hrguru

Use HRGuru to Improve Your Job Search

Katie Winsor / HRGuru Editor — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:03:00 -0700

HRGuru's job search capabilities offer a lot more value to those searching for HR jobs than might be noticed at a first glance. We can help you find exactly the jobs you are looking for - this article will help you get the most out of your search for HR jobs.

Seven Secrets: Power Job Searching Awaits

We can help you get into HR, connect you with people who work in HR, and help you get prepared to interview for the jobs you want.

Reading through these seven steps could be the key to your next job.

1. We've Got Experts

2. Take Advantage of Groups

3. Industry Trends

4. Career Resources

5. A Fun, Insightful Way to Gauge Your Skills

6. Education Resources

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We've Got Experts - Care to Meet Them?

On HRGuru.com, you’ve got people. It may be hidden, but our Network Connections feature could be the most powerful help to your job search.

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Did you know that when you search for HR jobs on our site, you'll find HRGuru members who work for the companies you are looking to get hired at?

You can add these people to their friends networks, send them messages to learn about their careers, or invite them to join you in a group based on your common interests.

h3. Free Job Posting on HRGuru

Since adding free job posting to the list of services HRGuru provides to users, we've given our members a unique chance to access HR professionals and hiring staffs _before_ other job listings attract other applicants. Learning how to take advantage of this service might get you a long way towards getting hired.

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Be Proactive: Take Advantage of Groups

Using online social networks is an increasingly effective way to personally get in touch with those who will be the first to know about job openings and emerging career paths - of course, we're talking about HR professionals themselves.

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Joining HRGuru's groups allows you to band together with other HR pros, enabling you to turn online networking into real-life connections.

If you aren't finding the group you're looking for on our site, create your own, and invite others to join.

Staying in touch could uncover some job information that could make all the difference.

Industry Trends

Our HR Industry Trends presents many different angles on the best places to work in HR. Some of the angles we have focused on are:

• Top Hiring Industries

• Top Paying Industries

• Top Paying Metros

Our HR Jobs channel hosts many more articles which attempt to inspire you to think about searching for HR jobs differently.

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Career Resources

While searching for jobs, you'll probably have questions about what to do next. Once you find a job you like, what's the best way to apply? Should you attend a job fair? What will your pay scale level be?

Our Career Advancement channel attempts to provide answers to the aforementioned questions, and many more.

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We’ve got dozens of helpful articles to help you at every stage of your career journey – from job shadowing and internships to finding a job with an advanced degree. Browse through this section to find the most useful tips to help you put together a killer resume, ace your interview, negotiate your salary, and deal with other steps in the job search process.

If you're just getting started with your search for HR jobs, our exclusive Ten Steps to Becoming an HR Professional guide is highly recommended.

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Quizzes: A Fun, Insightful Way to Gauge Your Skills

We've compiled a set of mini-quizzes to help you discover your true passion in HR. This quiz series will help you match HR careers to your personality and skills set. Use the results from these quizzes to expand your job search in new directions.

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Education Resources

Further your education and improve your chances of getting hired! HRGuru is one of the only websites which provide specific information about how to get the degree you need.

Use the Degree Center to help you find the degree you need to qualify for the HR job you want.

The Importance of Vacation

Barbara Reinhold / Monster — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:53:00 -0700

So what's your vacation got to do with the bottom line? Everything, say industrial psychologists, but that fact doesn't seem to have penetrated very well in corporate America. The majority of people still take work with them on vacation in one form or another, and more than 25 percent of corporate people don't take any absolute downtime at all. So what's the problem?

Vacation Is as Important as Sleep

It's a little like sleep deprivation, according to physicians and psychotherapists. Just as lack of sleep impedes your ability to think clearly and act decisively, lack of playtime keeps you from taking in information effectively and seeing the totality of a situation. Lack of sleep and play both have a negative impact on your reflex time, general resilience and ability to ward off infection. Recreation deprivation also makes you cranky, and often more than a little critical of the people in your organization who do have the good sense to take care of themselves.

Every time I have clients who tell me their direct reports are slacking off, I respond with the question, "When did you have your last vacation?" Almost always, the answer is some variation of, "Well, I don't really do vacations that are about relaxing and rejuvenating. There's just too much to get done."

You're Hurting More Than Yourself

The bitter irony is that the vacation-deprived usually think they're doing everybody a favor by continuing to work themselves to the brink of exhaustion. But the reality is that they're costing everyone -- their coworkers, their direct reports, their organizations, their families and themselves. Work addiction is an insidious thing. Like other addictions, you usually have to bottom out before you can summon the courage to change.

Tips to Achieve Workplace Diversity

Dan Woog / Monster — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:54:00 -0700

It's taken a while, but these days most companies understand that employing a diverse workforce is not only the right thing to do, it's also good business.

But good intentions are one thing. Actually hiring and promoting men and women with varied racial and ethnic backgrounds, religions and sexual orientations is another. Here's how companies and workers can do what they say.

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Show Diverse Faces

The process begins even before recruitment and employment interviews, says Anna Morales Riojas, chairwoman of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility. A company truly committed to inclusion should run ads that show a diverse group of people. That positions the organization in customers' minds as one that values diversity –- and customers often become job applicants, Riojas notes.

Recruitment teams traveling to job fairs and college campuses must also be diverse, says Riojas. "It's not necessary to communicate in Spanish," she says. "But showing faces that people in our community can relate to really helps."

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Put the Mission Statement into Practice

Companies should include references to diversity in their mission or values statements to signal an explicit commitment to all employees, suggests Matt Hirschland, director of communications for Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), a San Francisco organization. Even more crucial to attracting a diverse pool of applicants are actions that reflect diversity from the top down. According to BSR, simply having black, brown, yellow and female faces in high positions is not enough. All staff, including top management, must receive regular, ongoing diversity training.

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Make Diversity Goals Part of Company Plans

A diverse workforce is more likely when diversity goals are included in strategic-planning processes and managers are held responsible for specific objectives, says Hirschland. Diversity questions should be incorporated into employee surveys to determine whether current policies and programs are effective. And milestones and achievements involving diversity groups and individuals should be communicated and celebrated.

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Show Diversity, and Take a Stand

Companies hoping to attain and retain diverse workforces should also encourage the formation of affinity groups, such as African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American and gay/lesbian networks. BSR also recommends company-wide diversity councils and task forces. To communicate company values, Hirschland suggests all Web sites and promotional materials should show diversity and, when possible, include the firm's diversity policy. A commitment to diversity should be discussed often, in meetings large and small.

Companies should also consider taking a proactive approach to diversity-related public-policy issues, says Hirschland. He cites as one example Microsoft's support of a Washington state gay-rights bill, which sent a positive message to the gay/lesbian community.

Peter Bye, president of MDB Group, a Livingston, New Jersey, consulting firm focusing on diversity and inclusion, advocates doing more than putting policies and programs into practice. "Ultimately, it's about getting in the heads of hiring and promotion managers and talking in terms of difference," he says. "It's asking people in positions of power, ‘How do you think of difference? Is it negative or something to be valued? Do you want to select someone like you, a low-risk choice, or do you seek out someone with a different set of perspectives and values?'"

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Use Assessment Tools

Bye says that assessment instruments can help people understand their current degree of "intracultural sensitivity." Subsequent coaching can develop greater "cultural competence." He knows this may turn some people off. "If you've got a large white-male executive team, they probably won't think positively of it," Bye admits. "But if you show them an instrument that can help, that can make a real difference."

Still, many successful diversity efforts begin with human resources. Hirschland says good HR departments post positions in many places (including minority-oriented Web sites) and participate in job fairs hosted by diverse communities.

Although diversity and inclusion may be driven from the top down, its success may be felt from the bottom up. That's why it's so important today to plant the seeds for tomorrow. "Bring in a diverse group of interns," Riojas says. "Provide scholarships, fellowships and cooperative programs to help minorities when they're in college. Investing in minority communities will pay off big time in loyalty."

Don't Hire People Just Like You

David Javitch / Entrepreneur.com — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:27:00 -0700

When you recruit and hire new employees, do you often find that you're searching for people just like you? Similar in mannerisms, appearance, intelligence and culture? Perhaps also possessing the same educational background, experiences and maybe even gender, race and religion?

If you do hire employees this way, then rest assured that you're not alone. At the same time, however, you're also just like many others who are selling themselves and their companies short.

You are doing what I call "hiring by looking in the mirror."

Let's examine these "mirror-hiring" decisions more closely. There are several very positive reasons to hire "clones." Clearly, you know what you want in a good recruit. You know what works in your company in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, outlooks and behaviors.

In addition, you've noted that your mirror-hires possess proven attributes that have been practical and effective for your organization. You employed people with like personal and professional qualities, throwing away the failures, but keeping the successes. Those policies have led to satisfaction, achievement and profitability.

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In brief, you know what leads to top-notch performance and victory. Therefore, it's easy to believe, if you take that philosophy one step further, that the more candidates you hire with your specific set of skills, the more successful you and your company will be. They'll have fewer arguments and need less time to understand each other. They'll communicate better and achieve more. Moreover, they'll probably have similar interests, want to interact more and either work more independently or collaboratively, depending on the culture you've established.

