Susan Strickland - The Selection Group - Toronto

Life is Still Beautiful (at 107 years of age)

2010-11-26T11:10:00.003-05:00

An absolutely amazing and inspirational story you may want to read...

ARTICLE - "Life is Still Beautiful" - Former concert pianist Alice Herz-Sommer is living proof of the power of music. Written by Theunis Bates.

Recruiting With Social Media: Social Media's Impact on Recruitment and HR

2010-09-07T09:06:00.009-04:00

Quick link to an exciting new publication on the impact of social media within the recruitment and HR community by Raj Anand, an internationally renowned thought leader on social media, innovation and entrepreneurship: http://amzn.to/aQWpHM

For more information visit: www.facebook.com/pages/Raj-Anand

Professional Development

2010-02-23T10:23:00.002-05:00

Professional development is important in all aspects and disciplines within the human resources arena. Those who had the opportunity to attend this year's HRPA Annual Conference in January which was hosted again in Toronto, were offered insight into some of the upcoming predictions and trends yet again this year.

Here is are a few quick link to share:
1. HRPA's website
2. Source for new publications specifically for recruiter books

Would like to hear about your PD experiences and recommendations.

HR Success Story - Hugh Secord

2009-11-24T10:45:00.007-05:00

Labour Relations Consultant and accomplished author, Hugh Secord, is a seasoned HRM generalist who has developed a reputation for innovative and forward thinking business solutions.

As an HRM/ER Strategist, Hugh helps organizations by transform their cultures to create business successes, and contributes to business results by focusing the HR practice on providing value-added services.

As a Senior HR practitioner, Hugh has lead several change management initiatives through the application of strong project management skills and a process orientation.

Key Accomplishments
1. Lead over 125 bargaining sessions (CEP, Teamsters, CAW, USWA, RWDSU)
2. Negotiated Canada’s first (and only) “evergreen contracts” that eliminated the union’s right to strike voluntarily.
3. Created a unique Cultural Guideline delivery process that emphasizes JIT frontline training and reinforces corporate values
4. Publish several books on HRM and Labour Relations Best Practices.

Consulting Services Include: Developing Labour Relations Strategies, Contract Negotiations, Appearances at Arbitration and Tribunals, Management and Supervisory Training, Interim Management, Management Coaching

For further information visit http://www.hughsecord.com/

Social Networking for Recruiters

2009-11-17T14:00:00.012-05:00

Upcoming Social Networking Webinars by Harpaul Sambhi

Harpaul Sambhi CEO of Careerify Corp., a Canadian owned social network, is an avid learner in all aspects of business with a keen interest in social networking, business development, psychology, and continual growth.

I had the opportunity to participate in Harpaul's last HRPA-sponsored webinar and encourage HR professionals interesting in learning more about social networking as a source for recruitment to consider the next webinar.

On December 10th, 2009, Harpaul's Webinar "Using Social Networks for Recruitment and HR Branding" will cover topics such as ...

Recruitment and human resources branding strategies.
How to decide which social network(s) to invest in.
Learn how to tailor your message effectively to reach a particular audience.
Linked In; Facebook; You-Tube; Twitter; Careerify; Blogger; WorldPress; hi5; and myspace.

Link to Webinar

Ontario's Next Minimum Wage increase March 31, 2010

2009-09-30T14:59:00.003-04:00

Ontario's Minimum Wage Increases

Amendments to Regulation 285/01 of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 to implement the increases to the general minimum wage that were announced in the 2007 Ontario budget have come into effect. The regulation increases the minimum wage rates for students, liquor servers, homeworkers, and hunting⁄fishing guides by the same percentage as the general rate.

March 31, 2009 General Minimum Wage $9.50/hour
March 31, 2010 General Minimum Wage $10.25/hour

EMPLOYER'S WORKPLACE POLICY: Using Cellphones for Business Purposes in Ontario

2009-09-30T12:10:00.015-04:00

Has your company's Use of Electronic Devices workplace policy been updated? Submitted by Roslyn Baichoo, Lawyer/Associate - Lawrences' Litigation Group

Roslyn A. Baichoo kindly reminds Ontario employers and drivers that Bill 118, Countering Distracting Driving & Promoting Green Transportation Act, 2009, will be coming into effect in October 2009. Roslyn practises exclusively in the areas of employment, labour and human rights, acting for both public and private sector employers.

Here is a quick link to updated information regarding the new Cell Phone Ban legislation: http://www.lawrences.com/uploads/publications/CellphoneBan.pdf

Recently Unemployed? What would you do...

2009-09-28T14:11:00.021-04:00

Take some time off or get active in your job search?
Although the economy continues to shows positive signs of recovery, there still are firms who continue to restructure for efficiency purposes. A number of our clients, primarily senior level HR professionals and managers, have recently found themselves downsized or restructured, often with a generous severance package and out-placement services. What is your advice to those who have recently been downsized or laid-off?

