Community Blog: Jobing.com Community Relations - HOU

What does it mean to “sell yourself”? It’s ensuring that your resume makes it to the top of the stack, or that your name is on the short list of preferred candidates. Sure it starts with a good cover letter. But does it really start there? It’s having confidence in yourself and your abilities in order to convince others that you are the perfect person for that incredible job that you really want.

In order to be the best, you have to know that you’re the best, and that means you have to do your homework. That’s right, education. There are many jobs out there but you may not have the right background. Well get it. You may be busy with a job that you don’t really want, but it pays the bills. Or you may be collecting unemployment for the time being, but that won’t last forever. Take a big tug on those bootstraps and earn the education that you need to better position yourself, professionally.

Going back to school… the idea is quite inspiring, really. But where will you find the time? You have it… you just need to carve it out of your schedule. The good news is that you live in the day-in-age of the Internet and what an awesome tool that is. Because of its widespread access, there are some really great online education options out there that offer you the opportunity to study wherever and whenever you want. The fact of the matter is, online education is booming right now and because of the competition, you have some excellent options.

So here’s the drill: finish your bachelors, get your masters, differentiate yourself with a specialized certificate in an up-and-coming field like Sustainability Leadership, Software Engineering and Networking, or go global with an international business doctorate. Do your homework. Research your options. You may be surprised at the educational opportunities that exist today within our pivotal global economy.

Sell yourself with confidence, knowing you have the right education. Research your educational opportunities at JobingEducation or learn more about one of our sponsored schools, UC Irvine - Extension (online certificate programs) or California Intercontinental University (CalU – online master’s and doctorate degrees). Use your time wisely to better your life and let the bidding begin!

More and more people are utilizing social media websites to reconnect with friends and family, get and report on real-time events, share information, and look for jobs. Whether you send tweets, update your FaceBook status, check your MySpace, or watch YouTube videos, social media is here to stay.

Digital Identity

Along with the advent of social media, the concept of your 'digital identity' has emerged.  It is the impression given on a person from the combined content on the Internet about you.  Since all of the information you (or others) post is readily accessible by nearly everyone, it is important to know exactly what is out there.. waiting to make that all-important first impression for you.

Take a moment to assess your digital identity and adjust the privacy settings that many of the social networking sites have available.  Here’s how see what is out there in cyberspace about YOU:

Jobing on Twitter

Twitter came out of nowhere to become the place to post short, targeted blurbs on pretty much any subject.  You choose people you want to “follow” (no permission required) and stay connected to.  The posts from those you are following stream to your Twitter page.  Many updates come from mobile devices, allowing for a ‘real-time’ feel. 

What’s great is that organizations and companies now utilize Twitter to disseminate information about them to followers.  This can include company news, events, and jobs.  We created a Jobing.com Twitter account and, over the last few months, it has proven to be quite successful.  I tweet (yes, I’ve finally learned how to conjugate the word Twitter) several times per day – including where the hot jobs and career events are, news on our local employment economy, where I’ll be in the city, and ways to get involved with professional organizations and networking groups. 

Follow @JobingHouston to get plugged in.  If you do not have a Twitter account, it is very simple: here’s the page to get started.

Jobing on FaceBook

Time to play catch up - if you're don't have a FaceBook page, you should (even my mother does!).  FaceBook is becoming the preeminent social networking site – a place to find long lost friends, share photos, post your thoughts, share links, and so much more.

We recently launched the Jobing Houston “Fan” page.  Once you become a fan of Jobing Houston, you’ll periodically receive updates from us – job search tip of the week, exciting career opportunities, articles to help in your search, events happening around town, etc.  I encourage you to comment on my posts - let's make it a conversation.

The Time is Now

The social media revolution is here – don’t get left behind.  If you are looking for a new career, opportunities to network, ask me questions, or get advice on your job search, keep up with Jobing.com on Twitter and FaceBook.

I’m looking forward to seeing you there…

Looking for real job opportunities for Hispanic and bilingual professionals?

Employers, are you looking to tap into this rich talent pool?