On the other hand, by hiring a clone, you may be missing out on a number of opportunities that may prove difficult and problematic. That's because for the sake of conformity, you might be rejecting people with skills both complementary and supplemental to your company that would permit its culture to grow and expand with outcomes that could create a more productive, innovative, challenging and rewarding environment.

When you adhere strictly to a narrow hiring profile, too much "likeness" can lead to corporate "in-breeding." The inevitable result is that the new hires look like, think like and act like you. This "group think" situation results in employees not challenging each other, not asking enough "why" questions, settling for agreement where disagreement would conceivably produce more options, perspectives, opinions and viewpoints. Often, people reject good but "different" ideas, or worse, they never voice divergent opinions because they would appear "dissimilar" and therefore unacceptable.

Though "mirror hiring" may help you resolve an issue or take action more quickly, with all this uniformity, what happens to innovation and creativity? And what happens to risk-taking? Who becomes the "devil's advocate" who can propose alternate lines of reasoning or different goals?

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This is a crucial suggestion that you, the successful entrepreneur, might use to avoid too much in-breeding and conformity that can hinder productivity, innovation and profitability.

Consider being open to diversity, not just in terms of race, gender or sexual orientation, but also in terms of skills, attitudes, interests, backgrounds and experiences. Appreciate that each person can bring a unique (yes, sometimes individually different) approach to the workplace.

Employees with differences can appropriately challenge each other more often and quite effectively. Differences can cause people to think, act and feel in new and different ways. Innovation, productivity, morale and satisfaction can increase when diversity exists in a collaborative atmosphere. The key words here are "collaboration" and "innovation."

Differing opinions can spark new thoughts and ideas for processes, procedures, products and services, but everyone still needs to work toward a common goal. And, if you are willing to take the chance to try something new in your hiring, many competitive bottom-line opportunities can unfold.

As Apple's motto used to say, "Think Different."

Five Job Search Lessons from the 2008 Presidential Campaign

Joe Turner / Monster.com — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:11:00 -0700

Being president of the United States is the toughest job in the world, and running for president is the second toughest. Current and former candidates like Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama spend years gearing up for this ultimate job competition. As a job hunter, you can learn from both their successes and gaffes. Here are five lessons right from the 2008 presidential campaign trail.

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Start with Focused Intention

You won’t find more goal-directed, single-minded people than the presidential candidates. Their perseverance and refusal to accept defeat exemplify focused intention and what it takes to win. For example, Clinton has said, “I have an opportunity to come to this campaign with a very strong conviction and feeling that I will be able to withstand whatever the Republicans send our way.” And she held on until the very end of the Democratic primary season, only bowing out when her nomination became impossible.

To win the job, you need to outlast everyone around you and not accept defeat -- it takes a level of determination much like Clinton’s.

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Spin Is Everything

The presidential candidates aren’t just politicians. They’re products, packaged deliberately and carefully. Every aspect of their personas, from Clinton’s handshake to Obama’s lapel pin to McCain’s Straight Talk Express, is marketing. This includes how they dress, stand, shake hands, smile, answer and deflect questions, think on their feet, run campaign ads and handle public appearances.

Likewise, see yourself as a product you’re marketing to the hiring manager. Ask family or friends to give you honest feedback on your appearance, posture, verbal and nonverbal communication, resume, cover letters and any other aspect presented to a hiring manager. Make the appropriate changes, including verifying that your resume is effective in spinning your story as a results-oriented problem solver.

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Don’t Let Them See You Sweat

For the most part, the presidential candidates have shown impressive self-control and smoothness when asked probing, embarrassing or provocative questions. Watch how the candidates conduct themselves during a debate -- the most stressful of job interviews.

Similarly, at interviews you must think on your feet and respond to negative questions with positive answers that enhance your candidacy for the job, done while maintaining the perception you are confident, relaxed, comfortable and free of stress. Practice is a major component of achieving the poise and presence that prevents your interviewer from seeing you sweat. You need to be able to handle yourself professionally under pressure.

Preparing for both phone and in-person interviews is necessary to win the job. Have your answers ready when asked any of the major interview questions. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it and move on. Putting the hiring manager at ease is key to a successful interview.

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The One with the Biggest Rolodex Wins

Obama has been able to tap an impressive database of more than 1.3 million donors, compared to Clinton’s smaller donor base. The disparity has been compelling, and Obama is also leading for the Democratic nomination.

On the Republican side, it also helps to have friends in high places. For example, a large network of influential supporters are responsible for propelling McCain's primary victory in New Hampshire earlier this year, according to reporters from the Boston Globe.

You too should use your solid network of friends, acquaintances and contacts to aid in your job search. Don't forget social media sites, which are playing a larger role in today's job search and can open up new opportunities. A good network can also help you keep your morale up since the job search can be an isolating experience, especially if you’re unemployed. Make an extra effort to stay connected with a support system, even if it's online.

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Go that Extra Mile -- in Fact, Go That Extra 100 Miles

Candidates will go to great lengths to win the nomination. McCain told reporters in a recent press conference he would work harder to allay any fears voters have about his age. In fact, he admitted he out-campaigned his Republican primary opponents by working 16-, 18- and 20-hour days. In Memphis, Clinton didn’t arrive at her hotel until 5 a.m. after a red-eye flight from California and was on stage in front of TV cameras just six hours later. And Obama experienced a near 20-hour campaign day when he left his hotel at 6 a.m. for TV interviews in Philadelphia and was on the go until his plane landed in Chicago at 1:30 the following morning.

This type of physical stamina and mental discipline are humble reminders of the demands a presidential bid or job search can require. In fact, the actual process of looking for a job may be the hardest job you'll ever have. Treat your job search with the seriousness of a full-time job. Go out of your way to do the research and make the calls. Develop a resume that really sells your achievements and answers the question of what’s in it for an employer, just as the candidates must tell the citizens what is in it for them.

What Your Handshake Says About You

Amy S. Choi / BusinessWeek — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:39:00 -0700

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Nobody likes a limp handshake, but you probably don't realize just how much you communicate through your hands, says Jacqueline Whitmore, author of Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work. Here's one handshake to use, one to be careful of, and three to avoid.

*Types*

p((. • "+The Fail-Safe+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/657-what-your-handshake-says-about-you?page=2

p((. • "+The Rubber Glove+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/657-what-your-handshake-says-about-you?page=3

p((. • "+The Queen's Handshake+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/657-what-your-handshake-says-about-you?page=4

p((. • "+The Dead Fish+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/657-what-your-handshake-says-about-you?page=5

p((. • "+The Terminator+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/657-what-your-handshake-says-about-you?page=6

*Tips*

p((. • "+Be Friendly+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/657-what-your-handshake-says-about-you?page=7

p((. • "+Show Respect+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/657-what-your-handshake-says-about-you?page=8

p((. • "+Be Direct+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/657-what-your-handshake-says-about-you?page=9

Use the navigation at the bottom to click through the different types of handshakes and handshake tips.

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h4. *+The Fail-Safe+*

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Connect the web between your index finger and thumb firmly with the other person's and pump two or three times. This is confident and always appropriate.

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h4. *+The Rubber Glove+*

While shaking hands, cover the other person's hand with your left hand. A favorite of politicians and clergy, this should be used only with someone you know well.

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h4. *+The Queen's Handshake+*

Offering just your fingertips, rather than your palm, indicates a sense of superiority.

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*+The Dead Fish+*

A limp handshake conveys weakness and a lack of self-confidence.

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*+The Terminator+*

Turning the grip so your hand is on top is a sign of aggression.

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h4. *+Tip: Be Friendly+*

You should always be ready to initiate a handshake, demonstrating your eagerness to meet the person. Although etiquette rules once dictated that a man should wait for a woman to offer her hand, that's no longer the case.

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h4. *+Tip: Show Respect+*

Make sure you're standing when you shake hello or goodbye. It shows respect for yourself and the other person.

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h4. *+Tip: Be Direct+*

Look the other person in the eye. Don't allow the handshake to linger too long, but you can show an extra bit of sincerity by holding their hand a second longer after the last pump.

Turn Your Internship into a Job: 15 Success Stories

Douglas MacMillan / BusinessWeek — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:44:00 -0700

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More companies are treating internship programs as extended job interviews for full-time positions. But unlike a straightforward interview, it's not always clear who you have to impress or how the decision maker will evaluate you.

To help you figure out how to turn your internship into full-time employment, we asked for advice from former interns at companies on BusinessWeek's list of 50 Best Internships—young people who secured full-time jobs with these companies in past three years. Their responses, which ranged from practical (“ask questions”) to ambitious (“ask for more work”), are compiled in this slide show.

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*Lindsay Bartold, 22*

Administrative assistant, Burbank, Calif.

"Search for Administrative Assistant jobs":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers_search/search?q=Administrative+assistant&location=&zip_code=&radius=50&category%5B%5D=5&job_status=&job_posted_within=&salary_range_min=&salary_range_max=&commit=SEARCH

*Company*: ABC (DIS)

*Intern:* Fall, 2006 and 2007

*Hired:* September, 2007

h5. *Her Extra Effort:* Came up with a novel marketing campaign for the TV series Pushing Daisies, which wasn't used but earned her recognition from on high.

h5. *Her Advice:* “It's really important to be sincere, to show your belief in the company and how much you want to be part of it.”