COMMENTS (12):
Tina Miles, CHRP Human Resources Professional I would say that it depends on several things: 1) what type of person are they - i.e. a person who lives for their work/career may need to get into a job search routine and find something quickly to keep them feeling secure 2) how financially secure are they - do they have the financial luxury to take some time off? 3) how did the downsizing affect them emotionally - was it a traumatic experience requiring some time to de-stress and recover, gain their confidence and trust back 4) what they want to do - some want to get right back on the horse and others want time to spend with family , friends, decompressing, travel, etc. 5) how good is their network - if they have a large network, putting out some feelers right away may allow job prospects to germinate with time 6) do they wish to try something else? - sometimes people will use this as an opportunity for soul-searching, a mid-life career switch, etc. which means they should probably take some time for self-discovery before job seeking 7) what is the potential for finding another job - is their expertise in high demand, are they well-known and sought after So it's really a personal decision, there's no one right answer. I've heard from people who jumped right in, found a job and now are unhappy they didn't take more time off. Others regret taking too much time off because they're now working hard to find something or missed an opportunity. One of the issues is people who are laid-off often don't know when they'll find a job so their time off can be quite stressful. They are unable to enjoy their time off and spend it worrying.
Lynn Marie Caissie, CHRP, RHB Human Resources Manager Coming from the perspective that there's lots to do when you want to gear up your job search, I would say the following can be done immediately:1- Define what job you are looking to move your career forward2- Review your resume objectively. Will it get you the job defined in (1)3- Review your network. Is there anyone who can help you hone your information on the industry you are targeting or the kind of job you are targeting. Have lunch meetings or coffee meetings with these people. It gives you visibility, demonstrates interest and keeps you connected to your field of endeavour. Ask those people if they know 2 other people who can speak to you.4- Is your LinkedIn profile up to date; if not, make it so5- Ensure that your resume is searchable on the job boards you favour. This can include Workopolis, both Monster.ca and .com, and any companies you wish to target6- To get a flavour for the jobs that are available out there, get job alerts from eluta.ca and indeed.ca, and any other job boards of companies that may in interest you.Waiting until you are ready to get these things underway means you'll really feel the last-minute crunch just when you want to be forward-looking instead of mired in administrative detail.
Lynette Whiley Managing Partner at MindShare Canada Surely finances play a very critical role in the decision? Whilst it may be very worthwhile to take time off to reflect and rebuild, if you are not very comfortable financially, I don't see how you could do anything but get stuck in and find a new source of income.
Dave Crisp Speaker, coach, consultant - Leadership & Talent Maximization Strategies My approach is to get active in learning about the market and how to market yourself (with coach if possible) right away. Then you can take time while you tune up a resume and think through your goals and approach and that allows people who are looking for a vacation longer than the week they've usually been able to scrape together to fit something in that works with their search plan.
Al van der Laan Experienced Senior IT Manager They should manage their time wisely. If senior level people get downsized they generally would consult with a coach to study how to approach the job market. Sure the market is turning slowly around but even in down times one needs to have a properly maintained resume and online profile. Taking time off would only work if people improve themselves by going to courses, I would never advise someone to take time off to do nothing.
Dave Soehner Operations / Logistics / Project Management / Supply Chain Professional As crazy as this may sound I'd suggest planning to do both. What I mean by that is I think it makes sense to dive right into the job search, get the resume up to date, ramp up the networking activity, etc., etc. for the first week or two. Once there's some good wheels in motion then scale it back and take some down time. That might mean working at the job search for only a couple of hours per day ... or taking an extra long weekend away ... or whatever works for the individual. I'd make sure to be reachable at all times though.
Peter Hanson, MBA, CFP, CSA, FCSI Senior Wealth Management Executive As someone has been actively searching for the past 9 months, I agree completely with Al's advice. My experience has been that, unless there is an urgent need or hole that can't be met internally, most employers are not seeking to add to their fixed overhead at this time. Despite signs of improvement, this is more of a "technical" recovery and I believe we are headed for a "new normal" where fewer jobs will be replaced or created. What this means for professionals and managers is a structural shift in the employment market to more contract/project based work. Therefore, you will need to both brand and market yourself as a potential problem solver rather than an employee. If you haven't done this before, getting some career coaching advice is an excellent place to start.
Charlene Norman, Solid 2-i-C
Seeking entrepreneurial company in need of operations & finance bolstering.My advice to anyone who is newly restructured or downsized is to take some time off. Especially, if they have been working continuously for more than 10 years with nothing more than the usual vacation. Treat it as a special gift to you. (Being pink slipped is a blessing -- however it does take a long time to realize that fact!) During that down time, your energy reserves are slowly rebuilt, you actually get to do all the things you have put off for such a long time, you re-connect with family and friends and you rediscover your hobbies. Call it "YOU time". That time out also allows one to develop some perspective on the all the events that took place leading up to the pink slip. The key thing with taking a time out for yourself is to put a definite end date to it. Decide what is an appropriate time frame and then lock in the end date. (Without it, you will drift endlessly). During that entire time out your sub-conscious starts to really percolate. It will help define what you want to do with the rest of your life. When the start date actually comes, you will be surprised at how ready you are. Give your head a shake, square the shoulders and soldier forward. I have yet to meet a displaced person who regretted taking some time for themselves. I have however met many who regretted either jumping back on the horse with the first thing that came along or allowing themselves to remain unfocused and drifting for too long. Rona Birenbaum Financial Planner - Caring For Clients
http://www.caringforclients.com
When my clients experience job loss one of the first things they do is meet with me to strategize. We look at a variety of things, financial considerations being the obvious ones. Other less tangible issues may include: the need for career re-evaluation (avoiding a "rebound" job), degree of and sources of family moral support, and the draw of unrealized dreams. It goes without saying that the more financially secure one is, the more freedom there is to take a break from the work force, for whatever the reason. My personal observation is that the longer the work hiatus, the less satisfied each client was with the position they ultimately landed.
DIno - Toronto, Canada It isn't a question one can answer without knowing the individual and their immediate needs. One such individual may have serious financial constraints which would leave them with no choice but to start looking for a job. The other may have savings to draw upon but be emotionally drained and upset enough that looking for a job could be the last thing they should attempt. You really need to analyze the immediate needs of the individual and balance those with the need to take time off or to start a search. The answer is - it depends.
Benoît Kiss-Borlase Advisor in Talent Potential I would suggest take some time off, and make the point about you! Crises is a period with a lot of opportunities, just a question to open your eyes and to look where you have to look!
Ryan McKee
experienced sales and marketing relationship manager
I received a generous severance package from a large financial institution in January 2008. I put it in the bank and utilized my savings to travel for 1.5 years around the world and to visit every continent. After 12 years in corporate business and finishing my career at a director level, it was the best break I could ever have taken to re-energize, re-focus and gather lifelong learning. I've now been at the full time job search since end of May and are having a number of interviews further to networking efforts. That's my story...

