knows (corporate recruiter, headhunter, manager) that filling jobs is still incredibly subjective. The one thing that eradicates subjectivity is proven performance and, in Tigers case, this means continuing to rock a golf course.Recruiters and managers are still having trouble filling openings. Yes they are. Can you believe? The US is in the biggest recession since forever, but still some orgs are finding it difficult to fill skilled positions. Yes, even me. But it appears it could be because our economic climate has given hiring teams a false sense of superiority, leading to long fill times.Katie Johnson Chase reported in a November 2009 article for the Boston Globe,“Of course, plenty of high-quality workers have lost their jobs, but recruiters say still being employed suggests stability - and ability. And at a time when companies have precious few openings, they are being pickier than usual about whom they hire, holding out for the top 2 or 3 percent of candidates, said Ben Hux, director of legal recruiting at Boston Group, part of the executive search firm Management Recruiters International Inc.“There is a stigma with people who have been laid off, with good reason or not,’’ Hux said.It’s not that companies are not getting applications. Job openings are generating a flood of resumes, in many cases submitted with just the click of a mouse...But often missing from the stack of resumes are those with the most experience - many of whom don’t want to leave their jobs during a recession." So, fill times are outrageously long because even in an employers' market, we are back to a stigma issue. Not surprising since we are in the human capital business. Humans just love to stigmatize others. Exacerbated by a recession that is giving hiring pros a false impression. An impression of high unemployment means we can secure skilled candidates as easily as an extra helping of Generals Tso's Chicken from Happy China. Throw in a lengthy tiered interview process (which I am a believer in given the subjectivity in interviewing), and now candidates have to evade being stigmatized by three separate decision makers…So to get hired, you better be squeaky clean OR damn good at your job (or both, it appears). So Hiring Teams---if your fill times are long, and in this recession you can’t find the perfect candidate---check yourself.  You may be undermining your own process by expecting any candidate is perfect. And Tiger—you may want to consider getting back on the course quickly.  Affairs may be forgotten, but if your swing is... you may be in more trouble than you think. Editor's Note - Dawn Hrdlica (PHR) is an HR Manager for MailSouth, a direct mail and multimedia marketing solutions provider. That's right - she recruits and develops the very people who are responsible for filling up your mailbox with all sorts of goodies like coupons and ad inserts (not to be confused with spam, of course). Former actor/singer/retail guru, Dawn's HR career has spanned the last decade. She's based in the good 'ole blogging capitol of the south, Birmingham, Alabama, where you can frequently find her and KD hollering... Roll Tide (although her heart belongs to Southern Miss!)

For many people, an interesting and varied choice often means a career within the electrical industry. Whilst the original term is 'Electro-Mechanical Engineering' we will simply refer to the subject as the Electrical Industry.  Read more...

For many people, an interesting and varied choice often means a career within the electrical industry. Whilst the original term is 'Electro-Mechanical Engineering' we will simply refer to the subject as the Electrical Industry.

Greece's government was tackling the thorny issue of pension and wage reform Tuesday, part of its plan to fight a debt crisis that has alarmed global markets, even as strikes were being planned nationwide.  Read more...

Greece's government was tackling the thorny issue of pension and wage reform Tuesday, part of its plan to fight a debt crisis that has alarmed global markets, even as strikes were being planned nationwide.

General Motors Co.'s Opel unit said Tuesday that it plans to invest euro11 billion through 2014 and appealed for government help as it detailed a restructuring drive that will result in about 8,300 job cuts across Europe.  Read more...

General Motors Co.'s Opel unit said Tuesday that it plans to invest euro11 billion through 2014 and appealed for government help as it detailed a restructuring drive that will result in about 8,300 job cuts across Europe.

Rocklin and Roseville Today Niche retirement product expected to be popular with early retirees Investment International Many individuals like the guarantees offered by conventional annuities but also want some degree of flexibility, should their circumstances change in ... LV= launches 'third way' fixed-term annuity ifaonline.co.uk Generate Retirement Income More Efficiently Rocklin and Roseville Today LV=  Read more...

Rocklin and Roseville Today Niche retirement product expected to be popular with early retirees Investment International Many individuals like the guarantees offered by conventional annuities but also want some degree of flexibility, should their circumstances change in ... LV= launches 'third way' fixed-term annuity ifaonline.co.uk Generate Retirement Income More Efficiently Rocklin and Roseville Today LV=

When a person is about to retire, they may have misgivings about the road ahead. Giving them a gift that encourages them to pursue other interests may help ease.  Read more...

When a person is about to retire, they may have misgivings about the road ahead. Giving them a gift that encourages them to pursue other interests may help ease.

The Denali Commission could take a big hit if President Obama's plan to shave earmarks from the federal spending plan goes through. (File/KTUU-DT)  Read more...

The Denali Commission could take a big hit if President Obama's plan to shave earmarks from the federal spending plan goes through. (File/KTUU-DT)

We often read in the press of the salaries that the Plumbing trade is achieving. The lack of Plumbers in the UK has led to salaries of 30-70k pa being exhibited. So, are we being told a story or is this the genuine picture?  Read more...

We often read in the press of the salaries that the Plumbing trade is achieving. The lack of Plumbers in the UK has led to salaries of 30-70k pa being exhibited. So, are we being told a story or is this the genuine picture?

Half of Engineers not Covered for Injuries to the Public PR Leap (press release) According to the Coverzones Engineering Insurance Report, only 48 per cent of engineers looked to purchase public liability insurance in the sample period, ...   Read more...

Half of Engineers not Covered for Injuries to the Public PR Leap (press release) According to the Coverzones Engineering Insurance Report, only 48 per cent of engineers looked to purchase public liability insurance in the sample period, ...