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*Jeremiah Evans, 23*

Energy data and systems analyst, Chicago

"Search for Systems Analyst jobs":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers_search/search?q=systems+analyst&location=&category%5B%5D=5&zip_code=&radius=50&job_status=&job_posted_within=&salary_range_min=&salary_range_max=&commit=SEARCH

*Company*: Abbott Laboratories (ABT)

*Intern*: Summers, 2004-06

*Hired*: July, 2007

h5. *His Extra Effort*: Taking three summers to explore three different units of the company—a pharmaceutical production facility, a manufacturing site, and a diabetes care center.

h5. *His Advice*: “I took every opportunity to reach out and ask questions, both to learn as much as possible and to expand my network of contacts. This helped to make me a more well-rounded job candidate. When I interviewed for a full-time position, I was able to demonstrate my knowledge of the business, people, and what Abbott expects of its employees.”

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*Dominic Uchikura, 28*

Regional sales manager, San Francisco

"Search for Sales Manager jobs":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers_search/search?q=Sales+Manager&location=&category%5B%5D=5&zip_code=&radius=50&job_status=&job_posted_within=&salary_range_min=&salary_range_max=&commit=SEARCH

*Company:* St. Jude Medical (STJ)

*Intern:* Summers, 2004-05

*Hired:* June, 2005

h5. *His Extra Effort:* Worked closely with a company mentor to learn how to work with physicians and patients.

h5. *His Advice:* “The No. 1 thing an intern can do is learn from and work closely with those around him or her who have vast experience. Find those who have a high level of experience and learn.”

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*Nick Brown, 22*

First-year analyst, New York

"Search for Analyst jobs":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers_search/search?q=analyst&location=&category%5B%5D=5&zip_code=&radius=50&job_status=&job_posted_within=&salary_range_min=&salary_range_max=&commit=SEARCH

*Company*: JPMorgan (JPM)

*Intern*: Summers, 2006-07

*Hired*: August, 2007

h5. *His Extra Effort*: When an associate had to take sick leave during an important buy-side deal in the health-care industry, he took the reins.

h5. *His Advice*: “Be conscious about how much work you are taking on. People say you should always say yes to an assignment, but if you have too much on your plate, it's O.K. to say so."

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*Orn Ny, 22*

Financial analyst, Richmond, Va.

*Company*: Philip Morris (MO)

*Intern*: Summer, 2007

*Hired*: October, 2007

h5. *Her Extra Effort*: Boldly asking high-level managers for their input on a risk assessment project.

h5. *Her Advice*: “Remember faces and names so that when you see those people later, you can use their name in conversation.”

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*David Krivonak, 24*

Radio frequency engineer, Reston, Va.

"Search for Engineering jobs":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers_search/search?q=engineer&location=&category%5B%5D=5&zip_code=&radius=50&job_status=&job_posted_within=&salary_range_min=&salary_range_max=&commit=SEARCH

*Company*: Sprint Nextel (S)

*Intern*: Summers, 2004-06

*Hired*: August, 2006

h5. *His Extra Effort*: Organizing social activities for other interns, such as bowling and happy hours.

h5. *His Advice*: “Don't worry about any mistakes that you make during your internship—we're all human. Learn from it.”

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*Joshua Zelkind, 22*

Advisory services associate, Denver

"Search for Service Associate jobs":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers_search/search?q=services+associate&location=&category%5B%5D=5&zip_code=&radius=50&job_status=&job_posted_within=&salary_range_min=&salary_range_max=&commit=SEARCH

*Company*: PricewaterhouseCoopers

*Intern*: Summers, 2005-06

*Hired*: Fall, 2007

h5. *His Extra Effort*: Acing a presentation on how to go after a request for proposal, with partners and senior managers looking on.

h5. *His Advice*: “Sometimes interns don't get the most glamorous jobs, but don't complain. If you can stay positive in any environment, it will help you when it comes time for them to make hiring decisions.”

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*Kate Ambrose, 23*

Flight test engineer, Fort Worth

*Company*: Lockheed Martin (LMT)

*Intern*: Summers, 2004-06

*Hired*: Fall, 2006

h5. *Her Extra Effort*: Asking questions about everything, from how to set up meetings to how to master the company's telecom system.

h5. *Her Advice*: “Do the best you can at what you're assigned. I think everything you do and all the effort you put in shows what you're capable of doing when you apply full-time.”

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*Jenna Borreggine, 21*

Convention service manager, Orlando

"Search for Service Manager jobs":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers_search/search?q=service+manager&location=&category%5B%5D=5&zip_code=&radius=50&job_status=&job_posted_within=&salary_range_min=&salary_range_max=&commit=SEARCH

*Company*: Hyatt

*Intern*: Summers, 2005-07

*Hired*: 2008

h5. *Her Extra Effort*: Racking up positive “comment cards” from hotel guests, which proved to her managers she was excelling in service.

h5. *Her Advice*: “Anyone can tell you to dress professionally and smile and be prepared. But what really shows is the out-of-the-ordinary situations. You have to excel in situations outside of your comfort zone.”

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*Drew Johnson, 24*

Participant in GE's Information Management Leadership Program, Cincinnati

*Company*: General Electric (GE)

*Intern*: Summer, 2005

*Hired*: June, 2006

h5. *His Extra Effort*: Impressing the managers he worked with directly, who ultimately stood up for him at the end-of-summer interview sessions.

h5. *His Advice*: “Get out there and meet as many people within the organization as you can. Let them know what you're doing, and find out what they're doing.”

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*Brittany Badali, 22*

Design analysis and integration engineer, Houston

*Company*: Boeing (BA)

*Intern*: Summers, 2005-07

*Hired*: February, 2008

h5. *Her Extra Effort*: Went on work-related field trips, including a visit to NASA's mission evaluation room, in her spare time.

h5. *Her Advice*: “If you're not getting enough work or you're bored, ask for more work. Be proactive about it.”

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*Bill Farnham, 34*

Financial sales specialist, Amherst, Mass.

"Search for Sales jobs":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers_search/search?q=sales+specalist&location=&category%5B%5D=5&zip_code=&radius=50&job_status=&job_posted_within=&salary_range_min=&salary_range_max=&commit=SEARCH

*Company*: IBM (IBM)

*Intern*: Summer, 2006

*Hired*: July, 2007

h5. *His Extra Effort*: Developing corporate applications for the IBM-sponsored nonprofit World Community Grid, and presenting them to Chief Executive Sam Palmisano.

h5. *His Advice*: “Say yes to absolutely everything. Not only does it give you more of a chance to find something you might be good at or enjoy, but it will put you in contact with as many people as possible, who can help you figure out what you need to do to be offered a full-time position.”

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*Stephanie Hu, 29*

Associate marketing manager, Minneapolis

"Search for Marketing Manager jobs":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers_search/search?q=marketing+manager&location=&category%5B%5D=5&zip_code=&radius=50&job_status=&job_posted_within=&salary_range_min=&salary_range_max=&commit=SEARCH

*Company*: General Mills (GIS)

*Intern*: Summer, 2006

*Hired*: Summer, 2007

h5. *Her Extra Effort*: Focusing on learning how to become a manager in a specific division—marketing.

h5. *Her Advice*: “A good intern will take possession, but a great intern will take ownership. Look past the specific request, and ask the tough questions that can lead to a creative outcome.”

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*Angenie Agrawal, 24*

Reservoir engineer, Houston

*Company*: BP America (BP)

*Intern*: Summer, 2006

*Hired*: January, 2007

h5. *Her Extra Effort*: Attending BP's campus job fairs and interview sessions, and getting to know the recruiters even after she became an intern.

h5. *Her Advice*: “If [your company] is sponsoring an event or a career day on campus, go there and give them your résumé. If you do that, it's a clear indicator to the recruiter that [you are] interested.”

Nine Creative Tips for Poaching Talent

Douglas MacMillan / BusinessWeek — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:38:00 -0700

The tightening economy has put the brakes on hiring for many employers, but some professions and skill sets remain highly sought after. Some 43% of corporate recruiters anticipate a rise in staff levels in 2008, according to a recent study by career Web site JobFox. Software designers, nurses, and accountants, among many other specialized and technical professions observed in the survey, are still much in demand.

If your company is having trouble finding desirable workers on job boards, it's probably because they're happily employed where they are. "Passive candidates," the term recruiters use to describe prospects who are not actively seeking a job, are difficult to find and even more difficult to make contact with. But some HR departments have discovered creative ways to make their pitch resonate.

"*+1. Target+*":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/640-creative-tips-for-poaching-talent?page=2

"*+2. Speak in Code+*":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/640-creative-tips-for-poaching-talent?page=3

"*+3. Join the Conversation+*":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/640-creative-tips-for-poaching-talent?page=4

"*+4. Employer Branding+*":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/640-creative-tips-for-poaching-talent?page=5

"*+5. Lighten Up+*":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/640-creative-tips-for-poaching-talent?page=6

"*+6. Intrude+*":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/640-creative-tips-for-poaching-talent?page=7

"*+7. Be Flexible+*":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/640-creative-tips-for-poaching-talent?page=8

"*+8. Offer a Reward+*":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/640-creative-tips-for-poaching-talent?page=9

"*+9. Use Your Big Brass+*":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/640-creative-tips-for-poaching-talent?page=10

[page]

h4. *+1. Target+*

After job-posting sites turned up few qualified candidates, Aliso Viejo (Calif.) video game startup Red 5 Studios handpicked about 100 dream candidates, spent time learning their backgrounds and interests from social networks and personal blogs, and airmailed each one a personalized iPod, complete with artistic packaging and a recorded message from CEO Mark Kern. More than 90 recipients responded to the pitch, three left their jobs to come on board, and many more potential hires discovered the company through word-of-mouth buzz generated by the search.