The Houston chapter of the National Hispanic Professional Organization (NHPO) is delivering the best solutions to help you find the right employers here in Houston. The 2009 NHPO Career & Business Expo gives you a unique opportunity to meet face to face with employers seeking Hispanics and bilingual professionals. The event will be held Tuesday, November 12, 2009 from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Ripley House, 4410 Navigation, Houston TX 77011. This event includes two workshops for job seekers --presented by Jobing.com, and it ends with a two-hour mixer, hosted by NHPO, where you can network with employers and other professionals to increase your job seeking opportunities. The goal of the NHPO Career and Business Expo is to provide a unique opportunity to learn about the resources for employment with public and private organizations in Houston and surrounding areas. 50 employers are expected at this event.  Jobing.com's Fritz Lawson and Peter Difilippantonio will present workshops at the event. Bring plenty of resumes! The 2009 NHPO Career & Business Expo is on November 12, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ripley House 4410 Navigation Ave Houston, TX 77011.

Booth space is still available!

For additional information, please visit www.NHPOexpo.us, contact Jorge
Maisonet or Daysla Cancel at events@mizonettcompanies.com or 713-225-1668

During the course of a given week or month, I speak and meet with employers of all different sizes and types.  While they differ in numerous ways - size, industry, product suite, locations, etc - they all have one thing in common: they have people working for them.  And those employees have something in common as well: they are just aching to quit.

That's right - a sizable chunk of your employees are showing up to work every day, doing their jobs, then going home and polishing up their resume, connecting with friends, clients (your clients), and other contacts to figure out the best time and method of making their exit.  Many are going to school at night or online in order to set themselves up for their departure from your organization.

Why?  It's pretty simple - they've been held hostage by the economy.  We've seen turnover rates drop to record lows over the last two years.  Every organization has a natural or "normal" turnover rate; it's just different from company to company.  And the chances are that your current turnover rate is less than half what it was just two years ago.  That's a dream scenario for owners, managers, and HR professionals, but it represents a potential nightmare for employees.

Look back at my previous blog about the lessons I've learned in the past nine years here at Jobing.com and you'll see why.  Many of your employees get up and come to work because they must.  That is, they need to eat and working for you is better than whatever else is available out there right now - or unemployment.  So they show up dutifully, do their jobs well, and go home to wait it out.

More specifically answering the "why do my people want to quit?" question is this: there are always people in your organization who want to leave but, in today's economy, they have nowhere to go but the unemployment office.  So the ones who would normally leave are staying...at least until they can find the bigger, better deal.  Then they will be gone.

I present you with this statistic from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): the "quit rate" - that is, the number of people voluntarily resigning their positions - has dropped by nearly 30% in the year from August 2008 to August 2009, from 1.8% per month to 1.3% per month.  Measure that against the quit rate in 2005 through 2007 (about 2.2% per month) and you get a 41% decrease in the raw number of voluntary resignations. 

That means if you had an average turnover rate of 23.4% (the average across all industries in 2006) then your turn rate is now less than 10% - a very favorable condition for an employer.  But that also means that over half the people who normally would have left are sticking around. 

That may or may not be good for your company, but for the sake of this blog, I will argue specifically that the possibility of mass exodus of top talent when things improve is more dangerous than the risk of keeping a few "wrong people" on the payroll today.  That's an entirely different blog, as is the "but I only keep them on because I need someone to do the work or I'd fire them" blog.

To put this all in raw numbers, if you employ 50 people and have an average turnover of 23.4%, you generally lose/replace 12 people a year voluntarily.  It's been two years, so you would have lost 24 people by now (in a "normal" world).  If this economic mess starts to clear up - and there are growing indications that it already is - you could be in a world of hurt with nearly HALF your workforce walking at the first chance they get.  Even if you only had a 5% turnover rate, you would have lost 6 people by now...and that's over 10% of your total headcount - still a potentially devastating number if you're already bare-bones like many companies are these days!