Free E-Book "30 Ideas - The Ideas of Successful Job Search"

2009-08-19T09:14:00.004-04:00

Tim Tyrell-Smith shares his "free" e-book with anyone interested in reviewing his take on how to have a successful job search. Tim recommends these three ideas:

1. Have a job search strategy
2. Understand the psychology of a successful job search
3. Be a smart networker

Enjoy and pass it along to anyone else you feel can use the advice!

Quick Link to 30 Ideas

Recruitment Humour

2009-08-17T15:29:00.005-04:00

Reaching the end of a job interview, the Recruiter asked a young applicant fresh out of business school, "And what starting salary are you looking for?"

The applicant said, "In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package."

The Recruiter said, "Well, what would you say to a package of five weeks' vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50 percent of your salary, and a company car leased every two years, say, a red Corvette?"

The applicant sat up straight and said, "Wow! Are you kidding?"
And the Recruiter replied, "Yeah, but you started it." (Shelley Griffiths)

Social Networking - An Effective Talent Acquisition Resource?

2009-08-12T13:44:00.003-04:00

Maximizing the effectiveness of social networking tools has been my latest conquest in an effort to investigate the value of social media. As a resource for HR, specifically relating to recruitment & staffing, I am finding that "getting creative" with regards to one’s social networking efforts can produce fabulous results.

As a non-traditional approach to attracting talent, The Selection Group continues to experience success in utilizing social networking as a means to identifying excellent, above-average candidates for various recruitment requests. Last month, in an exciting “green-oriented” search to identify an avant-guard applicant, a LEED Project Coordinator for the commercial construction industry in Toronto, admittedly, I was overwhelmed with the tremendous response we experienced. Utilizing shared connections and progressive contacts who very willing share their wisdom and experience; qualified applicants were quickly identified for our client.

It is very refreshing to witness business professionals, who are regular users of social networking tools, collectively demonstrate an extraordinary quality with regards to their business attitude; their willingness to share. When asked for assistance, countless individuals generously provide us with supportive ideas, resource referrals, associates and contacts in an effort to help.

Tell us how you use social networking as a talent acquisition resource? Which applications have generated the best results?

COMMENTS:

Elizabeth Lowry, Technical Recruiter at O'Brien & Gere in Philadelphia: I use Facebook and Linkedin to source. Linkedin you can search very similar to Monster but Facebook is a little trickier. Depending on where you are searching you might need to change your location so you can search that network. You have to be careful not to constantly change networks; I believe you can only do this 2 times in 60 days. From there, I would type in environmental engineer and everyone with environmental engineer in their profile in the Philadelphia network will come up. More and more people are moving towards private profiles so you don't have access to their current employer, title, or year they graduated. You can try and find more about them elsewhere on line by googling their name or you can send each candidate a message with some information on what you are looking for and asking if they are interested or know anyone that might. I get a really good response from this. Good luck!

10 Tips - TURNING TEMP JOBS INTO SOMETHING MORE PERMANENT

2009-08-06T14:24:00.005-04:00

By Laura T. Coffey,

St Petersburg Times Correspondent In Print: Sunday, May 31, 2009

In a job market that's as competitive as this one is, temping can be your salvation. It can help you keep money rolling in while you look for a more permanent position. Besides, your temp job can even turn into a permanent position. Consider these tips for turning your interim employment stint into something you can count on over the long haul.

1. Focus your temping efforts. Visit the Web site of the American Staffing Association (www.americanstaffing.net) and click on the "Job Seekers" link for guidance about how to temp in your field. About 90 percent of large businesses rely on temporary-help services, so the possibilities may be greater than you realize.