[page]

h4. *+2. Speak in Code+*

People who are proven in their profession are bombarded by messages from recruiters, so it's important to stand out from the pack. When game maker Electronic Arts (ERTS) needed to staff its Canadian office with ASCII programmers, it worked with the Vancouver office of ad agency TBWA to design a coded message that only potential hires would be able to decipher. This billboard, placed directly in front of the offices of game rival Radical Entertainment, contains the ASCII code for "NOW HIRING."

[page]

h4. *+3. Join the Conversation+*

Social media sites let recruiters join in an informal conversation with potential hires. Global auditor Ernst & Young has created groups on Facebook, where current employees share company news and prospective employees sign up for internships and events, and hear about job openings around the world. Professional networking site LinkedIn and fast-paced microblogging site Twitter are also good ways to pass news of a job opening through the ranks of the employed.

[page]

h4. *+4. Employer Branding+*

Even potential hires who are not actively seeking jobs have probably heard something about your company's "employer brand." A company with a good employer brand is one known for hiring the best people and retaining them with competitive pay, comfortable workplaces, and opportunities for advancement. Faced with growing public awareness of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking, Marlboro maker Philip Morris (PM_W) bolstered its employer brand by initiating corporate social responsibility drives and padding up starting salaries, according to Claudia Tattanelli, CEO of Swedish employer branding consultant Universum. As a result, the company placed 29th on BusinessWeek's list of Best Places to Launch a Career in 2006, and 43rd in 2007.

[page]

h4. *+5. Lighten Up+*

Don't know what tone to take with potential candidates? Try humor. At last year's Flashforward, a trade event for flash programmers, audience members at certain panel discussions found in their seats a recruiting pitch from irreverent ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky: a "Resignation Toolkit," complete with a form letter of resignation to fill out and hand to their current employer and contacts to set up an interview at the event itself.

[page]

h4. *+6. Intrude+*

Often, the decision of a passive candidate to interview with a new company is an impulsive one, according to Mike Temkin, vice-president for strategic planning and development at boutique employment advertising agency Shaker. To play on the impulses of a potential hire, he says, "you have to be intrusive. You have to drive the message to them." Shaker aimed to be intrusive in this recent campaign for Connecticut casino Mohegan Sun, which included sidewalk chalkings in high-traffic spots on college campuses.

[page]

h4. *+7. Be Flexible+*

Once a passive candidate shows interest, the onus is on the recruiter to make the interviewing and hiring process accommodating. "Unemployed people will go through any hell to get a position. But employed people are busy," says John Sullivan, a recruiting consultant and professor of management at San Francisco State University. Deloitte & Touche, for example, holds interviews on nights and weekends.

[page]

h4. *+8. Offer a Reward+*

After finding out firsthand how hard it is to get the best candidates into the interview room, former recruiter Rob Ellis decided to add an incentive: cold hard cash. Google (GOOG), Walt Disney (DIS), and Pepsico (PEP) are just a few of the companies that have begun to pay qualified candidates to come in for an interview through NotchUp, a site co-founded by Ellis. Still in beta testing, the site is a place for would-be hires—80% of whom identify themselves as passive job seekers—to name the dollar amount a company would have to pay to interview them. For an experienced worker making a current salary of $100,000, the site recommends an interview price of around $500.

[page]

h4. *+9. Use Your Big Brass+*

Larger companies rarely involve their top executives in the hiring process, but when they do it can help add to the allure of a job offer. Bill Crutchfield, chief executive of consumer electronics retailer Crutchfield in Charlottesville, Va., takes a personal stake in the hiring process when his hiring managers tell him a quality candidate is on the fence: He calls them up or has them come into his office. "I do this when we are aggressively recruiting a highly competitive applicant," says Crutchfield. He says key prospects perk up when he gives them a call, "since applicants for positions other [than] the most senior ones rarely get an opportunity to speak with a CEO during the recruiting process."

How to Motivate Employees on a Budget

Liz Ryan / BusinessWeek — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:22:00 -0700

With recession looming—or underway, depending on who you ask—corporate budget managers are battening down the hatches when it comes to expenses. One of the areas where spending is stingiest is employee raises; last year's average increase of 3.5% may look like a bonanza from the perspective of 2008, when many companies are likely to be giving raises of 2% or less.

Modest salary-increase budgets leave managers in a bind. On top of a tough hiring market fueled by Baby Boomer retirements, managers face a major challenge: keeping employees happy when their budgets force them to dispense Scrooge-like salary bumps.

Click through each page to learn some ideas to help keep your team engaged when you're forced to be the tightfisted manage.

[page]

*+Tell them what to expect about raise+*

If you're held to an average 2% raise budget, let your employees know that. It's one thing to receive no raise or a tiny bump when other people are getting 6% or 8%. If the austerity plan is companywide or divisionwide, spell out your constraints to your team.

[page]

*+Over-communicate on other areas, too+*

Don't stop at communicating the salary-increase budget. Let your employees know the department's and the division's goals, and which financial metrics will move the company into a better raise-granting position next year. The better informed people are, the less likely they are to stew about the minimal changes in their paychecks—and the more they feel like they can make a difference.

[page]

*+Sometimes, one size fits all+*

One excellent manager I know said to his team as a group, "Look, our raise budget is 2.5%. Given such a small allotment, I'm not going to slice and dice and give one person 2.565% and another 2.275. I'm giving everyone in my group the same 2.5% because I only keep top performers in my group and I don't believe those extra sixteenths of a percent are going to motivate you one way or the other." If you've dealt appropriately with any performance issues on your team throughout the year and truly believe they are all pulling along as best they can, this may not be the time to make minute distinctions among the performers on your team.

[page]

*+Pay in other ways+*

If a significant salary increase isn't feasible, sometimes a nice chunk of résumé padding can be the next best thing. Offer your best employees a chance to join you in a high-visibility project with C-level participants. Offer a top performer a mentor, possibly the leader of another function with whom you've arranged a swap that has each of you mentoring one of the other's high-potential team members. Give one of your employees the opportunity to lead a major initiative in your group. Doling out items of value doesn't stop with the paycheck, but it does require careful planning to ensure that when you say "this assignment will boost your career," it's not an empty promise and doesn't turn out to be more work than he can handle.

[page]

*+Keep their eyes on the prize+*

When the purse strings are tight in corporate life, employees want to know, "What milestone will change the financial picture?" It's our job as managers to keep them well informed. A less-than-expected annual increase is not only disappointing, but also causes employees to wonder about the company's long-term viability. If the company is close to landing a major new client, or receiving a round of investment funding, employees want to know as much as it's legal to share. The worst scenario in a time of miniscule pay increases is one where the managers say "I know no more than you do." It's our job as managers to find out, and to share (judiciously, of course) what we know.

[page]

*+What comes around+*

One manager friend called me to say, "Following our department's uninspiring 1% pay increases last month, I've got a top employee who's considering an outside offer. I'm torn between encouraging her to take it and hoping she'll stay in touch so maybe I can hire her back, and trying to sell her on just staying here." Sometimes, the best option is for an employee to move on. You might not stay in touch, but you may. She could even end up hiring you, someday. But if one of your team members is really chafing over pay issues, it might be best to let him or her move on.

[page]

*+The last reward+*

The "last reward" comes last in our list because it's the most obvious employee motivator, notwithstanding the fact that managers routinely forget to make use of it. We refer to praise and acknowledgement, the 'attaboys' and 'attagirls' that remind employees we're paying attention. Acknowledging your team's efforts is a specific way in an ongoing process that won't make up for a low raise, but will show your employees you see their value, even if you can't put a dollar amount behind it. The habit of dropping frequent, relevant acknowledgements will also increase your one-on-one communication with your employees—and that is never a bad thing.

Twelve Worst Job Interview Mistakes

Julie Hordon / BusinessWeek — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:33:00 -0700

Among the tips for this stage of the application process: You don't want to be unprepared or too rehearsed, or be labeled an HR stalker

Turning off a potential employer is easier than one might think. To score a job, avoid these 12 mistakes that candidates often make during the interview process.

