Looking for a new recruitment strategy?
The Slovak army has launched an advertising campaign on condom packaging in a bid to boost recruitment levels. The packaging features a picture of a muscular soldier and the words "Show Yourself " appears on 27,000 packs of condoms to be distributed at recruitment centers across Slovakia, a defense ministry spokesman said. He said the army was inspired a similar campaign in the neighboring Czech Republic last year.In a war for talent, the Slovak Army is battling the private sector for candidates. They are tapping young Slovak soldiers to distribute the condoms at outdoor swimming pools .
Of course, the strategy could backfire-- recruitment rates may actually drop if the campaign inspires recruits make love, not war.
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Thursday, July 5, 2007
War for Talent -- In Bangalore
India is having an increasingly difficult time finding qualified workers to fuel its booming services sector, despite its reputation as a bottomless well of back-office talent ready to scoop up American jobs.
According to consulting firm McKinsey & Co., India's information-technology industry could face a deficit of 500,000 workers as soon as 2010. Wages are rising 15% a year in the technology industry as call centers and software firms throw money at the increasingly shallow pool of youngsters who can hit the ground running.
India produces a huge number of engineers, but most are graduates of mediocre private engineering colleges. "I spend more time on human resources than actually doing work," complains A.M.Naik, chairman of the IT-solutions division at Larsen & Toubro Ltd. "The talent issue is going to decide who will win and who will lose" the race for profitability.
The emerging talent deficit is giving rivals such as Russia space to compete with India for high-end outsourced work such as software design and solutions, and allow aspirants such as the Philippines - where English is widely spoken - to better compete for call-center business.
India isn't alone in suffering a skills shortage. The US is sliding into one, due chiefly to early retirements by baby boomers and a lack of replacements. A skills drought in China is due partly to the fact that many of its graduates live long distances from cities where jobs are being created and are unwilling to relocate.
Genpact, formerly General Electric Co.'s outsourcing arm, has opened store-front recruiting outposts in five cities. Software firm Sierra Atlantic, of Hyderabad, tries to discourage defections by taking midlevel managers to screenings of team-oriented war movies such as "The Dirty Dozen".
India's long-term challenge is to improve its higher-education system, say executives and educators. Fewer than 10% of high-school graduates opt for further education in India, compared with 64% in the US.
(From The Wall Street Journal - 1/4/06)
More on India's war for talent
According to consulting firm McKinsey & Co., India's information-technology industry could face a deficit of 500,000 workers as soon as 2010. Wages are rising 15% a year in the technology industry as call centers and software firms throw money at the increasingly shallow pool of youngsters who can hit the ground running.
India produces a huge number of engineers, but most are graduates of mediocre private engineering colleges. "I spend more time on human resources than actually doing work," complains A.M.Naik, chairman of the IT-solutions division at Larsen & Toubro Ltd. "The talent issue is going to decide who will win and who will lose" the race for profitability.
The emerging talent deficit is giving rivals such as Russia space to compete with India for high-end outsourced work such as software design and solutions, and allow aspirants such as the Philippines - where English is widely spoken - to better compete for call-center business.
India isn't alone in suffering a skills shortage. The US is sliding into one, due chiefly to early retirements by baby boomers and a lack of replacements. A skills drought in China is due partly to the fact that many of its graduates live long distances from cities where jobs are being created and are unwilling to relocate.
Genpact, formerly General Electric Co.'s outsourcing arm, has opened store-front recruiting outposts in five cities. Software firm Sierra Atlantic, of Hyderabad, tries to discourage defections by taking midlevel managers to screenings of team-oriented war movies such as "The Dirty Dozen".
India's long-term challenge is to improve its higher-education system, say executives and educators. Fewer than 10% of high-school graduates opt for further education in India, compared with 64% in the US.
(From The Wall Street Journal - 1/4/06)
More on India's war for talent
War for Talent: Millenials Reach Business School
Born between the early 1980s and 2002, the millennial generation is of keen interest to both business schools and corporate recruiters because it will outsize the Baby Boomer generation and likely have a huge impact on shaping culture.