2. Recognize a temp job as the opportunity that it is. In essence, it's an audition — both for you and for the employer. The challenge for you is that you have to stay "on" at all times. Do whatever it takes to stay positive, enthusiastic and upbeat about the work at hand. On the flip side, if you can tell that you really don't like working there, you don't have to stay.

3. Spell out what you want. If you want your temp job to turn into a permanent position, let your staffing agency and the employer know. Also make sure that the employer and the staffing agency know about your complete skill set. Offer to help out with different assignments that will allow you to shine without coming across as too pushy.

4. Take time to understand the company. You'll be more valuable to the employer in the long term if you learn as much as you can about its industry, competitors, products and services. It's also wise to stay alert to the employer's most urgent staffing needs. If you spot a need, think about ways that you can step up and fill it.

5. Plug into the company's culture and vibe. Every workplace is different, and it's important to understand each organization's quirks, priorities, values (both written and unwritten) and methods for getting work accomplished.

6. Do more than expected. Many workers can meet an employer's expectations. Stand-out workers exceed those expectations. If you enjoy working for this employer, volunteer for additional assignments, even if they seem outside your temp role; consistently demonstrate a crazy-strong work ethic; show up a little bit early in the morning, and stay a tiny bit late at the end of the day if at all possible; and always — always! — be dependable.

7. Make friends and build allies. You'll stand a much better chance of sticking around if many of the workers around you like having you around. Don't let your temporary status stop you from acting like a true team member. Make an effort to get to know the people at work, and offer to help them out in various ways.

8. Lose the "lowly temp" mentality. Temping may not appeal to you because of status issues. In short, you may feel a bit like a second-class citizen. Simply don't allow yourself to feel or act this way. Act as though you're a permanent player at the company, and don't hold back when it comes to quality or dependability because of your temporary status.

9. Dress for the job you want. Don't let yourself dress too casually because you're not quite part of the team. Instead, carry yourself as a professional when it comes to dress and grooming. Show that you're a serious candidate for a permanent job and that you care about making a good impression.

10. Create opportunities for yourself. If you keep encountering employers who say they aren't hiring, ask whether you can simply handle a project for them on a temporary basis. They may be grateful for the offer, and you may score a temporary job for yourself without the help of a staffing agency.

Laura T. Coffey can be reached at laura@tentips.org.
Sources: Quintessential Careers (www.quintcareers.com); American Staffing Association (www.americanstaffing.net); SnagAJob.com (www.snagajob.com)

HR Volunteer Consulting Opportunity -Toronto

2009-07-15T08:45:00.003-04:00

Recruiting Volunteer Consultants & Engagement Managers - Application Deadline: August 1, 2009

Endeavor Volunteer Consulting Network is recruiting volunteer consultants and engagement managers for their Fall 2009/Winter 2010 pro bono consulting projects in Toronto. As a volunteer, you will have the opportunity to work in a team on a six-month project (October to April) to help a non-profit with a business problem.

Application deadline for Fall 2009/Winter 2010 (Round 5) projects is August 1, 2009. For a detailed job description and to apply online, visit http://www.evcn.ca/wp/fall2009volunteer/ Endeavor Volunteer Consulting Network volunteer@evcn.ca www.evcn.ca

About Endeavor Volunteer Consulting Network
Endeavor Volunteer Consulting Network brings together skilled volunteers to provide pro bono management consulting to non-profit organizations in Toronto and neighbouring cities. Since their inception in 2007, they have represented over 100 volunteers and non-profit clients in various sectors, including the arts, children and family services, disabilities, education, healthcare, immigrant services, rural development, poverty relief and youth development. To learn more, visit www.evcn.ca.

RECRUITERS - Predictions for 2010

2009-07-08T09:45:00.007-04:00

Irena Deretic, member of The Recruiter Network, a LinkedIn group that we share together, directed me to these insightful predictions by Lou Adler, President of The Adler Group, a training and consulting firm helping companies find and hire top talent using Performance-based Hiring.

Link to article: http://www.ere.net/2009/06/26/sourcing-trends-and-predictions-2010/

Great Opportunity to Partner with MBA Students from the Top Rated Schulich School of Business for a Comprehensive Strategic Organizational Analysis

2009-07-07T14:18:00.005-04:00

Strategic Field Study details:

1. All services are provided at no fee
2. Our project team consists of 8 final year Schulich MBA students from various industrial backgrounds including Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Operations and IT
3. Our project team is backed by an Advisory Panel of 3 Schulich professors and together with the professors, we are bounded by a non-disclosure agreement

Services that would be provided to your organization:

1. Perform a thorough strategic analysis of the client site and its internal and external environment
2. Perform a detailed financial analysis of the organization
3. Identify the key strategic issues that the organization is facing
4. Identify and evaluate the strategic alternatives open to the organization
5. Provide recommendations to most effectively address the key issues facing the organization
6. Provide a detailed implementation plan to execute the recommended course(s) of action

If you are interested in participating or learning more about the benefits of the Strategy Field Study, please contact:

Jennifer Bramer (Peleikis), BAS, CHRP, MBA (Candidate 2010)
email: jpeleikis@yahoo.ca
Cell: 416-882-9339

http://www.schulich.yorku.ca/ssb-extra/strategyfieldstudypublic.nsf/allwebdocuments/index.htm

Outplacement Services

2009-06-15T09:50:00.003-04:00

Outplacement and Employee Consulting Services have once again experienced revenue growth, in light of the current state of our economy and employment situation.