1. "+Being Unprepared for Standard Questions+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/638-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?page=2

2. "+Sounding Too Rehearsed+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/638-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?page=3

3. "+Stalking HR+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/638-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?page=4

4. "+Applying for the Wrong Job+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/638-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?page=5

5. "+Arriving Too Early+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/638-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?page=6

6. "+Oversharing+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/638-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?page=7

7. "+Asking the Wrong Questions (Or No Questions at All)+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/638-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?page=8

8. "+Bungling the Salary Negotiation Process+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/638-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?page=9

9. "+Failing to Show Enthusiasm+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/638-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?page=10

10. "+Exaggerating Work Experience+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/638-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?page=11

11. "+Being Rude+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/638-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?page=12

12. "+Trashing a Former Employer+":http://hrguru.monster.com/careers/638-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?page=13

[page]

*+Being Unprepared for Standard Questions+*

Most interviewers ask prospective employees questions about the same topics—a conflict in the workplace and how the candidate resolved it, an accomplishment they take pride in, their biggest weakness, their greatest strength. “Some people are totally surprised, saying, 'I had no idea you'd ever ask me to describe my best boss or a customer complaint and how I dealt with it,' ” says Kim Silvers, president of Silvers HR Management in Sacramento. To avoid being caught off guard in a job interview, create a list of obvious questions and brainstorm ways to answer.

[page]

*+Sounding Too Rehearsed+*

The flip side of being unprepared is sounding like a robot. Think of potential question answers in bullet points instead of memorizing information word-for-word, says Ciara Truglia, human resources manager for Nexion Health Management in Eldersburg, Md. That way, you will sound as natural as possible.

[page]

*+Stalking HR+*

“There's a fine line between being assertive and expressing interest and being stalking and annoying,” says Kiersten Peterson, manager of human resources for Boston-based Winston Flowers. HR professionals usually do not follow up with every person who sends a résumé, especially at in-demand companies. Peterson advises limiting follow-ups to 3-4 calls and/or e-mails—at most. “If somebody doesn't get back to you, take it as a hint to focus your attention elsewhere in the job search,” she says.

[page]

*+Applying for the Wrong Job+*

There's no point in sending a résumé for a position for which you are under- or overqualified. Besides your having a slim chance of getting hired, it is time-consuming for HR to sift through so many résumés and applications, says Rosario Terrazas, human resources manager for Goleta (Calif.)-based Frontier Technology.

[page]

*+Arriving Too Early+*

Everyone knows the downside of getting to an interview late, but arriving more than 10 or 15 minutes before the start of a meeting is just as unacceptable. “It makes the company uncomfortable because they are customer service-oriented. We can't do anything if they see somebody sitting there for 45 minutes because we do so much interviewing that we usually have to stick with the schedule,” says Susan R. Summers, vice-president of human resources for Episcopal Ministries to the Aging, which has care facilities in the Mid-Atlantic. Summers' advice if you get there too early? “Stay out in your car or sit on the bus bench and wait.”

[page]

*+Oversharing+*

With the popularity of social-networking sites and personal Web pages, it's easier than ever to find personal information about candidates. “You can pull up somebody's name, and if the college fraternity's Web site won the tequila-drinking contest and they weren't seen or heard from in three days, that's not the kind of publicity a candidate will want,” says Silvers of Silvers HR Management. If a job seeker has a MySpace, Facebook, or Friendster profile, or a personal page, it's best to keep it clean.

[page]

*+Asking the Wrong Questions (Or No Questions at All)+*

If an interviewer asks if you have questions—which he inevitably will—rattle off a few smart ones that demonstrate how thoroughly you have prepared for the interview. “It's not good to show up and say, 'How much do you pay? Do you offer 401(k)'s?' If you say, 'I was looking at your Web site…' or ask about the stock performance over the last six months, that shows that a student was proactive enough to do research and ask meaningful questions,” says Roberto Angulo, president of recruiting and career network AfterCollege.

[page]

*+Bungling the Salary Negotiation Process+*

Most experts agree that the all-important salary discussion should be brought up by someone from the hiring organization. Throughout the interview process, a candidate should focus on what he can bring to an organization, not what he can get out of it. A candidate should also have a realistic view of his worth to a company, enhanced by applicable work experience and other important skills, says Michael Kalinsky, president of management consulting company Empyrean Management Group.

[page]

*+Failing to Show Enthusiasm+*

Some candidates are afraid to appear too aggressive or interested in a position. However at the end of an interview an applicant should make sure a recruiter knows how interested he or she is. “Make sure it's sincere, appreciative, and not over-the-top. But absolutely let them see your enthusiasm,” says Rita B. Allen, president of Rita B. Allen Associates, which offers career management strategies for individuals and organizations.

[page]

*+Exaggerating Work Experience+*

Though it might seem like a smart idea to talk up work experience, interviewers can often see right through fabrications. “Candidates often exaggerate in a way that's obvious given what their position was,” says Nexion Health's Truglia. Stretching the truth is also common among career changers, who want to make themselves seem like a good fit although they might lack experience.

[page]

*+Being Rude+*

Professional etiquette should not be a long-lost art form. Thank-you notes (either e-mail or print), appropriate dress, hand shaking, and courteous behavior should be in the front of applicants' minds-even if they are going to a more casual company, says Allen of Rita B. Allen Associates.

[page]

+*Trashing a Former Employer*+

A question about your worst day at work or a difficult situation isn't an invitation to bad-mouth a former employer or other company, says Summers of Episcopal Ministries to the Aging. Besides making a candidate look like a gossip, a recruiter may wonder what harsh stories the applicant might spread about the recruiter's company.

Quiz Series: What's Your Specialization?

HRGuru — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:46:00 -0700

Find out which HR specialization is right for you.

• HR Generalist

• Compensation Professional

• Training Manager

• HR Information Systems Professional

• HR Consultant

• Diversity and Inclusions Manager

• Organizational Development Professional

• Talent Director

• Staffing and Recruitment Professional

• Labor Relations Specialist

• Corporate Communications Manager

Seven Things You Must Do in An Interview

Aileen Pincus / Business Week — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:32:00 -0700

When you are looking to make the Big Leap—the one that puts you closer to the power centers of a business or organization—the interview process will likely be different from what you've experienced before. The more senior the person or people you're interviewing with, the more definite their ideas are likely to be about what they're looking for. They know that their own continued success depends on hiring the best people.

So how do you prove your readiness for the big leagues? By thinking like a big-league player. This interview will be different from others, but it will be your best chance to impress the decisionmakers, so there are some key points you want to be certain you get across. Here are tips to help you succeed:

[photo:2051]

1. Show you get the "big picture"

Any number of interview candidates may possess specific subject-knowledge valuable to a business. But the candidate who goes beyond mere information and displays an ability to use it well is more likely to get the job. Senior executives and managers generally want people who pay attention to and understand the broader view.

TIP:
Demonstrate you recognize patterns and understand their importance; that you know how to use and synthesize information.

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[photo:2054]

2. Find out what keeps the boss up at night

Do your homework so you understand not only the job or promotion for which you are applying, but also the job of the senior executive above it. Do you know to whom this person reports, and what the top issues are for your boss's boss?

TIP:
Make that knowledge part of your interview conversation. Show an interest not only in the specifics of the job, but in the product and markets for that company. Ask broad questions: "What do you think the potential growth in the Indian market is?"

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[photo:2057]

3. Look for answers

Senior managers are looking for candidates who are creative thinkers focused on finding solutions. It is less important that you show you know the details of the problems the organization faces than that you're able to demonstrate readiness to look for options and find solutions.

TIP:
Think about problems in the past you've identified and managed to solve. Show readiness to tackle the tough issues.

[page]

[photo:2060]

4. Show some guts

Chances are whoever you're interviewing with got where he is by showing some moxie, and you should too. Top people need and want folks around them who are not afraid to speak up and will confidently assert their ideas. It is the only way to be part of the process.

TIP:
Be ready with an example of a time when you weren't afraid to go out on a limb and your actions helped bring about real change.

[page]

[photo:2063]

5. Show your softer side, too

Yes, you should speak up and assert your ideas. But there will be times when the folks at the top will want—will even need—for you to go along once a decision has been made, even if you don't agree with it.

TIP:
Think about past experiences you can discuss to demonstrate you're comfortable with the challenges of a dynamic environment.

[page]

[photo:2066]

6. Listen

Just as you want to make it plain in an interview that you are not too timid to speak up, you want to make it clear you are not over-confident or intent on dominating the process. Demonstrate you are able to listen without being too eager to cut off dialog.

TIP:
Ask questions that reflect the concerns of the questioner in a constructive way. For instance, if you are asked what you would do in a certain situation, resist the temptation to answer before you've asked some questions of your own.

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[photo:2069]

7. Keep it positive

If there's one thing senior managers have a universal distaste for, it's whining. Remember, every hiring manager wants to hire a team player who will bring positive energy and real initiative to the job. Be ready with examples of positive suggestions about problems or issues that you took initiative on in order to demonstrate your people skills.

TIP:
Steer clear of any criticism of prior managers, even if invited to offer it.

Internships: The Best Places to Start

Lindsey Gerdes / Business Week — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:03:00 -0700

Elana Gerasimova spent the summer of 2006 working as an intern for JPMorgan's emerging markets desk. The University of Pennsylvania senior enjoyed the summer in New York because of the variety of tasks she was given and the executives she had the opportunity to work with. "They really made a point to give us actual projects," says the 22-year-old native of Bulgaria. "I loved it and then I got an offer to come back." Now Gerasimova is a first-year analyst with JPMorgan (JPM) investment bank, No. 8 on BusinessWeek's inaugural 50 Best Internships ranking.

Getting an internship used to mean a 10-week exercise in photocopying, sorting mail, filing, and fetching sandwiches. If you were lucky, there might be a company-wide picnic thrown in. Forget that image. The college internship has become nothing less than a high-stakes tryout to land the perfect first job. Think of it as the job interview that lasts all summer long.