So what is an employer to do about it?  Here are a few ideas for you:

1) Start by identifying those you definitely wish to keep for the long term and make sure you connect and communicate with them regularly.  Find out where they are at, what they want and need, and do your best to meet those needs as an employer within the constraints of your resources. (Disclaimer: this is not to say you shouldn't be doing this with ALL your employees ALL the time.  I'm merely suggesting that you take protecting your top talent seriously and make it a priority.)

2) Consider soliciting and accepting genuine feedback from employees.  An anonymous survey including questions/statements like "I intend to stay here for the next 5 or more years" will give you a nice gauge.

3) Make sure you are treating ALL your employees with respect and creating a fun, challenging place to work.  "Fun" doesn't have to mean all play and no work.  However, studies show that putting a little effort into engaging your employees yields exponential results in the turnover and productivity realms. 

4) Make sure all your efforts are genuine.  If you've been an ogre of a boss for the last 18 months (privately laughing to yourself as you look at the P&L and thinking "AWESOME! Payroll costs haven't grown in almost 2 years!"), an all-of-a-sudden effort at employee engagement and retention will be seen as insincere and, most likely, will fail.

5) Begin to build a pipeline of potential replacements.  Yep, I said it.  Now is the time to re-start your recruiting machine.  While I will reserve the bulk of my reasoning for another article, I will share this:  talent has been so plentiful, at such depressed rates for so long that once the rush for talent starts there will be a talent vacuum unlike anything seen in decades.  Be prepared for it, because regardless of the efforts you make now, you will surely lose some of the "a" players you kept through this recession, and you will need to replace them before everyone else scoops up the best talent.  I know of a great, cost-effective recruiting resource if you are interested. 

I will leave you with the answer to a very important question that I am sure many of you have asked: "Why should I care about this?"  The answer is simple: economics and profitability.  Turnover is expensive, disruptive, generally unproductive, and often demoralizing.  Again, while I could (and do) argue that certain types and amounts of turnover are good for your organization, the turnover I'm referring to here is the mass loss of talented employees who have felt hostage to their jobs for the past two years.

All companies are built on human capital - people.  Without people, your business is nothing but a storefront with some product on shelves, a truck parked in a lot, or a website that never gets updated and eventually crashes.  Make sure you invest the proper resources so when the tide shifts - and it will - your best talent doesn't desert you en masse when you need it most.

The 2009 HR Southwest Conference has been an exciting event this week with great keynote speakers and fantastic breakout sessions.  With this year’s theme, “HR Rocks!” our community of Texas HR Professionals are wrapping up the conference with not only new concepts and ideas to build upon but also with great solutions that can be implemented effectively in our workplaces.

The pre-conference sessions on Tuesday were jam packed with HRCI credits to get the conference rolling.  We had engaging breakout sessions from the “The ‘Cutting Edge’ Employment Law Update” and “A Slice of Life” with over 6 credits in the morning sessions, to “How to be Ready for the IRS” and “Why Did We Hire That Guy” in the afternoon.  And of course, they held the PHR/SPHR Study Crash Course along with two other full-day pre-conference sessions.  Tuesday evening was followed up with a celebration at the “Rockin’ Around the Jukebox” reception that encouraged attendees and exhibitors to network and enjoy yummy treats.

Kicking off the general conference on Wednesday was opening keynote, Victoria Labalme, with her entertaining presentation of “Crazy, Busy, Nuts: Getting off the Conveyor Belt of Life” that provided practical advice to help us to manage the many responsibilities, and sometimes bit chaotic, aspects of our lives.  The day continued with her book signing in the bookstore, the grand opening of the Exhibit Hall and many educational sessions throughout the day.  Wednesday evening attendees enjoyed a night out in Sundance Square and the restaurants and fun the area has to offer. 

Keynote Mike Rayburn sparked our Thursday with the engaging question of ‘What If and Why Not?” as he kicked off the second morning of the conference.  Thursday was a wrap up in the Exhibitor Hall with great vendors such as O.C. Tanner, Zerorisk HR, HRSmart, TrainUp.com, Jobing.com, TheMIGroup and Outplacing.com just to name a few of the many vendors that exhibited at this year’s conference.  The SHRM Shack was also located in the exhibit hall and a great place for HR Professionals to learn about the Texas State Council, SHRM and the 37 SHRM chapters across Texas. Check out the "rockin" time they had in the SHRM Shack and if you had your picture taken you can find it here. The day concluded with a fun and relaxing “Disco Fever” reception for all attendees to enjoy!