Which Outplacement Firms do you recommend?

Remember, when planning a termination....

Need for confidentiality is most important.
Inform only those staff members who need to know.
Prepare all forms, documents and letters in advance.
Clearly outline the severance arrangements.
Invite third party counseling, medical representative, witness, security to termination meeting.
Arrange transportation for dismissed employee.

COMMENTS:

Greg Vertelman is a Senior Career Solutions Consultant with Knightsbridge. Our outplacement roots go back over 30 years. As a Canadian owned business, Knightsbridge has 21 offices across the country with 5 offices in the GTA, one of which is designated soley for executives in transition. If you are l looking for options, programs and pricing for outplacement, I would be happy to send you more information or speak further. More detail about our firm can be found at www.knightsbridge.ca

LinkedIn - Connections

2009-06-02T16:45:00.004-04:00

QUESTION - Show or hide your connections on LinkedIn? Share your comments and advice below

As described on Wikipedia, "The purpose of the (LinkedIn) site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections. Users can invite anyone (whether a site user or not) to become a connection."

This network of contacts can "be used to find jobs, people and business opportunities recommended by someone in one's contact network. Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates. Job seekers can review the profile of hiring managers and discover which of their existing contacts can introduce them.

For those who use social media applications, LinkedIn is a fabulous site. As an on-line tool, it allows one to build a network of their contacts and associates, stay connected with established clients, rekindle former colleagues and engage new associations with new business professionals.

I have been debating the question, whether to show or hide my connections. What is your opinion? Advice? Suggestions?

Tell us about experiences.

Social Media Message Makes Impact on HR & Business Professionals

2009-05-26T22:32:00.012-04:00

Andrew Ballenthin delivered an insightful presentation to a group of human resources and business professionals this past week. As The Selection Group’s invited guest speaker, he passionately shared his in-depth understanding of the “rapidly developing landscape of social media”.

Those who had the opportunity to hear Toronto’s home-grown, social media author and integrated marketing expert deliver his introduction to one of today’s hottest topics, were at times overwhelmed with his knowledge-base overview. He exceeded expectations by delivering a condensed version of why there is so much interest in social media by defining the language, highlighting the practical applications and tools available and successfully demonstrated how social media really can increase corporate ROI.

By embraced his audience with current statistics, practical examples and witty stories, Andrew engaging his audience throughout the session. His predictions about the future of communication and how the world is build relationships in business today initiate interactive discussions amongst the attendees.

Andrew has offered to share his presentation in a PDF download so be sure to visit our blog early next week.

If you have feedback regarding this session or have recommendations that you would like to share, I invite you to please add your comments below.

Due to popular demand from invited guests who were unable to attend, we will be hosting another session at some point near the end of the summer or early fall.

COMMENTS:

I really enjoyed myself at this morning’s event. I met a number of good people who I am hoping to be in touch with soon. I also wanted to follow up with you, as http://happen.ca/ has meetings once a week Mississauga on Tuesdays, Toronto on Thursdays. (Dave Porter)

Thank you for moving me forward and helping me understand the importance of social networking. It is an important tool to add to the face to face networking that helps us build relationships in the business world. (Hilda Yorke)

You’re timing is inspired, I found this article on the Globe & Mails website (Making Social Media Work for Small Business). It’s a video, no less. Click here for link I preferred your workshop and Andrew’s presentation to this though. (Dave Porter)

This was the best presentation I have seen on social media from a marketing perspective to date. Andrew's obvious enthusiasm, willingness to become part of the experiment and level of success was inspirational. Thanks very much for the invitation Sue. We'll be in touch with more information as our research project progress. (Brian)

Social Media & The Future of Recruiting

2009-05-22T22:41:00.005-04:00

Why So Much Interest In Social Media? How can Social Media be of value to HR Professionals?

The Founder of the Community Marketing Blog, Andrew Ballenthin and Susan Strickland, Recruitment Specialist are hosting a social media education and discussion event in East Mississauga.

This seminar and the following discussion will assist attendees in understanding the rapidly developing landscape of social media and help provide a framework for evaluating the role of social networking in an organization.

There are a few seats available for our event and registration will be taken on a first come first serve basis. Other attendees will include human resources professionals from the GTA area.

Join us on May 27th from 8-10:30 am – Mississauga
For more information and to register - click here

Social Media and Recruitment Practices

2009-05-22T22:38:00.000-04:00

Friday, May 22, 2009

Social Media and Recruitment Practices
Has your human resources team incorporate social media into practice? Recruitment and talent management is become a vital part of corporate human resources' initiatives.

The staffing and recruitment industry has been using social media resources with growing success. New social networking communities and recruitment applications are appearing daily as the world of social media continues to explode.

