Money talks, but it's not the only employee loyalty tool being used in the information technology industry, according to a recent survey by Robert Half Technology. When Chief Information Officers (CIOs) were asked to identify the most effective ways to retain IT staff, compensation topped the list at 27%, but providing opportunities for professional development was close behind, with 21% of respondents citing this method for employee retention.
Another 18% said flexible schedules helped improve retention rates, followed by telecommuting (7%), extra vacation days or time off (6%), and granting company stock or options (2%0.
"Attractive pay is always a key selling point for IT professionals, but it's only one element of an effective retention program," says Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "Creating an attractive corporate culture, which includes everything from training to work/life balance programs, is crucial for keeping valued employees, especially when the hiring environment for highly skilled professionals is competitive."
Ideas, information, and resources for professional resume writers.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Helping Clients With "Thin" Resumes
While Googling to see if any of my colleagues received any visible publicity from a previous blog post about lying on resumes, I came across a couple of blog posts that were from college students who were blogging for a class. They had apparently read an article about lying on resumes and were writing their response.
I was particularly interested in this post by Amy, who mentions a "sparse" resume as one possible motivator for people to lie on their resume. I agree that this is probably a big reason for lying on resumes. When confronted with a job posting listing a laundry list of "requirements," some job applicants become intimidated, feeling their work history or experience is inadequate. So they "embellish" it.
I think we need to do a better job as an industry of educating the public about how to transform their life experience (including volunteer work, internships, and educational credentials) into useful material on the resume.
As a personal example, I am working on a resume for a woman who is seeking a nonprofit position after being out of the workforce for several years. I was able to secure information from her on her early work history (not relevant, except for one internship at the Red Cross), and educational background (including a Masters Degree in Public Administration). But it wasn't until I was almost finished putting together her resume that I found out that she manages her husband's non-profit foundation (and that he's a professional athlete).
Maybe we need to get better at asking questions too! *smile*
I was particularly interested in this post by Amy, who mentions a "sparse" resume as one possible motivator for people to lie on their resume. I agree that this is probably a big reason for lying on resumes. When confronted with a job posting listing a laundry list of "requirements," some job applicants become intimidated, feeling their work history or experience is inadequate. So they "embellish" it.
I think we need to do a better job as an industry of educating the public about how to transform their life experience (including volunteer work, internships, and educational credentials) into useful material on the resume.
As a personal example, I am working on a resume for a woman who is seeking a nonprofit position after being out of the workforce for several years. I was able to secure information from her on her early work history (not relevant, except for one internship at the Red Cross), and educational background (including a Masters Degree in Public Administration). But it wasn't until I was almost finished putting together her resume that I found out that she manages her husband's non-profit foundation (and that he's a professional athlete).
Maybe we need to get better at asking questions too! *smile*
Monday, April 21, 2008
The Ketchup Strategy
All right, to be perfectly fair, today's post is really about the "Catch-Up Strategy," but I so rarely get to put pictures with my blog posts that I took a little liberty with the name of it.
Do you ever find yourself so swamped with current projects that you get behind in closing out some of the older ones? Every so often, that's the case for me. And with my "mild ADD" personality, I get more excited about new projects than I do about burning CDs and creating ASCII text files and so, inevitably, every once in a while, I have to implement the Catch-Up Strategy.
That's when I go through the file folder on my desk labeled "Awaiting Finalization," and I sort through the pile of paper on my desk to find the projects that made it out of the "Awaiting Finalization" folder but never got finalized, and I double-check that with my daily planner, where action items like "Finish Jones Project!!!!!!" languish unchecked off.
And I clear my calendar, ignore the ringing phone and the pinging e-mail ... and just focus on sending off those digital files, burning the CDs and printing the laserprints (for those clients who choose to get paper packets -- which is still surprisingly a large number).
And so, today, I finished three of those long-awaited finalizations. But tomorrow, alas, more tomatoes will be harmed as I put the "Catch-Up Strategy" in motion for a few more stragglers.
Maybe you can do the same. (And have a hamburger with fries for lunch ....)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Ugh! Tax Day 2008
It's no secret that April 15 isn't my favorite day of the year. Not far behind it are Jan. 15, June 15, and Sept. 15 -- the dates that estimated taxes are due.
In talking with lots of other self-employed resume writers, they feel the same. There's just something about writing a hefty check to the IRS (and likely, your state department of revenue) four times a year (quarterly estimated tax payments) that's depressing.
At the gas station today, the clerk's sister came in bearing the clerk's finished tax return. She was getting a $700 refund. I think the last time I got a refund (at least one that I didn't have to apply to next year's taxes) was 1995 (the year before I started my business). A friend of mine is used to getting a $5,000 annual refund (he and his wife have a bunch of kids, which = tax deductions). Last year, he became self-employed for the first time. This year, he had to write a small check to the IRS. That's painful ...
Every year, probably like you, on April 15, I vow to:
1) Make more money next year (yes, I make this resolution on New Year's too)
2) Pay less in taxes by being smart with my deductions and contributions (for example, to my retirement account).
We'll see how it goes this year. But I got a head start by taking a look at this article about 2008 tax issues. I'll let you know if I come across any other good information throughout the year -- or feel free to post a comment on this thread with your suggestions.
In talking with lots of other self-employed resume writers, they feel the same. There's just something about writing a hefty check to the IRS (and likely, your state department of revenue) four times a year (quarterly estimated tax payments) that's depressing.
At the gas station today, the clerk's sister came in bearing the clerk's finished tax return. She was getting a $700 refund. I think the last time I got a refund (at least one that I didn't have to apply to next year's taxes) was 1995 (the year before I started my business). A friend of mine is used to getting a $5,000 annual refund (he and his wife have a bunch of kids, which = tax deductions). Last year, he became self-employed for the first time. This year, he had to write a small check to the IRS. That's painful ...
Every year, probably like you, on April 15, I vow to:
1) Make more money next year (yes, I make this resolution on New Year's too)
2) Pay less in taxes by being smart with my deductions and contributions (for example, to my retirement account).
We'll see how it goes this year. But I got a head start by taking a look at this article about 2008 tax issues. I'll let you know if I come across any other good information throughout the year -- or feel free to post a comment on this thread with your suggestions.
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