 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
« Back to the September/October 2005 Explorer newsletter
What’s Hot & What’s Not
Recent reports and happenings that could affect your world. Rocket-Hire keeps an ear to the ground to learn what’s changing.
People Professionals rally for Hurricane Relief
An estimated 10,000 workers filed Katrina-related unemployment claims in the first week following the disaster. According to the Congressional Budget Office, approximately 400,000 are expected to ultimately lose their jobs as a result of the devastation. To help soften the crush of these job losses, recruiters, job training organizations and others are stepping in to help. Goodwill Industries is immediately revamping its programs in the South to directly address the problem. Microsoft is rushing help to the area to rebuild technical infrastructure. And the fine folks at BestWage are offering free job postings to organizations who reach out specifically to unemployed victims of Katrina. More news and commentary at Gerry Crispin’s blog.
In related news, FEMA is expanding a call center in Orlando, Florida, and contracted with staffing firm Spherion to find 500 workers to staff it in a matter of only a few days.
Is IT Hiring Hot yet?
Long a sore spot in recent employment trends, there appears to be an uptick in IT hiring activity. According to a recent survey by Robert Half Technology, a random sample of 1,400 CIO’s reveals a net 12% increase in technology-related hiring this year, the largest positive change since mid-2002. This supports related news that the depressed hiring climate for displaced IT workers may be behind us, with the greatest net loss of jobs occurring through 2003. Read more at News.com.
Trying to Look Hot
The US government is attempting to attract more job applicants by giving Federal recruiting and hiring systems an “extreme makeover.” According to an LA Times report, “The challenge is to make the government an ‘employer of choice, not an employer of last choice,’ said Carl DeMaio, president of the Performance Institute, a Washington think tank that examines issues of government management.”
In order to staff thousands of job openings over the next decade, the Office of Personnel Management is enlisting the help of hundreds of universities, federal agencies, and partner organizations to fill government positions with smart, motivated people. Through work already started, they’ll steer talented college graduates toward government opportunities, revise job descriptions, improve the technology used to process applications, and, ultimately, make civil service a viable career option for the country’s best and brightest. With half of the nation’s 1.9 million federal workers retiring in the near future, the government really does have a big job ahead. Perhaps they could start by promoting these opportunities to the victims of Katrina?
Hiring Scandals are Never Hot
It’s hard to tell if a corrupt city government like Chicago’s has experienced 150 years of hiring scandals or really just one continuous affront to good personnel practices. But it does appear as if more drastic measures are being put into place to curb this unfortunate tradition of patronage and favoritism. Specifically, a court-appointed Federal monitor has submitted a plan to restructure the Department of Personnel and totally revamp hiring programs. As part of this plan, individuals involved in hiring will receive training from city attorneys and must swear (in writing) that politics did not influence their decisions. Mayor Daley, who vows to follow the Court’s recommendations, enacted a hiring freeze earlier this year. And if you applied for a job in Chicago prior to 2004, it’s time to re-apply; the city is tossing out your application. How does this compare to the latest crisis in your HR department? See the AP report.
* * *