The Selection Group has recently introduced Twitter as a tool to communicate more efficiently within our Temporary Staffing Services. It's a quick and easy way to get out an urgent job requests to our candidates and keep our client applicants up to date with regards to the employment market. How is your firm using social networking as a talent acquisition resource? Which applications have generated the best results?

Share your comments! Comments (2)

JoAnne Trotter, CHRPHuman Resource Business Partner

I'm also curious to hear if recruiters are finding success using social networks and if so how. We direct candidates to register on our website so not always sure how people arrived there. What methods are working? Discussion groups? Postings?

Jeff Waldman
I think you know my perspectives on social media but I thought I'd share some insights related to the 4 generational groups that are currently in the workforce. If you're targeting the Generation Y group then I firmly believe that you will only optimize your reach by using social networking capabilities as the primary strategy. This group craves instant-access information using multi-faceted media. A no-brainer is Facebook, Twitter and to some extent LinkedIn. The interesting thing right now is that the other generational groups are now starting to delve into the social media arena as well. Baby Boomers and Generation X'ers are both starting to embrace social media, particularly Generation X. There are some Traditionalist's (pre-1946'ish) making the plunge but very selectively. For a recruiter, I think the challenge will be to ensure brand consistency and the linkages between the social media and your firm offering and objectives are clear. Ease of access, clarity/transparency and functionality are critical factors in optimizing the use of social media. Last comment is that if your target is the younger workforce (Generation Y in particular) then strictly using publicly accessed "job boards" will get you nowhere! This group would rather the opportunity come to them (e.g. RSS feeds) instead of spending time searching for them.

JoAnne Trotter: CHRP Human Resources Professional

2009-05-14T10:13:00.002-04:00

JoAnne Trotter, a human resource professional, for over 15 years, has worked as an HR practitioner supporting client groups in the day to day implementation of the HR practices, and designed global talent management processes.

Having lived in Canada, the United Kingdom and the USA, JoAnne Trotter, CHRP, shares insightful comments and group discussions on her blog: INSPIRE HR

In particular, here is a link to a posting I feel shares some great advice, Steps to Keep Employees Engaged and Productive in a Downturn

Employment Opportunities in the Green Industry

2009-05-13T08:56:00.002-04:00

Shelley M. Burke, Canadian Co-Founder & Senior Business Editor at My Green Education and Career, shares some good news about job creation in the Green Industry.

"Recently New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, announced a new initiative to reduce the state's green house gas production and creates thousands of green jobs over the next ten years. New York city law makers are in the process of passing a Bill that will make it mandatory for building owners in the city to retrofit their buildings to be more energy efficient if it makes economic sense. This will stimulate job growth in the construction trades , energy management, energy auditing, HVAC and engineering"

Any comments? Indication of growth in green jobs market in Canada?

New LinkedIn Group for Recruiters

2009-05-11T14:28:00.004-04:00

Bill Boorman, Owner, Bill Boorman Consultancy Limited in Northampton, UK has set-up an excellent LinkedIn Group called Good News Group.

Bill initiated a discussion last week...
Recruitment will become a purely electronic transaction in future. What is your take?

Please share your comments!

Social Media and Recruitment Practices

2009-05-08T11:25:00.007-04:00

Social Media & Recruitment

Has your human resources team incorporate social media into practice? Recruitment and talent management is become a vital part of corporate human resources' initiatives.

The staffing and recruitment industry has been using social media resources with growing success. New social networking communities and recruitment applications are appearing daily as the world of social media continues to explode.

The Selection Group has recently introduced Twitter as a tool to communicate more efficiently within our Temporary Staffing Services. It's a quick and easy way to get out an urgent job requests to our candidates and keep our client applicants up to date with regards to the employment market.

How is your firm using social networking as a talent acquisition resource?

Which applications have generated the best results?

Share your comments!

Comments (2)

JoAnne Trotter, CHRP
Human Resource Business Partner
I'm also curious to hear if recruiters are finding success using social networks and if so how. We direct candidates to register on our website so not always sure how people arrived there. What methods are working? Discussion groups? Postings?

Jeff Waldman
I think you know my perspectives on social media but I thought I'd share some insights related to the 4 generational groups that are currently in the workforce. If you're targeting the Generation Y group then I firmly believe that you will only optimize your reach by using social networking capabilities as the primary strategy. This group craves instant-access information using multi-faceted media. A no-brainer is Facebook, Twitter and to some extent LinkedIn. The interesting thing right now is that the other generational groups are now starting to delve into the social media arena as well. Baby Boomers and Generation X'ers are both starting to embrace social media, particularly Generation X. There are some Traditionalist's (pre-1946'ish) making the plunge but very selectively. For a recruiter, I think the challenge will be to ensure brand consistency and the linkages between the social media and your firm offering and objectives are clear. Ease of access, clarity/transparency and functionality are critical factors in optimizing the use of social media. Last comment is that if your target is the younger workforce (Generation Y in particular) then strictly using publicly accessed "job boards" will get you nowhere! This group would rather the opportunity come to them (e.g. RSS feeds) instead of spending time searching for them.