What happened to the days when internships were something put on your résumé—one that usually went to other employers? The answer is simple: Demand is high for entry-level workers, especially the cream of the crop. These days, employers are looking for an edge—any way to get their hands on prime candidates early, particularly in industries such as accounting and investment banking where there is intense competition for top students with specific skills or majors.

BIG FOUR IN THE TOP FIVE

If you have any doubts, listen to Lehman Brothers (LEH) managing director Larry Band express his company's view of its summer internship program. "It's the primary entry point to full-time employment," he says.

That's why BusinessWeek has created its first annual ranking of the best U.S. companies for undergraduate internships. Our ranking highlights the employers who are doing it right. PricewaterhouseCoopers tops our list, followed by Ernst & Young and Deloitte & Touche. The last of the Big Four accounting companies, KPMG, comes in at No. 5, right behind financial-services powerhouse Goldman Sachs (GS).

Why is it so important for employers to appeal to Gen Y through internships? A solid internship experience can be an effective recruiting tool to identify (and snap up) top entry-level candidates in an increasingly competitive marketplace for the best and brightest college grads. "It's so competitive, there are simply not enough really good students," says Jean Wyer, a principal at PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Internships have become more important, so we look at the availability and quality of ours as an important differentiator in the marketplace."

HOW WE GATHERED THE GOODS

Nearly one-third of all entry-level hires at the companies on our list once worked as interns for their employer. Hiring interns also helps employee retention. According to Claudia Tattanelli, chief executive officer of Philadelphia-based research firm Universum Communications, studies show employees who start out as interns before coming on board full-time usually stick around longer and have better retention rates.

With this ranking, BusinessWeek has put together a guide to the best internships that, unlike any other ranking, provides information on pay, the number of interns each company recruits, and how many interns are offered full-time jobs. To compile our list, we started out with the nearly 100 employers included in BusinessWeek's 2007 Best Places to Launch a Career, our ranking of top U.S. entry-level employers released in September.

Next, we judged the organizations based on three criteria: the internship survey completed by employers, their ranking on Best Places to Launch a Career, and the undergraduate student survey conducted by our partner, Universum Communications.

There are some big surprises on our list. The CIA, No. 21, for example, offers a highly competitive undergraduate scholarship program that includes summer work experience at the intelligence agency and is targeted at high school seniors and college sophomores. One college senior told Universum, "The Central Intelligence Agency offers the best opportunities because they have co-ops, internships, and scholarships combined with job placement opportunities immediately after graduation. Participants gain experience and are able to apply as soon as possible." The super-secret agency won't disclose how many interns it employs, but of the interns who receive job offers, 100% accept. The only other employer to have that high an acceptance rate is another government agency, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, No. 23.

LOOKING FOR THE HIGHEST PAY?

Our list also reflects the realities of the world of business: The best opportunity to make top dollar as an intern is in investment banking. The five investment banks on our list offer their interns the highest pay—an average hourly wage of $26.14.

Clearly, the lot of interns has improved over the years. Not too long ago, many employers were still unsure whether to even have a formal internship program, says Universum's Tattanelli. Now it's a necessity for large prestigious companies and firms if they want to appeal to a Gen Y crowd that craves engaging work. "You can't just have [an internship program]," says Tattanelli. "You have to have one and give them meaningful work."

NEXT STOP: HIGH SCHOOL

PricewaterhouseCoopers, for example, enriched its program in recent years by making changes to a four-day conference it holds for its interns at Disney World. The firm asks its partners to tie the conference coursework back to what the interns learned over the summer. It also gives interns an opportunity to do community service (and learn important teamwork skills) through a project that involves assembling bicycles for children in need. Competitor Ernst & Young, has a similar Disney World program and even flies some of its top interns to Florida on the company jet with the CEO.

No wonder more students are interning than ever before. According to a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 62% of entry-level hires have had internships, as opposed to only 49% in 1997. Companies are also starting to recruit interns earlier in their college careers. The next frontier, according to some recruiters: high school.

Taking Your Internship Up a Notch

Douglas MacMillan / Business Week — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:41:00 -0700

Congratulations, you've landed a summer internship with the company for which you've always wanted to work. You may think the hard part is over, now that you've gotten in the door. But don't start patting yourself on the back just yet. Over the next few months, your every move will be scrutinized to see if you've got what it takes to be a full-timer.

These days, more companies are treating internship programs as extended job interviews for permanent positions. An internship is a way to assess a job candidate's skills, professionalism, fit with company culture, and ability to learn new tasks. The idea is that those who meet expectations will have a permanent gig waiting for them. However the leap from intern to full-time employee can be daunting if you're new to the work world and you don't approach your internship with the right expectations and assumptions.

The moment you set foot over the threshold you should think of yourself as a new employee. "When an intern comes on board we give them the same experience as we would a first-year associate," says Amy Thompson, director of campus recruiting for global accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. "All of the things that we would assess a first-year associate on, that's how we assess our interns."

SEEKING FEEDBACK FROM MENTORS

For Joshua Zelkind, an intern with the company in 2005 and 2006, acting like an employee meant poking his head into the offices of managers and partners to introduce himself and say hello. That helped him feel more comfortable and confident at the end of the internship when he had to give a presentation in front of the higher-ups. The following year, he took a job as an associate in the firm's advisory services practice.

Most internship programs have some type of periodic assessment to give interns feedback and help them adjust and improve their performance. But beyond that, you should make every effort to find out exactly how you're doing. "Always seek feedback from your mentors and from your supervisors," suggests Paul Bae, vice-president of human resources for St. Jude Medical (STJ). "Unless you're constantly seeking feedback, you're not going to be able to improve."

At IBM (IBM), interns are encouraged to build a strong relationship with their manager, as that's the person they would most likely work for if they were to be hired. "If the intern has done well, and if their manager has an opening for a full-time hire, they will try to hire them," says Vera Chota, manager of recruiting and internships at the company. A good relationship can also pay off even if that manager isn't hiring: "If they don't have an opening they will determine if that intern should be hired by someone else in IBM, and help them," says Chota.

BOWLING FOR BROWNIE POINTS

Of course, you should network beyond your direct superior whenever you get the opportunity. Joining in intern social events—in and outside of work—is a great way for an intern to build a rapport with potential future coworkers, and to prove that he or she is a team player. David Krivonak, an intern with Sprint Nextel (S) during the summers of 2004, 2005, and 2006, thinks one of the reasons the company hired him as a radio-frequency engineer in 2006 was that he organized activities for fellow interns, including a bowling tournament.

Frequently, it's not just the intern coordinator or manager who makes the final decisions about hiring interns. At hotel operator Hyatt the human resources manager and the general manager typically have to sign off on any new hires, according to Kristy Seidel, the manager of staffing—so making a good impression with these people and their "reports" can make a big difference.

As in any job, interns should make some effort to go above and beyond what they're asked to do. "When [interns] get excited and start asking 'why' questions, it really makes a statement," says Kenneth Charles, chief staffing officer for General Mills (GIS). One of the most impressive performances he's seen: When a summer intern took a new product from concept stage to the store shelves at Wal-Mart (WMT) in less than three months.

Did that intern get offered a job at the end of the summer? "You bet," Charles says.

Brand Yourself as a Great Boss!!

Bruce Tulgan, Rainmaker Thinking, Inc. — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:23:00 -0800

Branding yourself as a great boss (like any branding effort) requires first that you figure out who you are targeting. Low performers? High performers? Mediocre performers?

Here’s what our research indicates:

h4. Low performers are looking for a boss who…

is weak, hands-off and tries to treat every employee the same;

doesn’t keep track of who is doing what, where, why, when, and how;

doesn’t spell out expectations;

lets performance problems slide; and

allows low performers to collect the same paycheck as everyone else.

h4. High performers are looking for a boss who…

is strong, highly engaged, and treats every employee as a special case;

lets employees know they are important and their work is important by keeping track of who is doing what, where, why, when and how;

spells out expectations clearly and shares best practices every step of the way;

helps them avoid pitfalls and helps them solve problems quickly so they don’t grow;

clears the low performers out of the way; and

rewards high performers when they go the extra mile.

What about the vast majority of employees who are somewhere in the middle? You will get out of them exactly what you put in—in almost exact proportion to how much technique, time, and energy you put into managing them. If you are strong and highly engaged, you are treating your employees like high performers. You will manage most of them into a steady upward spiral.

h4. HOW DO YOU BECOME A MAGNET FOR HIGH PERFORMERS?

In our research, we find two giant misconceptions about high performers in the workplace:

_Myth #1: High performers don’t need to be managed._

_Myth #2: High performers don’t want to be managed closely._

REALITY #1: HIGH PERFORMERS NEED MANAGERS TOO!

Never make the mistake of thinking that some employees are so talented, skilled, and motivated that you don’t need to manage them at all. Even superstars must be managed. Like everyone else, superstars have bad days, sometimes go in the wrong direction, and have lapses in judgment or integrity. Even superstars need guidance, direction, support, and encouragement. They need to be challenged and developed. What is more, superstars often want to know that someone is keeping track of their great work and looking for ways to reward them.

