Air Force to Release 5,000 Airmen

On March 25, 2010, General Norton Schwartz of the US Air Force announced the commencement of Phase II of the force management program that was initiated in November 2009. In a letter to his fellow airmen, General Schwartz says that Air Force retention is at a 15-year high and that it is now necessary to reduce the active duty force by 3%, or about 5,000 Airmen. Phase II has been initiated due to the lack of response to Phase I, which called for the voluntary separation. “We are reducing accessions for both officers and enlisted Airmen while expanding voluntary separation and retirement programs to try and protect those currently serving,” says General Schwartz.

For many Airmen, the thought of transitioning into civilian job in a weak economy is daunting. This issue is addressed on the Air Force Personnel Center website where they state, “Airmen are known for their tremendous technical skills, work ethic, and adaptability – we believe that, even in today’s tight labor market, there is a demand for our transitioning Airmen…We know that the skills, leadership, and discipline of our Airmen make them great candidates for a host of employment opportunities.”

Indeed, this force shaping initiative will introduce many new veterans to civilian job scene. This will include both enlisted and officers from specialty codes like Aircraft Maintenance/Munitions, Behavioral Scientists, Chemists, Communications and Information, Financial Management, Force Support, Operations Research Analyst, Space and Missiles, Special Investigations, and Weather.

Hire a Hero, Hire a Vet hopes that as this initiative continues throughout 2010 and into 2011, veteran-friendly employers will continue to recognize the value these Airmen bring to civilian employers and will look to these veterans to enhance their workforce. Read more here.

Recruiting Practices to Eliminate

Despite the downturn, employers are still in need of talented people. Yet you can see in any large employer’s recruiting process a list of requirements, protocols and hoops candidates are expected to jump through. Below is a list of the most talent-repelling recruiting practices.

1. Just Like the Government, Only More Bureaucratic
Application forms that require a candidate to dig up a long list of prior jobs, college transcripts and references irritate candidates. Rather than forcing candidates to cough up titles, dates and supervisor names, have them upload a resume to your site.

2. Say! Let's Get Someone Who Speaks Ancient Greek, Tap-Dances, and Has a Taxicab License
When hiring managers throw random positions requirements into their job requisition it costs companies money in the recruiting process and often in salary as well. Evaluate each requirement by asking “What is the business case for that requirement?” Build your requirements to look like real life resumes of the most successful people in the job.

3. Where are Your Manners?
Job-seekers are happy to hear from a company by phone, unless the first question is a rude “What were you earning at XYZ Scientific?” Validate a candidate by his or her background instead of how much they earned. Tell the candidate the salary range for the position and ask if that would work for them.

4. Since You’re Unemployed and All
Hiring managers are busy people, and interviews cannot always happen at ideal times. Still, there is no excuse for leaving candidates sitting for hours or cancelling interviews at the last minute.

5. Radio Silence
Organizations that follow a pleasant job interview without any contact with the candidate while reaching a decision are left to hire the last candidate standing. Involve your HR Staff to implement a 72 hour decision process on each candidate.

6. Surprise! We Want you!
It’s bad enough for a job seeker to suffer through weeks of interviews and background checking. But it’s worse to receive a job offer without a conversation to discuss the proposed offer. Preparing a job offer without the candidate’s participation is unprofessional. Have a conversation with the candidate about the details of the offer before making a formal offer.

If any of these practices are a part of your hiring process, there has never been a better time to overhaul your process and start over.

Click here for original article

March Jobs Report

According to the Labor Department’s latest jobs report, the US economy gained more jobs in March than any other month in the past three years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the economy gained 162,000 jobs, which makes March only one of three months to see a gain in employment since the start of the recession. March was forecast to gain 184,000 jobs. But, despite falling short of this goal, it was generally viewed as a good month by economists due to revised numbers in both January and February that added 62,000 jobs.

The unemployment rate, however, remained high at 9.7%, where it has been for the last three months. The March unemployment data points towards the fact that the labor market has begun to regain balance. This is a key measure of the vitality of the US economy and an important indicator of our economic health.

Several reasons contributed to the increase in jobs, including better weather in February (compared to the January blizzards) and the hiring of workers for the once-every-ten-years Census, which accounts for nearly 50,000 positions.

President Barack Obama, speaking in Charlotte, North Carolina, commented on the latest jobs report, “Government can't reverse the toll of this recession overnight, and government on its own can't replace the 8 million jobs that have been lost," he said. "The true engine of job growth in this country has always been the private sector. What government can do is create the conditions...for companies to hire again.”

While the numbers are better, it doesn’t provide relief to the 15 million people listed as unemployed. Hope is on the horizon, though. The average hourly workweek crept up 0.1 hours in March, and the average weekly paycheck was raised by $1.57 to $763.98. Positive signs like these should help increase consumer spending and confidence in the future.

How Smart Companies Use Video Games to Recruit, Retain Employees

Employers are moving away from traditional training methods such as PowerPoint presentations and white papers in favor of a more engaging method. A reported 70% of major domestic employers used interactive software and/or video games as employee training and development tools in 2008, according to the Entertainment Software Association. And the number is estimated to increase to 80% by 2013.

In addition to helping companies develop business skills for their employees, companies are using video games in their recruiting and branding efforts as well.

The MITRE Corporation enables job seekers to download a 3D video game that gives players a better understanding of their campus, their interview process and examples of company projects. In August 2009, the U.S. Army opened its Experience Center, where recruits can play military video games and learn about career options.

Video games and computer programs are also utilized for employee engagement. Benefits provider Assurant launched its “It’s Your Business” in 2007. The goal was to help employees gain a better understanding of the business in order to boost sales. The company ended up increasing employee engagement and knowledge retention.

Companies are also using video games in efforts to help relieve stress and avoid burnout. Threadless, a Tee shirt company based in Chicago, allows for Guitar Hero breaks for employees. Multi-Systems, Inc. had their employees design a game room in which to unwind.

Utilizing video games and computer programs in the workplace can help in areas such as candidate recruiting, employee retention and engagement. The benefits of computer programs and video games are turning them into increasingly popular tools for employees.

Click here for original article