Who's Hiring? Growth Industries for 2009

2009-04-28T23:06:00.006-04:00

Recruiters, don't throw in the towel just yet...
Growth industries during this economic downturn that continue to top the lists in North America include Communication, Construction & Engineering, Energy, Health Care, HR & Consultants and the Green Industries.

Despite the onslaught of reports about terminations, lay-offs and corporate closures, there are those industries that actually benefit from slow economic times and demonstrate revenue growth during recessionary times. According to Tara Weiss of Forbes.com,“Health care, human resources and consulting are likely industries for job growth” in 2009.

Fortune 500 clearly identifies in a recent research survey that industries related to engineering, construction, natural resources, energy, communication, health care and food services are at the forefront for employment opportunities.

Green "environmental" industries and firms related to energy, green technology and climate change continue to gain momentum in promoting the benefits of their products and services, creating jobs along the way. For more insight into the green industry, for example, investigate related associations such as Oneia - Ontario Environment Industry Association,the business association representing the interests of the environment industry in Ontario. ONEIA's 200+ members provide market-driven solutions for society's most pressing environmental problems.

Take the time to do your research and target the industrial sectors in your business community where there are positive opportunities to be identified and secured with new staff.

Share your insight - where are you seeing positive employment changes and job growth?

HEALTH & WELLNESS LINK - Fitness Training For Women

2009-04-23T22:25:00.004-04:00

Fitness Training for Women - A Great Intro Guide

John Berardi's April 21st article, "A Man's Guide To Getting His Woman Into Shape" caught my attention and gave me my daily smile!

Humour aside, I found this to be an excellent introduction to woman who have been thinking about starting up a weight / fitness program and had to share it. It applies to both men & women:

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/mans-guide-to-womens-fitness

Recruiters - Do You Use SKYPE To Interview?

2009-04-22T22:43:00.013-04:00

Today, I participated in a superb chat with a group of HR, executive search and recruitment professionals. Karen Broom initiated a brilliant discussion introducing an application called Skype, and the concept of using communication tools and computer applications to improve efficiency in one's business activities.

Personally, I seize every opportunity I can to use SKYPE to connect with my friends and family abroad, in the USA, Europe and even Africa. I enjoyed having long distance conversation, at no charge, talking and looking at each other over the computer screen as we were sitting together, in person.

For recruiters who traditionally travel to interview, implementing Skype will allow you to conduct an interview without leaving your desk. Telephone interviews may be an alternative but imagine, conducting your long-distant, interview, watching the candidate's body language and make direct eye contact with them after challenging them with a great behavioural probing question.

For the business professionals who participates in regular meetings with associates across the country or video conference, these two products, Skype and Oovoo, will simply your life! Both products are easy to use and available after a simple download and installation. The investment in a video cam is also necessary so you can have face-to-face conversations, interviews, meetings or discussions, one on one or in a video-conference call with up to 6-9 participants.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I want to mention that Oovoo is a similar application that you may want to investigate.

INTERESTING FACTS...
SKYPE, for example, is a software application that allows users to make telephone calls over the Internet. Calls to other users of the service and to free-of-charge numbers are free, while calls to other landlines and mobile phones can be made for a fee. Additional features also include instant messaging, file transfers and video conferencing, as described by Wikipedia. Interestingly, Skype was created by a group of computer programmers in Eastern Europe in 2003 and purchased in 2005 by e-Bay for $2.6 billion dollars.

Twitter - A Business Tool?

2009-04-20T17:35:00.009-04:00

The buzz about Twitter is everywhere but what it's all about? Introduced in 2006, as a means to send messages through your cell phone, instant messenger, or via the Web, "to notify friends and followers of the little things you're up to during the day", the applications for personal and business purposes have caught the attention of millions.

Maybe Ashton Kutcher takes the lead with his impressive 1,260,835 followers but just as interesting is that as of April 20th, 11,687 individuals or corporations are following CBC News and 76,202 are following CNN. I am starting to believe there is a "growing trend" to say the least.

Wikipedia describes Twitter as a...

free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length which are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them (known as followers). Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow anybody to access them. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, Short Message Service (SMS) or external applications.
The service is free to use over the Internet, but using SMS may incur phone service provider fees.
Since its creation in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Twitter has gained extensive notability and popularity worldwide. It is often described as the "SMS of Internet," in that the site provides the functionality (via its application programming interfaces) for other desktop and web-based applications to send and receive short text messages, often obscuring the Twitter service itself.

The Selection Group has recently implemented using Twitter as an instant way to notify our applicants and candidates about our HOT JOBS and latest employment opportunities. Where are you using Twitter in your daily business activities? Time to start?

Quick links to share for more info about Twitter: canada.com , Business Week Magazine , Time Magazine , Twitter & Cellphone User Fees , The Toronto Star

Bill 139 - Temporary Employees & the Staffing Industry

2009-04-15T16:34:00.004-04:00

Will Proposed Changes to Ontario's Employment Standards Act, Bill 139, Result in More Lost Jobs?

"Bill 139 was introduced into legislature as a means to ensure that Ontario's employment legislation recognizes the needs of temporary employees and staffing firms that employ them in a fair and balanced way." There is no doubt that these proposed changes will have a grave impact on the way temporary staffing agencies conduct their business practices in Ontario. Will the Temporary Staffing Industry survive the added costs and keep their doors open in Ontario?