It is important to note differences in this generation's expectations, skills and attitudes about work. The Wall Street Journal lists the following charactistics:
-- Millennials grew up with play dates and other organized activities, and prefers well-defined policies and responsibilities.
-- Millennials like structure and will want schools and companies to give them clear rules to follow. They may not like dealing with the ambiguity they will inevitably face as managers.
-- Doted on by their parents since birth, millennials will likely expect more than the usual attention from admission officials, career counselors, professors, and alumni mentors.
-- Millennials also need to clearly see the value of their jobs. "They want their work to be relevant, have impact and offer them a diversity of experiences," says Richard Baird, global managing partner for human capital at PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
"Some career-service centers may have to expand their staffs to give the millennials more individual counseling," predicts Allyson Moore, director of full-time MBA career services at NYU.
Recruiters say achievement-oriented millennials want detailed descriptions of their work duties upfront, as well as a timetable for promotions. "The recruiting experience with this generation is going to be more intensive," says Kermit King, a recruiting executive at Boston Consulting Group.
Schools are starting to become more technology savvy to attract this digital generation. Some b-school web sites feature blogs and online chats and allow applicants to check their acceptance status online 24/7. But MBA programs may have to go further, creating promotional podcasts for prospective students to download, for example, and making admission officials available for instant messaging.
It is important to note differences in this generation's expectations, skills and attitudes about work. The Wall Street Journal lists the following charactistics:
-- Millennials grew up with play dates and other organized activities, and prefers well-defined policies and responsibilities.
-- Millennials like structure and will want schools and companies to give them clear rules to follow. They may not like dealing with the ambiguity they will inevitably face as managers.
-- Doted on by their parents since birth, millennials will likely expect more than the usual attention from admission officials, career counselors, professors, and alumni mentors.
-- Millennials also need to clearly see the value of their jobs. "They want their work to be relevant, have impact and offer them a diversity of experiences," says Richard Baird, global managing partner for human capital at PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
"Some career-service centers may have to expand their staffs to give the millennials more individual counseling," predicts Allyson Moore, director of full-time MBA career services at NYU.
Recruiters say achievement-oriented millennials want detailed descriptions of their work duties upfront, as well as a timetable for promotions. "The recruiting experience with this generation is going to be more intensive," says Kermit King, a recruiting executive at Boston Consulting Group.
Schools are starting to become more technology savvy to attract this digital generation. Some b-school web sites feature blogs and online chats and allow applicants to check their acceptance status online 24/7. But MBA programs may have to go further, creating promotional podcasts for prospective students to download, for example, and making admission officials available for instant messaging.
Move over Maria Bartiromo...
Move over Maira Bartiromo... here comes Hoofy the bull.For a generation that grew up with animated characters and videogames, the insatiable attraction to interaction with animated avatars now extends to learning about investments and monitoring portfolios. More than 2,000 sophisticated investors get daily market commentary from a cartoon bull named Hoofy, one of several characters dreamed up by Todd Harrison, a former hedge-fund manager who in 2002 created the investor education Web site Minyanville.com. Boo the bear supplies healthy skepticism. In addition, Snapper the turtle appears during snapback rallies. This is not light fare-- Harrison enlists seasoned investors to write for him, including hedge-fund manager John Succo and options specialist Jon “Dr. J.” Najarian .
Even a cartoon spokesbull might not alleviate post-boom skepticism for the business model. “These guys have a tough row to hoe,” says Forrester research analyst Bill Doyle, citing struggles at other paid investing sites such as TheStreet.com.
Nevertheless, the site has drawn a following of unusually loyal readers. They recently presented Minyanville with an electric guitar signed by Warren Buffett, George Soros, Bill Gross and other investing legends. It will be auctioned off for charity.