Closing out the HR Southwest Conference on Friday morning will be keynote “The Fonz”, a.k.a Henry Winkler as he provides insights from an expert on a life richly lived.  If you did not get an opportunity to join us this year at the HR Southwest  Conference, be sure to mark your calendar to attend next year’s 2010 conference, October 10th – 13th “ Super Heroes of HR”  for another great conference!

The Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HHCC) has been honored with the 2009 National Large Hispanic Chamber of the Year Award by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber organization.

The HHCC was awarded for outstanding regional leadership and growth over the past year at this year’s U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s 30th Annual National Convention & Business Expo in Denver on September 19th.

“This is a significant milestone for us,” said HHCC President and CEO, Dr. Laura Murillo. “To be recognized as the ‘National Large Hispanic Chamber of the Year’ means that we are successfully cultivating the Hispanic business community and having a positive impact on the region’s economic development.” 

Over the past year, the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has experienced substantial growth, including increased membership – which has risen from 500 to approximately 3,000 members. Additionally, corporate sponsorships have increased six times over compared to previous years and has increased its staff from three to 12 full-time employees. 

“We are proud of the award because it is a symbol of our success and dedication to ensuring a prosperous future for our city,” said Dr. Murillo.

Jobing.com is a proud partner of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  Congratulations to all of our friends at the HHCC!

Joing.com is proud to support the upcoming Collaboration for Action Job Fair.  The event is part of a partnership between two great local organizations: Gulf Coast Community Services Association (GCCSA) and the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County (MHMRA).  The Fall Job Fair will  take place on Houston's East Side on Tuesday October 13th, 10AM-2PM.

Collaboration for Action (CFA) was established for the sole purpose of moving people from dependence on a service delivery system to independent competitive employment.  Jobing.com, Neighborhood Centers Inc. Ripley House and Workforce Solutions are also partnering on the event which will be open to the public, aimed at connecting community needs with resources for employment with public and private partners. 

If you or anyone you know would benefit from next week's event, click here for more details.

We look forward to seeing you there!

It’s time to take a trip to DFW again... hard to believe, but the 2009 HR Southwest Conference in Ft. Worth is almost here! And, if you’re like us…you’re excited and getting ready to gain some great industry information and network. And, more than likely have a lot of fun too with old and new friends!

Over the course of the conference you’ll have the opportunity to engage in fantastic educational sessions and hear from some wonderful motivational keynote speakers like Victoria Labalme, Mike Rayburn, and Henry Winkler. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet with conference sponsors, like Jobing.com. Jobing.com in the Exhibit Hall – so come by and visit with us at booth 1406 and 1408!

Jobing.com is proud to be a Silver Sponsor of the 2009 HR Southwest Conference! You can find us in the Exhibit Hall with information on exciting new products and services to help you meet your goals and even to create some new ones! Drop by and visit with us on Wednesday, October 14th and Thursday, October 15th and learn why we’re much more than just a job board and why we should be your first choice for Local Talent!

Did you know that HR Southwest is the largest regional human resource conference in the United States?  We hope you make the trip from Houston, and look forward to seeing you in Ft. Worth!

ose Bonilla of Houston took the grand prize of $10,000. Erik Robertson, also of Houston, was awarded $5,000 for second place. The third place prize of $3,000 went to Igor Morozov of Port Charlotte, FL. Fourth and fifth place went to Chris Nowicki of Tallahasse, FL and Eric Venner of Houston. They took home $2,000 and $1,000 respectively.  Bonilla also received a 10 percent prize bonus for submitting his entry before July 20.

“We were thoroughly impressed with the talent of the developers that entered,” said HCSS Director of Product Development Jeff Filla. “We saw a lot of creative work and innovative ways to use this technology and were impressed with what we received given the amount of time contestants were given; therefore, we plan to have such contests in the future.”

