Reveille and Hyperbole
Starting in January of 2006 in Toronto, and continuing on in Calgary and Montreal, The Advantage Board will unite the employees of world class organizations and Fortune 500 companies with Canada's leading Premiers and CEO's. This once in a lifetime educational development and networking opportunity will help businesses groom their executives, creating Canada's future business and idea leaders.

LearnShare,  the consortium of Fortune 1000 companies organized to research, design, purchase, package and share best practices in the training and development field, today announced that the Company will expand the schedule of its popular training and development conferences for senior training officers to three events in 2006. The first conference of 2006 will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada from March 1-2 at the Tuscany Suites & Casino hotel.

PA Governor Rendell Announces PA Has More Jobs Than at Any Time in State History; Job Count Hits All-Time High Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced that the number of jobs in Pennsylvania climbed to a new all-time high. The latest statewide workforce report shows Pennsylvania's job count rose to a record high 5,724,800 in October, and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.6 percent, the lowest level in more than four and a half years.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the exclusive underwriter for the new season of CEO EXCHANGE.

Workscape has received recognition in Forbes.com's 2005 "Best of the Web" issue—in the human resources category—for the second time. The recognition acknowledges Workscape's robust solutions, which are specifically designed to maximize workforce productivity.

Kenexa® (KNXA) has been selected to automate the MapInfo Corporation (MAPS)  global recruiting process and power its online career center.

 Job Text Alert is a worldwide recruitment solution which uses the latest in mobile phone technology to make it easier, faster and more affordable for Recruitment Agencies and Employers to find and recruit Job Seekers.

Deck Chairs
Kevin J. Rhone of Dedham has been named senior vice president and general manager of Workscape Inc.'s work-force management business unit....JobsGroup.net, a network of niche online recruitment websites, announced the appointment of Sales Manager Gary Lightfoot and the launch of the JobsGroup.net Sales Academy...Mary Saily, has been named President-Elect of the Washington Dulles Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)...Flexestaff, a online healthcare staffing software company, today announced the appointment of Judith Carlson as Director of Client Services.

End of Adecco boardroom battle as top executives go  IT has been a turbulent week for Switzerland's Adecco, one of the largest temporary staffing agencies in the world with a turnover of E17.2bn ($20.3bn, £11.7bn) and a daily placing of 700,000 temps. After a long boardoom struggle, Adecco outsourced its chief executive, Jerome Caille.  Its two co-chairmen, Philippe Foriel-Destezet and Klaus Jacobs, had been fighting over strategy for years. Jacobs, 68, a German-born billionaire finally triumphed last week; Foriel-Destezet, 70, succumbed to a perversity of Swiss law which doesn't allow a company chairman to serve past the age of 70. He resigned last week and his protégé, Caille, was forced out on the same day. (TheBusinessOnline)





You Should Know
Australia:

• The right and wrong way to manage outsourced talent I am working with two development teams in the USA. Both utilize off shore talent. Both charge low fees for off shore talent, and high fees for their own time as project managers. The ratio is about $1500 per week for their time vs. $300 per week for an off shore resource.  So as a customer my incentive is to cut off the expensive talent, if I can. (SitePoint)
   
• Medical workforce of the future will not be prepared  The medical workforce of the future will not be prepared for the challenges of tomorrow's disease burden unless drastic changes are made to introduce flexible work patterns and multidisciplinary teamwork, according to a health policy expert.  The Director of the Menzies Centre for Public Health Policy and Practice at ANU, Mr Robert Wells, told the International Workforce Conference tomorrow's doctors and nurses will be faced with patients who will be older, more likely to suffer from a chronic condition and informed by the Internet. (news.medical.net)
   
• Labour crisis looms, govt report warns Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews will release a major report warning of the impact older workers will have on the workforce by the end of the decade. The report, to be launched in Adelaide, will detail how the Australia's ageing population will cause major labour shortages between now and 2010. Mr Andrews will also launch a series of workshops to help businesses cope with the predicted labour shortages. (The Age)
   
• Skills shortages occupations The table below shows occupations where there is a current shortage of skilled or qualified workers. Skills shortages exist when employers are unable to fill, or have great difficulty in filling, vacancies for an occupation.  (Job Guide 2005)

Canada:

• Aging workforce threatens Canadian workplace What do you call it when a looming danger is obvious and inexorable, but nothing gets done to deal with the peril?  Just another day at the office in the Canadian workplace, if a new survey on strategies to cope with the impending shrinkage of the workforce is accurate.  The retirement of baby boomers and falling birth rates present a sharp threat to Canadian companies, says the Deloitte & Touche human capital consultancy, but "Canadian organizations are less prepared to address these issues than their global counterparts." (CanadaEast)