From Business Week
Even a cartoon spokesbull might not alleviate post-boom skepticism for the business model. “These guys have a tough row to hoe,” says Forrester research analyst Bill Doyle, citing struggles at other paid investing sites such as TheStreet.com.
Nevertheless, the site has drawn a following of unusually loyal readers. They recently presented Minyanville with an electric guitar signed by Warren Buffett, George Soros, Bill Gross and other investing legends. It will be auctioned off for charity.
From Business Week
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Personality Tests as Hiring Tools
More and more companies are beginning to use personality tests in the hiring process. Personality tests go beyond traditional recruitment screens to examine a candidate's ability to fit with a team or corporate culture psychologically. If you are looking for a candidate with good administrative skills, who fits into a highly competitive team environment, personality screening may be the answer.
Companies are using psychometric assessments, personality profiling, and intelligence tests to hire staff, coach employees and create teams. When used well, the tests, which are relatively inexpensive - about $300 per candidate, including consultancy fees - can cut costs and improve performance.
First Harbor Group LLC, a Houston financial advisory firm uses DiSC, a behavioral model, as a stress management tool. DiSC helps people understand why they do what they do, by measuring the interaction of four behavioral factors: dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness. Using this information, DiSC can be used to describe a person's general approach, including his or her motivations, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and some of the basic assumptions the person makes about others. It can also predict how a person will react to a specific set of circumstances.
Another popular test being used is the Kolbe Test. Unlike IQ tests, which tell you what you can do, and personality tests, which tell you what you want to do, Kolbe tells you what you will or won't do by measuring natural instincts.
Studies show that personality tests are far more reliable predictors of performance than interviews and resumes, but they can be controversial. Using tests not specifically designed for hiring can lead to lawsuits. The US Court of Appeals in Chicago recently ruled that a personality test used to fill management positions at Rent-A-Center Inc., qualifies as a medical exam. The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits requiring medical examinations prior to making a job offer. In addition, the court ruled that the test, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, was inappropriate for this purpose as it is used to diagnose mental illness.
Tests also should not have a disparate impact on a protected class of people, such as certain racial or ethnic groups. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's general rule is that protected classes must pass an assessment at a rate that is at least four-fifths the pass rate of unprotected classes. For example, if eight of 10 Caucasians pass a test compared with just five out of ten African-Americans, then employers can be sued under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlaws discrimination in employment in any business on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Please visit The Wall Journal for the full story.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Wall St. Journal: M.B.A. Recruiters Turn to Games
August 8, 2006
Wall St. Journal Career Journal reports that M.B.A. Recruiters are using games in a variety of ways to differentiate themselves with top MBA talent:
Getting a good job often requires a bit of gamesmanship. But for some M.B.A.students, landing a new position is all about playing games. As the battle for top talent intensifies, the games help companies stand out in the crowded campus-recruiting field and spot promising candidates. Through the business-simulation games, they can see students in action, demonstrating creativity, tactical thinking, teamwork and persuasion skills.
L'Oréal, Booz Allen Hamilton, Procter & Gamble, and other companies are encouraging more students to play strategy competitions that just might lead to a job offer.
Some are using videogames and digital business simulations to engage next generation prospects. Others rely on live events to attract candidates. The games, which are typically played at least partly online, change from year to year.
-- Procter & Gamble's Just-in-Case competition, for instance, has focused on its Olay and Swiffer brands and challenged players to identify the next company P&G should acquire.
"Students see these games as more fun and engaging than the usual company information sessions and receptions," says Steve Pollock, president of WetFeet Inc., a recruiting consulting firm in San Francisco.
The games enable companies to reach out to many more campuses than recruiters could ever visit. For example, L'Oréal's e-Strat Challenge marketing game attracted almost 40,000 students from 1,000 schools in 125 countries this year.