REALITY #2: HIGH PERFORMERS WANT TO BE MANAGED VERY WELL BY A GREAT BOSS

High performers want a boss who is strong and highly engaged, who knows exactly who they are and exactly what they are doing every step of the way. High performers want a boss who lets them know that they are important and that their work is important. They want a boss who practices the art of real empowerment, providing strong leadership through steady guidance, direction, and support. Today’s high performer is looking for a boss who will:

1. Spend time with her on a regular basis talking about her work.

2. Treat her as a special case.

3. Set her up for success every step of the way.

4. Help her grow and develop.

5. Help her earn the rewards she needs and wants.

h4. SPEND TIME WITH YOUR HIGH PERFORMERS TALKING ABOUT THE WORK

Remember that the time you spend managing is “high-leverage time.” By managing, you engage the productive capacity of the people you manage. For every, say, fifteen-minute management conversation you have with an employee, you should be engaging hours or maybe days of that employee’s productive capacity. If that fifteen-minute conversation is effective, you should substantially improve the quality and output of the employee’s work for hours or days. That’s a good return on investment. That means the time you spend managing high performers is “super high leverage.”

Check in regularly to ensure that there are no obstacles in the employee’s way that will prevent her from getting lots of work done very well, very fast, all day long. You should ask yourself: Are there problems that haven’t been spotted yet? Problems that need to be solved? Resources that need to be obtained? Are there any instructions or goals that are not clear? Has anything happened since we last talked that I should know about? Answer employees’ questions as they come up. Get input from your employees throughout the process. Learn from what your employees are learning on the front line. Strategize together. Provide advice, support, motivation, and, yes, even inspiration once in a while.

h4. TREAT EVERY HIGH PERFORMER LIKE A SPECIAL CASE

Every employee is a special case. If you don’t know what makes one of your employees a special case, you better find out. Figure out where this person is coming from: background, personality, style, communication, work habit, and motivations. The only way to learn what really works with each employee is to get in there and start managing. Those one-on-one conversations are the path inside. As you talk with each person face-to-face, try to tune in to that person and adjust your approach this way and that, just as you adjust the dial on a radio. Be aware of how you are changing your approach and observe carefully the effects of each change on each person and her performance. And remember, you’ll have to keep making adjustments constantly because people change and grow over time.

h4. SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

By requiring employees to follow step-by-step checklists, you are telling each employee exactly what to do and how to do each task. I think often the best posture to assume is to think of yourself as a shrewd client and the employee as a professional you’ve hired. Be a very aggressive facilitator. Ask the high performer to think out loud about how she might approach an assignment but then skillfully lead the employee to the right conclusions as fast as possible. If an employee’s job is to be creative, the biggest favor you can do for that employee is to be clear about what is not within the employee’s discretion. If you want an employee to feel free to take risks and make mistakes, then you have to define parameters in order to create a space in which risk taking and mistakes are truly safe in the context of a job.

h4. HELP THEM GROW AND DEVELOP

Here’s the key: Start small. As an employee demonstrates proficiency and performance, gradually increase the amount and importance of the work you assign. Next you can continue to empower him by using project planning tools together. Help him develop long-term project plans, complete with clear benchmarks along the way. Focus your one-on-one meetings on evaluating his progress toward each benchmark. Provide feedback and recommend adjustments every step of the way. Over time, he will be able to handle even bigger, more complex projects. The rigorous use of project planning tools is another well-kept secret ingredient of real empowerment. Over time, effective delegation creates real empowerment because it clearly defines the terrain on which the employee has power. All the while, you teach employees great habits by delegating effectively, demonstrating that self-management involves a constant accounting. They learn to constantly clarify priorities, expectations, plans, action steps, and timelines.

h4. HELP THEM EARN WHAT THEY NEED AND WANT

You want to be generous and flexible with your employees, especially with your high performers. Start looking at the discretionary resources that are within your disposal already. Use your power over work conditions; scheduling; recognition; exposure to decision makers; deciding what tasks are assigned to whom, who gets extra training opportunities, where each employee works, and with what coworker; and so on. Do more for your high performers. Make special deals and small accommodations. But make sure they know that special rewards are not to be taken for granted and always remains contingent on his performance and your discretion. Make the quid pro quo explicit every step of the way.

_About Bruce Tulgan_

Bruce Tulgan is the author most recently of "It's OK to be the Boss":http://hrguru.monster.com/products/products/111-its-okay-to-be-the-boss-the-step-by-step-guide-to-becoming-the-manager-your-employees-need, excerpts from which appear in this article. Bruce is an adviser to business leaders all over the world and a sought after speaker and seminar leader. Bruce can be reached at brucet@rainmakerthinking.com.

Use the Right News 2.0 Tools to Stay on Top of Your Industry

Allan Hoffman/ Monster Tech Jobs Expert — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 11:18:00 -0800

In today’s information-rich world, there’s no excuse for not staying current with the goings-on in your field, whether it’s real estate, technology or Web marketing. But while every industry and industry niche is awash in news sites and publications, you can uncover even more information by adding industry blogs and user-generated news sites to your reading list.

Despite the proliferation of these “News 2.0” sources of information, many people don’t take advantage of them. Don’t make that mistake. If you’re on a job interview and your potential boss mentions yesterday’s provocative post on one of your field’s must-read blogs, you want to be able to run with the remark - not run from it.

Related Links

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Brand Yourself as a Great Boss!

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To do that, you need to know how to tap trustworthy resources and manage the avalanche of information available online. Surfing from one story with a thousand “diggs” to another? That’s a recipe for disaster. You’ll waste time, and you’re likely to fall into the trap of believing all information is equal. To make the most of this new world of news, you need help figuring out what’s credible and how to manage your staple of information resources to stay productive. Here’s how you can hook into smart, credible News 2.0 sources.

h4. The Blogroll Is Your Friend

If you’ve dismissed blogs as quirky timewasters, think again. With even CEOs blogging, the trend is something more than a glorified mode of procrastination.

Google your industry and the word “blog” (or head right to Google Blog Search), and your search will turn up blogs crammed with industry news and resources. Start broadly (“nursing blog,” say) and then narrow your search (“ER nursing blog,” for instance) to see what’s out there. Blogs can be your ticket to industry news nirvana for a number of reasons:

1) Bloggers assemble the latest headlines (and gossip) from a variety of sources, including mainstream publications and insider-y industry discussions.

2) Blog comment sections give you a quick take on the discussion surrounding industry news.

3) Blogs can help you tap a virtual community of insiders. Rather than just getting news, you may be able to make connections.

Blogs can also point you to other industry sources via the blogroll, the blogger’s list of favorite blogs, publications and industry personalities. Think of the blogroll as an industry cheat sheet. If you find several active blogs for your field, use them (and their blogrolls) to track down industry podcasts, online-only publications and executive blogs.

Unlike the New York Times, blogs have little, if any, institutional history behind them, so how can you tell if a blog is reliable? The quality of the blogger’s writing and his level of fairness can provide some indication. You can also look to the comments section to see how others respond to the blogger’s posts. And if a blog is listed on plenty of other bloggers’ blogrolls, that’s a sure sign the blog is viewed as a top resource for your field.

h4. You Create the News (for Better, and Sometimes for Worse)

Blogs aren’t the only new sources of industry news. A new generation of news spots is turning the tables on big-media companies by letting users decide which stories deserve headline treatment. At spots like Digg, Reddit and Wikio, users submit news headlines, rate news stories and comment on the news.

Look to industry-specific categories or “tags” at these spots to find news that’s relevant to you. But don’t rely on these spots (not yet, at least) for your entire news diet. Gossip, rumor and hype-driven top 10 lists are sometimes the big news here, even if those items aren’t really essential reading.

h4. Avoid Information Overload

Once you have this bounty of information, you need a way to manage it. By using RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, you can simplify your life by bringing all your news together in one spot.

Though the mechanics of RSS vary, depending on the software on your computer, all of today’s latest Web browsers include RSS capabilities or add-ons sometimes known as RSS readers. With an RSS reader, you can subscribe to updates at your news sources of choice. (The news source will need to provide an RSS feed, often a standard feature.) Then, instead of visiting scores of Web sites, you tap into your RSS reader to see brief, ad-free headlines all in one spot, making it easy to pick and choose what you really want (or need) to read.

Managing Middlescence

Welcome to middlescence. Like adolescence, it can be a time of frustration, confusion, and alienation. But it can also be a time of self-discovery, new direction, and fresh beginnings

h4. The Idea in Brief

Burned out. Bottlenecked. Bored. That's the current lot of many midcareer employees—those 35 to 54 years of age. Thirty percent of these middlescents work 50+ hours per week, while only 33% feel energized by their jobs. And many lament that their workplace offers few opportunities to try new things.

If your company's like most, midcareer managers and employees make up half your workforce. Neglect their discontent, and you risk losing valued performers who seek exciting work elsewhere. This is a dangerous development—considering the brain drain that'll soon hit when the vanguard of baby boomers retires. Disaffected middlescents who stay because they need the money take an even worse toll: Their lack of energy, innovation, and focus erodes your firm's productivity.

Related Links

Recommended Reading:
Use the Right News 2.0 Tools to Stay on Top of Your Industry

Uplevel your HR skills by getting a degree.
Find a degree here.