China:

• Recruitment forum to offer 890 jobs  The Labour Department will hold a recruitment forum in Tin Shui Wai on November 30, offering 890 vacancies in different industries.  It will be held 11am to 6pm on the ground floor of Cine Valley, Kingswood Ginza, Tin Shui Wai. Thirteen companies from the retail, catering, property management, telecommunications, business services, trading and logistics sectors will offer 709 jobs.  The vacancies cover positions like shop manager, customer service manager, network engineer, telephone system technician, sales representative, salesperson, cashier, waiter, shop assistant, motorcycle courier driver and security guard. (news.gov.hk)
  
  

Global:

• Security Watch: Mendacious Monster.com Money-Laundering Message  Thanks to anti-virus firm F-Secure for noting an interesting swindle, half phishing scam-half naked criminal scheme.  The scam takes the form of fake monster.com job listings using the domains "sign-monster.com" and "joblist-monster.com," links to which are mailed out to potential marks. The listings describe a "Staff Accountant" position but the description indicates that your job is to launder a foreign currency transfer in exchange for a 3% commission. (PCMag)
  
   
• Who is checking the background checkers?  John McDonald used to spend hours perfecting his résumé and cover letters before applying for information-technology jobs in his native Boston. But after one potential employer hired a screening agency to investigate his background two years ago, the results have stifled his ambition. (Christian Science Monitor)
   
• Google Enters Job Listings Fray Analysts say the Web searcher's newly launched free service could alter the sector forever.  Search giant Google launched its new listings service last week, and within hours bloggers and recruitment professionals were already attempting to predict what it means for the Monsters and CareerBuilders of the world.  Google Base, as the new listings service is named, lets users post or upload virtually anything into a database, tag it with descriptions like a location, job title, company and so forth and make it accessible to the world all at no cost. (Workforce)
   
• International Pension Readiness Report Finds Most Major Industrial Countries Unprepared for Coming Crisis The study, released in advance of the January 21-25, 2004 World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, raises profound questions around labor participation and productivity, the cross-border flow of capital, the globalization of labor markets, the financial viability of social insurance programs, and how economic output is shared between working-age and retiree populations. (WatsonWyatt)
   
• Bad Breeds of Bosses  Do you work for a Wannabe, Suppressor, Pretender, Confounder, Dumbfounder, Propagator, Player, Bully, Manipulator, Cult Maker, Pilferer, Saboteur, or a Combination Type?  Bad bosses are a fact of working life. No matter what career you choose, chances are you're going to have to deal with people who steal your ideas, criticize your work constantly, and flake out just when you need them most.  It's not illegal to be a jerk. But that doesn't mean you have to silently accept this bad behavior and the damage it can do to your career. (Washington Post)
   
• A BIG HIRE FOR MICROSOFT Microsoft Corp. has hired Burton Smith, chief scientist at Cray, to bolster its development of high-performance computing products. Smith is a principal architect of Cray's supercomputer system. Earlier this year, Microsoft hired Ray Ozzie, creator of Lotus Notes, as its chief technology officer. "The Web is increasingly going to be driven by supercomputers," said Paul Saffo, a technology forecaster in Silicon Valley. "This is just the latest chapter in the arms race between Microsoft and Google." (Star Telegraph)

Japan:

• Demographic changes will strain government coffers A book recently published in the United States contends that the government's burden for funding medical care and other social security insurance premiums will likely balloon rapidly because of the declining birthrate and aging population.  The book's key assertions include:
  -- The value of implicit obligations the government must shoulder in the future is more than two times that of today's gross domestic product for covering social security costs alone.
  -- When health care benefit obligations and other transfer payments relating to social welfare programs are added to this, the figure is more than four times the GDP, greatly exceeding the debt the government already owes. (Daily Yomiuri)

New Zealand:

• Brain drain 'to get worse'  The "brain drain" is likely to worsen as New Zealand's "smart, healthy and skilled" workers are increasingly snapped up overseas, the Ministry of Social Development predicts.  Increased globalisation and ageing populations across OECD nations mean New Zealand's ability to attract and retain skilled people will be a "significant issue" in coming years, briefing papers to new Minister of Social Development David Benson-Pope say.  (Stuff)

Phillipines:

• DOCTORS' EXODUS CONTINUES  At least 2,215 doctors went to work abroad as nurses in 2004 and this year, labor records show, and the figure does not include those who left for countries where visas are not required.  As the country faces a medical crisis with the continued exodus of its medical workers, Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas said yesterday an average of 5,000 nurses leave the country annually. She did not say how many doctors-turned-nurses were included in the data. (Newsflash)

UK:

• One in four firms see tribunal as preferable to cost of maternity One in four companies would prefer to break the law than risk hiring a pregnant woman or a woman that is likely to get pregnant, according to research by the Recruitment Employment Confederation (REC).  Three-quarters of the 100 recruitment agencies that were questioned said companies had explicitly told them to avoid employing pregnant women or women of a child-bearing age.  (Personnel Today)

US:

• Poaching Protection Prevailing in legal spats can depend on how carefully agreements are worded or whether your company is located in a state that supports such contracts.  American companies are telling it to the judge when it comes to employees who jump ship for a real or potential rival. Take these recent cases: (Workforce)
   
• First Job Out of College: Combat-Zone Commander Three members of West Point's class of '04 find themselves leading troops in a war foreign to any example learned in the classroom.  Eighteen months ago, Daniel Redman, Bernard Gardner and Stephen Bishop were fairly typical college students. They were finishing up senior exams, inviting parents to graduation ceremonies and preparing to face the real world.  Today, all three have collided with the real world of Iraq. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy in May 2004, the former cadets are freshly minted second lieutenants thrust into war. They are responsible for the lives of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians in a war unlike anything they learned in classrooms. (LATimes)
   
• Newspaper Print Advertising Outpaced Dramatically By Online Ads  Newspapers' print advertising increased by only 1.6 percent year-over-year in the third quarter, while online advertising jumped 26.7 percent, a trade group said.  Spending for print ads totaled $11.4 billion in the quarter, the Newspaper Association of America said. Ad spending online remained a small percentage of the total advertising spend, reaching $518.9 million. (TMCNet)
   
• Destruction that is creating a better America GENERAL MOTORS, which like Ford lost $1.3 billion (£755m) in the third quarter, will lay off 30,000 workers and close or downsize 12 plants in a desperate effort to avoid bankruptcy. Kodak is frantically trying to build its digital business as the use of film declines. Knight Ridder shops for a buyer as the collapse of its local newspaper monopolies destroys its viability.
  Several airlines have declared bankruptcy as their uneconomic cost structures cripple their ability to compete. Telecoms companies watch the value of their wires drop as mobile phones, voice-over-internet and cable companies poach their customers. Blockbuster flirts with bankruptcy as new, more convenient ways of delivering films to the screens of couch potatoes make a trip to the rental shop unnecessary. (TimesOnline)
   
• Grape growers worry about future labor shortage  Central Coast wine-grape growers wrapped up the 2005 season this month without any significant manpower problems. But having an adequate labor supply in the future is a concern, they say. "There were no problems this year," said Dave Hickey, sparkling wine maker and production manager for Laetitia Vineyard & Winery in Arroyo Grande.  "Because of the cooler weather, we didn't have the spikes in harvesting. It was cooler and the harvest was more spread out and the crews were able to go to this ranch and that ranch."  But agriculture is expanding in northern Santa Barbara and southern San Luis Obispo counties, and the wine-growing season will not always come with ideal temperatures.  There will be a manpower shortage as agriculture continues to expand, said Pat Huguenard, director of vineyard operations for Cambria Vineyard & Winery in the Santa Maria Valley (SantaMariaTimes)
   
• Migrant forest workers caught in web of exploitation During the day, the men swung machetes and worked in the woods. At night, they lay in ragged tents, wrapped themselves in layers of clothing and nearly froze.  As the migrant workers suffered, U.S. Forest Service officials in Idaho supervising the work were taking notes. But their primary concern was trees, not people. "Pace too slow," one jotted in a memo. "Foreman not active enough vis a vis quality, production, direction."  Pineros - pine workers, as Latino forest laborers are known - have long battled abusive working conditions. But today, there is a new edge to the drama: Much of the mistreatment is unfolding inside a government program that invites foreign workers to the United States to fill labor shortages. (KnoxStudio)
   
• Detroit seen facing a skilled labor shortage Replacing retired workforce could cost automotive industry millions. With automobile icon General Motors, the world's largest automaker, announcing 30,000 layoffs and nine plant closures to reduce costs in the face of slumping demand, it's safe to say that Motown has a serious case of the blues. But a new survey suggests more employment gloom lies ahead for the American automobile business. (MSNBC)

Survey Sez:


Execs Say Physical Fitness is Critical to Career Success; Obesity Considered a ‘Serious Impediment'



On-Site Health Clubs Deemed Modern-Day Corporate Responsibility  According to Survey by Executive Jobs Web Site TheLadders.com



The days of the corpulent corporate fat cat are gone. In their place, a new emphasis on physical fitness has emerged among executives in the higher ranks of American business. According to a survey conducted by the largest $100k+ positions Web site, TheLadders.com, the vast majority of executives say that physical fitness is critical to career success.