In e-Strat, student teams run a virtual cosmetics company and must make dozens of decisions as they manage new brands, Web sites, distribution channels, advertising budgets, and research and development. In the end, finalists travel to L'Oréal's Paris headquarters to defend their business plans before a panel of judges. In addition to a possible job offer, winners receive a trip to the destination of their choice.While companies insist that performing well in their games isn't a prerequisite for employment, students certainly could spoil their chances if they bomb out. Some students and school officials are concerned that the games require too much time and might interfere with class assignments. "But if you're really serious about working for a company," Mr. Pollock says, "there's a feeling that you'd better participate."-- In Merrill Lynch's business simulation videogame, college students participate in virtual client engagements that let them experience what it is like to work in investment banking at Merrill Lynch before meeting with the firm. Merrill recruiting execs want applicants to have an understanding of how the investment banking business works. --Booz Allen's CEO Challenge invites prospects to an event. The consulting firm stages the three-day competition about six times each year, picking just 30 M.B.A. students to play. During the CEO Challenge, student teams slip into the executive roles at an electronics company and react to news that a competitor is rolling out a hot new portable music device six months ahead of schedule.
"It's not a recruiting event per se, but people from the CEO Challenge usually do very well in job interviews," says Daniel Oriesek, head of Booz Allen's European campus recruiting. He estimates the firm hires about 10% of the players.
As more recruiters get into gaming, it will become less distinctive. But for now, companies believe their contests enhance their reputations.
Wall St. Journal Career Journal reports that M.B.A. Recruiters are using games in a variety of ways to differentiate themselves with top MBA talent:
Getting a good job often requires a bit of gamesmanship. But for some M.B.A.students, landing a new position is all about playing games. As the battle for top talent intensifies, the games help companies stand out in the crowded campus-recruiting field and spot promising candidates. Through the business-simulation games, they can see students in action, demonstrating creativity, tactical thinking, teamwork and persuasion skills.
L'Oréal, Booz Allen Hamilton, Procter & Gamble, and other companies are encouraging more students to play strategy competitions that just might lead to a job offer.
Some are using videogames and digital business simulations to engage next generation prospects. Others rely on live events to attract candidates. The games, which are typically played at least partly online, change from year to year.
-- Procter & Gamble's Just-in-Case competition, for instance, has focused on its Olay and Swiffer brands and challenged players to identify the next company P&G should acquire.
"Students see these games as more fun and engaging than the usual company information sessions and receptions," says Steve Pollock, president of WetFeet Inc., a recruiting consulting firm in San Francisco.
The games enable companies to reach out to many more campuses than recruiters could ever visit. For example, L'Oréal's e-Strat Challenge marketing game attracted almost 40,000 students from 1,000 schools in 125 countries this year.
In e-Strat, student teams run a virtual cosmetics company and must make dozens of decisions as they manage new brands, Web sites, distribution channels, advertising budgets, and research and development. In the end, finalists travel to L'Oréal's Paris headquarters to defend their business plans before a panel of judges. In addition to a possible job offer, winners receive a trip to the destination of their choice.While companies insist that performing well in their games isn't a prerequisite for employment, students certainly could spoil their chances if they bomb out. Some students and school officials are concerned that the games require too much time and might interfere with class assignments. "But if you're really serious about working for a company," Mr. Pollock says, "there's a feeling that you'd better participate."-- In Merrill Lynch's business simulation videogame, college students participate in virtual client engagements that let them experience what it is like to work in investment banking at Merrill Lynch before meeting with the firm. Merrill recruiting execs want applicants to have an understanding of how the investment banking business works. --Booz Allen's CEO Challenge invites prospects to an event. The consulting firm stages the three-day competition about six times each year, picking just 30 M.B.A. students to play. During the CEO Challenge, student teams slip into the executive roles at an electronics company and react to news that a competitor is rolling out a hot new portable music device six months ahead of schedule.
"It's not a recruiting event per se, but people from the CEO Challenge usually do very well in job interviews," says Daniel Oriesek, head of Booz Allen's European campus recruiting. He estimates the firm hires about 10% of the players.
As more recruiters get into gaming, it will become less distinctive. But for now, companies believe their contests enhance their reputations.
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