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Find a scholarship here.

How to avoid these losses? Tap into your middlescents' hunger for renewal by helping them launch into new, more productive, more meaningful roles and careers. Fresh assignments enable middlescents to acquire new skills. Job changes help them develop new specialties. And training expands their business knowledge and stokes their desire to learn more.

You're probably already using such simple and inexpensive career revitalization techniques on your stars. Extend them to all your midcareer employees: They'll reward you with renewed commitment and productivity, as well as reduced replacement costs—immediately.

h4. The Idea in Practice

Use these strategies to revitalize middlescents' careers:

h4. Fresh Assignments

Offer new assignments in different locations or parts of your organization to leverage middlescents' existing skills and contacts while helping them acquire new ones.

General Electric taps experienced managers to integrate new acquisitions—giving them a change of scene and bringing to bear their extensive organizational know-how.

h4. Career Changes

Provide attractive internal career changes to help middlescents develop new specialties.

Early in his 30+ years with Pitney Bowes, Dave Nassef served as a factory personnel manager and then marketer. When the company centralized HR, he was one of the few HR managers with manufacturing and marketing experience. At 40, he took on HR responsibility for half the company. Nassef's additional careers within Pitney Bowes include corporate ombudsman and company representative in Washington.

h4. Mentoring

Encourage middlescents to mentor less-seasoned employees. Your midcareer managers will relish giving back to their organization and making new social connections in the workplace.

At Intel, a companywide employee database tracks skills attained and needed and matches employees with mentors—even if they're in a different country. Both mentors and protégés take classes to learn ways to maximize the mutual benefit of their relationship.

h4. Fresh Training

Don't assume your middlescents don't need training. Provide brief introductions to new business areas to expand their perspectives and trigger their interest in learning more. Use refresher courses and in-depth education to help them strengthen or develop their skills.

The U.K.'s National Health Service is responding to a chronic nursing shortage by training seasoned aides to become nurses.

h4. Sabbaticals

Provide paid sabbaticals: They cost less than replacing disaffected middlescents, and most people return from sabbaticals more committed than ever.

At Wells Fargo, employees with five or more years of service and qualifying performance ratings can work in community service settings of their choosing for up to four months while receiving full pay and benefits. One employee traveled to Armenia to help women establish businesses. The company reaped good publicity, and the employee returned to work highly energized and recommitted.

h4. Leadership Development

Just because midcareer workers are older doesn't mean they don't aspire to higher roles. Give them access to leadership development programs to rejuvenate them and stock your leadership pipeline.

Health insurer Independence Blue Cross has put one-third of its top 600 people—most of them middlescents—through a leadership program. It includes a weeklong session at the Wharton School, individual coaching and career planning, and work on important
business projects.

A Better Way to Deliver Bad News

Is your critical feedback building up employees — or tearing them down?

h4. The Idea in Brief

That dreaded moment has come: You're delivering critical feedback to an employee. Despite your best efforts, the conversation is a disaster: tempers flare, the employee gets defensive, your relationship grows strained.

What happened? Like most managers, you probably inadvertently sabotaged the meeting, preparing for it in a way that stifled honest discussion and prevented you from delivering feedback effectively.

Related Links

In other words, you most likely engaged in restrictive framing — a narrow, binary, and frozen approach to feedback: You initiated the conversation without considering alternative explanations for the problem behavior, assumed a win-or-lose outcome, and rigidly maintained your assumptions during the conversation.

Delivering corrective feedback doesn't have to be so difficult — if you use a more open-minded, flexible approach that convinces employees the process is fair.

h4. The Idea in Practice

h4. Restrictive Framing

When preparing to give feedback, you may picture relevant events, decide which information to discuss, and define a solution—all before the conversation. This framing sets the stage for trouble.

Liam, a VP, hears complaints that Jeremy, a product manager, isn't delegating enough. Liam's framing— "Jeremy's too controlling" — is narrow (Liam excludes other possibilities; e.g., Jeremy wants to delegate but doesn't know how) and binary (he assumes Jeremy must delegate or his subordinates will leave and he'll burn out). During the conversation, Liam's framing is frozen (he neither hears nor addresses Jeremy's objections). Result? Neither Liam nor Jeremy learn from the meeting.

h4. Two Biases

Why do we frame feedback narrowly, despite predictably poor results? Two biases color the feedback process. And the more stressed we are, the more powerful these biases become:

-Fundamental attribution error. We often attribute problems to subordinates' disposition ("Jeremy's too controlling") rather than their circumstances (e.g., perhaps Jeremy is delegating, but his subordinates have some other ax to grind). Too busy to identify all potential causes and solutions to a problem, we grab the first acceptable one.

-False consensus effect. We assume others see situations as we do, and fail to revise our framing during feedback sessions.

h4. Reframing Feedback

To avoid the restrictive-feedback trap, watch for these biases. Consider alternative explanations for problems rather than leaping to conclusions.

Liam frames his concerns about Jeremy openly: "I've heard complaints that Jeremy isn't delegating — and some of his employees are feeling sufficiently frustrated that I'm afraid we'll start losing them. I'd like to find out if Jeremy knows about the complaints, and get his take."

This framing isn't narrow (Liam hasn't leapt to conclusions about the problem's causes) or binary (it avoids a win-or-lose outcome). And since Liam avoids a preconceived outcome, he has nothing on which to freeze. He initiates the conversation openly: "I don't know if you're aware of this, or if it's true, but I've heard that Frank and Joan are anxious to take on more responsibility. What do you think?"

h4. Why Open Framing Works

Open framing shows you have good intentions, the feedback development process was fair (you collected all relevant information), and the communication process was fair (you listen to and respect employees).

When employees feel they're getting fair feedback, they accept it more willingly—and work to improve performance.

Balance Work and Life as an HR Professional

Roberta Chinsky Matuson, Monster.com — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 10:50:00 -0800

Can an HR professional really have a career and family without tipping the scales? HR professionals are facing the same issues as the employees they support. But can they take advantage of the programs they administer? We asked three HR pros to explain how they keep it all in check.

h4. Spousal Support

Meet Debra Caplan, HR director of Harcourt General Inc. and the mother of 10-year-old twins. Caplan's spouse has a position that affords him a great deal of flexibility. She says this has made a huge difference in her ability to keep things balanced.

Related Links

Recommended Reading:
Brand Yourself as a Great Boss!

Uplevel your HR skills by getting a degree.
Find a degree here.

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Find a scholarship here.

But, like everyone else, there are times when she watches well-thought-out plans fall apart. Getting the dreaded call that her child is sick always seems to come when her spouse is traveling.

"Without family in the area, you are basically on your own," Caplan says. In this case, there is no choice but to cancel that big presentation and head to school to pick up your child.

In some organizations, choosing your child over the presentation could be a death sentence. Before coming to Harcourt, Caplan worked for a company that valued face time more than results. "Things got uncomfortable if you had obligations that took you outside the work setting," she recalls.

h4. Setting the Tone

Gregg Barnes, HR manager at Teradyne, starts his day at 5:30 a.m. so he can get home and spend some quality time with his wife, 4-year-old and 2-year-old twins. How does he manage to keep up the pace?

"I drink a lot of Mountain Dew," Barnes replies.

Barnes pretty much sets the tone for his work group. He has hired most of the people on his team and lets them know what his situation is up front. He also assures potential staff members they can expect to maintain some sort of balance in their lives. Like Caplan, he also works in a company that supports his situation.

Teradyne allows employees to work reduced schedules and offers telecommuting as an option in some situations, Barnes explains. He also notes that few employees take advantage of the telecommuting option. In his own position, he feels compelled to maintain a normal work routine in order to develop his fairly junior team.

Given his long workdays, how does Barnes keep his life in check? He says he is fortunate enough to have a spouse who has chosen to be at home with the kids, despite her MBA from Wharton. The Barneses also have a part-time nanny and use mother's helpers, allowing his wife to shuttle the kids around. Such extra help takes a lot of pressure off him.

h4. Adjusting Standards

Wende Malster, senior associate with Gatti and Associates, is the mother of two young children, ages 3½ and 16 months. She is a recruiter who places HR professionals and works for a firm that has allowed her to build a flexible schedule: She is in the office three days a week and works from home two days. When working at home, she often works evenings or when the kids are napping. Other members of the firm also work flexible schedules, paving the way for others, Malster says.

It also helps that, as a recruiter, Malster's job is sales-driven and commission-based. She has learned to make the best use of her time by choosing searches that will lead to the highest commissions. And she no longer feels guilty about walking away from assignments and saying no when her plate is too full.

Still, Malster says she has had to revisit her vocational expectations. She is no longer a full-time employee, so she can't expect the same level of productivity from herself if she is to remain an involved parent. "I have had to adjust my standards," she says.

How supportive does she think companies are in helping their employees deal with work-life balance issues? "Companies are making a lot of strides, but, overall, it's not where it should be," she says.

For example, while conducting searches, Malster often asks clients if they would consider hiring someone on a flexible schedule. They often respond, "I really can't." This is the HR community, the same people who work on the front lines, helping employees deal with similar work-life balance issues.

Is it really possible for an HR professional to balance a career and family without tipping the scales? Maybe, but be ready to make some compromises along the way.