When asked to describe their perceptions of physical fitness in the workplace, 75% of the survey respondents said good physical fitness is "critical for career success at the executive level." Despite the clear majority opinion, 17% of the survey respondents would rather exercise their wallets, suggesting that staying in shape is "a nice goal, but secondary to fiscal fitness." Just 4% said that their physical condition was "irrelevant" to their careers, and 3% said it was "something for people who don't have busy careers" (see charts below).



Following suit at the other end of the spectrum, when asked about obesity, another 75% of executives said that being overweight is a "serious career impediment." Twenty-two percent said that weight had no bearing on career success. Just 3% have held onto the 19th Century notion that success can be measured in inches around the waist, claiming that a few extra pounds are a "symbol of maturity and career success."



Should companies get involved with the physical fitness of their employees? Seventy-three percent of those surveyed said yes, suggesting that employers should provide on-site health clubs or subsidize gym memberships. Another 12% suggested that companies should offer cash incentives to employees who exercise regularly. Nine percent said companies should not get involved at all and 6% suggested the sponsorship of company-wide weight-loss programs.



"Physical fitness is a critical issue for employers these days as rising healthcare costs and increased knowledge about the health risks associated with obesity-related conditions have companies thinking seriously about the long-term health of their employees," said TheLadders.com president and CEO, Marc Cenedella.



TheLadders.com's look at fitness in the workplace is based on a series of surveys of registered $100k+ executives conducted on TheLadders.com Web site between August 22nd, 2005 and September 6th, 2005. The number of responses and margin of error for each survey is as follows:

• I believe that physical fitness is ______. 1076 Responses; Margin of Error: ±3%.
• Being overweight______. 1385 Responses; Margin of Error: ±3%.
• How should corporations address the physical fitness of their employees? 1029 Responses; Margin of Error ±3%.

Charts:

Coming Soon

Webinar: Guy Kawasaki  and Teresa Shappell Creating a Portfolio of Leaders to Drive Successful Exits" November 30, 2005 10:30 a.m. PST / 1:30 p.m. EST Free Register	IHRIM Webinar The State of Workforce Technologies and Service Delivery Approaches: Insights from the CedarCrestone Survey December 1, 2005 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. PST 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. EST $175 More Info Register
Strategic Research Institute's Beyond Blogs & Social Networks conference, December 1-2, 2005 Jersey City, NJ $1,495 Register	HR,com Presents: Online advertising and emails - What's working and how to best use this medium Free Webinar December 8, 2005 11:30 AM ET More Info
The HR Directors Summit 2006 30-31 January 2006 Radisson Edwardian Heathrow	OnRec presents: Digital Content Forum Feb 02, 2006 Cafe Royal, London More Info £175 plus VAT Register
37th Annual Employment Management Conference March 30-April 1, 2006 Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, California $1,205 Register	Human Capital Summit Conference April 5-7, 2006, Chicago Marriott Downtown Hotel Register $1195
IHRIM: HRMStrategies 2006 April 9-12, 2006 Washington, DC $1,265 More Info Register	SHRM's 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition June 25-28 Washington, D.C. $1,350 Read more Register
2006 EREC 21-22 June 2006 ExCel London, UK Register	2006 Strategic HR Conference October 4-6, 2006 Westin Kierland Resort Phoenix, Arizona
2006 SHRM Workplace Diversity Conference October 16-18, 2006 Century Plaza Hotel and Spa Los Angeles, California	HR.com's Employers of Excellence Conference 2006 October 25 - 27, 2006 Red Rock Resort Las Vegas, Nevada Register

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Got News?
Your company news, personnel changes, placements, and other tidbits of interest. News you'd like to see covered that we haven't? Let us know.

Don't forget to check out the blogs on bert.

---

Net-Temps - The Choice of Staffing Professionals

You'll love working with our candidates! Jobseekers that use Net-Temps know they will be working with staffing services. They understand how staffing companies work and that you are there to help them get a job.

Plus, Net-Temps' aggressive online advertising attracts the top candidates and your jobs are broadcast to a wider audience. For 10 years Net-Temps has been providing online services to staffing companies - exclusively.

Our membership includes:

• Reusable job slots that make posting easy and flexible
• Full resume bank access - search over 270,000 fresh resumes every month
• Candidate Manager that helps evaluate candidates and move them through the screening and placement process.
• Daily Hotlist of candidates
• Resume search agents
• ... and more!

Reach the Candidates That Want to Work With You!

Visit http://www.net-temps.com to take our Test Drive or call 800-307-0062 for details.

---

Email Address:
Request:	Subscribe Unsubscribe

If you have any problem with this form please click on the link below and enter your email address:    SUBSCRIBE      REMOVE             Thank you.