HCSS, who ranked number five in Best Companies to Work for in Texas, presented an $11,000 check to first place winner Jose Bonilla, who is a software engineer at a Houston company and worked on the project during his spare time and lunch breaks.  

“My friends and co-workers thought this was a scam,” said Bonilla. “I’ll be sure to walk into my office with my prize check.” 

Over 100 contestants were given a model application and asked to develop a prototype in .Net using an SQL database. The contest was free to enter and open to US residents. 

About HCSS

Founded in 1986, HCSS develops estimating, field entry, dispatching, and related software for the heavy/highway/utility construction industry. In addition to high quality software, HCSS provides implementation planning, training, and instant 24/7 support. Thousands of contractors rely on HCSS to turn their estimators, foremen, superintendents, dispatchers, project managers, and equipment managers into knowledge workers via software, implementation planning, and training.

HCSS has recently moved into a new 45,000 square foot facility in Sugar Land that will allow the company to double its work force. They are also ranked number five in Best Companies to Work for in Texas. 

Jobing.com has joined forces with 106.9 The Point and the House of Blues to bring you 'The Pink Slip Party'.  I know what you're thinking, being laid off/victimized by downsizing is not a cause for celebration.. I know.  What 106.9 The Point and House of Blues have done is come up with a forum for job seekers to meet employers, agencies, career coaches, & hiring authorities.. all in a cool, relaxed environment.

The Pink Slip Party will take place on Tuesday, September 22nd, from 6PM-9PM at the House of Blues in Downtown Houston.

This is the second such event 106.9 The Point has hosted and we anticipate an even larger turnout than before.  This is a great opportunity for anyone looking for a job or anyone looking to hire!  This is one of those opportunities to power network, learn, meet & greet, and maybe even land a job. 

I will personally be there talking with folks about their search, organizations that can help, and of course, Jobing.com.  Come out.. I'd love to meet you.

Employers that would like to attend, contact me for more info.

Job Seekers, click here to print out your ticket for free admission. 

The Houston Chapter of the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) is holding thier annual conference this month in Northwest Houston. Jobing.com is a proud partner of ASTD-Houston and we're looking forward to a great event this year!

The objective of the conference is to provide members, guests, speakers and vendors with a strategic and concentrated opportunity to learn how to be more effective in their respective roles. What does it take in today’s real world to professionally develop and work through these turbulent times? This is your opportunity to grow the profession and shape successful leaders. Join us for this one-day event of professionals engaged in learning and development.  Featured speaker, keynote speaker, break-out speakers, vendors and meals all included in this event.  Stay for the close, a facilitated networking event just for you.

This year's speakers include:

Keynote Speaker:

Rory Alplanalp, CEO of Alplanalp Associates, Inc. will address “How to be Proactive in a Reactive World”. Full of emotion and heart, Rory presents practical wisdom in a lively, humorous and highly interactive keynote address. His masterful use of personal anecdotes will have the audience laughing one moment and deeply moved the next. Packed with ‘take-home’ value, participants leave with an improved attitude to face all of life’s professional and personal challenges with positive determination!

Featured Speaker:

Bill Fournet, CEO of The Persimmon Group, will lead you through “The Perfect Storm”. This engaging presentation focuses on identifying practical, bottom-line increasing ideas on how to create high-performance work environments through various learning, training and development deliveries. This program combines key points from “Managing High Performance Teams”, “Typewriters to Blackberrys”, and “Employee Engagement”. Discussions include motivating different types of employees, collaborative problem solving and effective conflict resolution. Scenes from the hit movie, “The Perfect Storm,” are used to emphasize and to help retain key points.

For more conference information and to register, visit the ASTD Houston website.

Jobing.com is proud to partner with the American Payroll Association and celebrate National Payroll Week.  Did you know there are several ways in which you can maximize your paycheck and get the most for what you put into the system?

National Payroll Week, in partnership with ADP brings you a free, on-demand webinar to learn more about accomplishing just this.  This informative webinar is available to your co-workers, friends, and anyone else you know that wants a bigger paycheck now at www.nationalpayrollweek.com.

"Top 10 Things You Should Know About Your Paycheck" explains basic, yet misunderstood aspects of a paycheck in an informative way.

Topics covered include:

Form W-4: maximize take-home pay and meet tax obligations.
Making Work Pay Credit: are you underpaying your taxes?
Where do your taxes go?
What taxes does the employer pay on your behalf?
Are you eligible for the Advance Earned Income Credit?
How direct deposit can save you time and money.
Employer savings plans (e.g., 401(k)): reduce tax bill, get employer match, save for retirement.
Reduce your tax bill with pre-tax deductions and flexible spending accounts.American Payroll Association
Opportunity for COBRA insurance coverage at 35% of the usual price for anyone who lost a job between 9-1-08 and 12-31-09.

The free webinar is available at www.nationalpayrollweek.com.

It's that time again... this Thursday, the Jobing.com Career Expo will be land in Stafford at the Stafford Centre.  This is the first time we've held the Expo in Southwest Houston and we're excited to bring the same great hiring event to this thriving part of the Bayou City.  

For those that have never attended, get ready for the most successful career fair in the city.  Not only will you be able to meet employers hiring now, you'll have a chance to sit in on one of our career workshops, get resume assistance with one of our professional WorkForce Solutions reviewers, and meet the folks at Jobing.com that make it all possible.

Check out the video for a preview of the Career Expo:

There are a couple of other things you want to keep in mind about the change in venue.  First, parking is FREE (no longer will you be charged $7 by Reliant Park). 

You should also pre-register for the event, to avoid waiting in line.. just print your Quick Pass and you're in the door. 

Make the most of your Expo experience by researching the companies attending and planning your approach.  Make sure you bring several copies of your resume as well as a digital version on a flash drive for the resume review.  Nothing can take the place of face-to-face interaction with employers; get ready now and be prepared to leave a great imperssion.

Get ready for the hiring event of the season!  See you this Thursday. 

With American Payroll Association (APA) Payroll Webinars, you will learn the latest on payroll, human resources, and benefits topics, ensuring you understand the most important compliance issues, prepare for certification exams, and earn continuing education credit.

These webinars are ideal for Payroll Professionals who cannot afford additional time away from the office but want to ensure their company's compliance, prepare for the FPC and CPP exams, earn recertification credit hours, or learn the latest payroll information.

Seminars are presented by members of APA's National Speaker's Bureau.  Jobing.com is proud to be an APA partner and bring these webinars to HR professionals in the Houston area.

Earn 1.5 Recertification Credit Hours (RCHs) or 0.15 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for each hour of attendance in these educational webinars.

Here is a list of upcoming APA Webinars in the month of August.  For more information and to register, visit the American Payroll Association website.

How to Secure Support for Your Payroll Best Practices Project
Wednesday, August 12, 1–2:30 p.m. ET
Successful projects, whether best practices or a system implementation, require management’s support — projects not receiving it frequently fail. In this session, we will explore how to ensure your project has management’s support.

Form I-9 and New Hire Reporting
Thursday, August 20, 1–2:30 p.m. ET
There’s a new I-9 now, and you face stiff penalties for not using it or processing it incorrectly. You’ll learn what you need to know to make the Form I-9 process and new hire reporting go smoothly.

Using Payroll Cards
Thursday, August 27, 1–2:30 p.m. ET
What are the processing requirements for implementing a paycard program? What are the differences between paycards and direct deposit? Learn about dealing with providers and interface requirements and understand the processing options and requirements for funding paycards.

Jobing.com is a proud partner of Goodwill Industries of Houston.  We've seen them do amazing things in the community as they change lives through the power of work.  On August 11th, Goodwill and all those who support their mission will take time out to celebrate accomplishments at the 2009 Moreton Awards Luncheon.

The luncheon, named for the late Dr. Robert Moreton and Mrs. Alma Moreton, celebrates Goodwill employees, participants and graduates with disabilities and other barriers to employment who have overcome obstacles and recognizes their achievements. The public is welcome to attend this special, heartwarming event.

Find out more and register to attend on Goodwill's events page.