Thanks to an article sent to me by Roslyn Baichoo of Lawrence, Lawrence & Stevenson LLP, (www.lawrences.com), I wanted to pass along what "Temporary Agencies" have to say: http://www.thebramptonnews.com/articles/4160/1/Bill-139-Employment-Opportunities-Will-Be-In-Jeopardy/Page1.html

More interesting info was posted on April 2, 2009 on www.canadianbusiness.com, http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/cnw/article.jsp?content=20090402_172502_1_cnw_cnw
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/cnw/article.jsp?content=20090402_172502_1_cnw_cnw

What do you say?

Temporary Industry - An indicator of Improving Economic Times

2009-04-14T16:01:00.004-04:00

Is the Temporary Staffing Services Industry a Good Economic Indicator?

Improving times and an economic upswing? We are dreaming about it but are we really there yet? Inspired by a recent article I read, I definitely agree that temporary staffing activity is an excellent gauge.

As a recruiter, close to the heart beat of the admin job market in GTA, I can share that in the past, increases in our “Temp” numbers have always been an indicator of improving economies. During slower economic times, when the volume of temp requests coming into The Selection Group goes crazy, we know that corporate downsizing is nearing an end. Our clients, understaffed and suddenly faced with increased business activity, start calling in their urgent temp requests. Keep us in mind if we can help!

10 Things to Indicate Better Times Ahead
From: American Staffing Association Newsroom April 03, 2009

"Temporary employment is one industry that may give insight into when improvements in the economy can be expected. Employment tends to be a lagging indicator of the economy's health because companies don't staff up until they feel confident that their business can support higher payroll costs. But the hiring of temporary help is a sort of canary in the employment coal mine. If they sense markets are recovering but they're still not sure, employers can turn to temporary staff with less commitment to a long-term investment. In November 2001, when the last recession officially ended, the year-to-year decline in temporary help employment reached a low point of 18.1% nationally. Beginning the next month, the gap began to narrow and eventually turned into a year-to-year increase. Last month, temporary help employment was 24.7% below its mark in February 2007, according to preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. - Joel Dresang"

HEALTHY LIVING - Yoga & Vitamin Supplements

2009-04-13T10:34:00.005-04:00

Yoga Cross Training for Competitive Athletes - http://www.vitaminy.ca/About_Us.html

Maithili Koparkar & Laurie Di Giulio collaborated to develop a truly unique, innovative approach to dry-land yoga training that has been embraced by swimmers, athletes and coaches who have had first-hand experience with the benefits of this practice. They continue to bring their vision to other clubs throughout Ontario.

Are you feeling stressed out? Maithili shares her thoughts about taking vitamin supplements to improve your health ...

Oxidative Stress
We all need Oxygen to sustain life. As our body utilizes Oxygen it occasionally creates highly charged Oxygen molecule called free radical. This oxygen molecule has at least one unpaired electron in its outer orbit, which gives it an electrical charge. The free radical is highly reactive and needs to be neutralized; otherwise it can create more free radicals. Together they damage cell walls, blood vessel walls and even the DNA. Hence the term ‘Free Radical Damage’ or Oxidative Stress. The process of oxidative stress leads to significant increase in inflammation in our arteries, joints, lungs, and throughout our bodies.

The scientific medical literature is beginning to show us that the root of over 70 chronic degenerative diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer dementia, and even insulin resistance is due to oxidative stress e.g. physicians and researchers are beginning to appreciate the fact that heart disease is NOT a disease of cholesterol. Over half of the patients who suffer a heart attack, actually have normal cholesterol levels. Cardiovascular disease is the result of a low-grade inflammation of your arteries. LDL cholesterol is not the "bad" cholesterol, but instead it is the "oxidized" or "modified" LDL cholesterol that has been damaged by these excessive free radicals is the bad cholesterol.

Antioxidants play an important role in neutralizing the free radicals by providing an additional electron. Our bodies have the ability to produce its own antioxidants and form a defense mechanism against free radicals. We are also able to get additional antioxidants from our foods - primarily our fruits and vegetables. One must have enough antioxidants available to handle the number of free radicals you produce. If you don't, then oxidative stress occurs and your body is damaged. The production of free radicals does not have a fixed pattern; it is neither steady nor constant. Excessive stress, pollution in air, food, water, excessive exercise, cigarette smoke, radiation even medication raise the production of free radicals in your body. At times your body is not able to get enough antioxidants to curb the damage done by the free radicals. Therefore it’s quite imperative that you supplement your diet with a wide variety of different antioxidants and their supporting minerals.

Cellular nutrition means consuming nutritional supplements that provide all the nutrients to the cell at optimal levels (those levels shown to provide a health benefit in medical literature) and allowing the cell to decide what it does and does not need. This concept of nutritional supplementation not only allows you to correct any nutritional deficiencies but also allows you to bring all these important micronutrients needed by the cell back to optimal levels.
Anitoxidant Supplements

Consuming antioxidant supplements with each meal not only protects your arteries but is essential for great, vibrant health. Antioxidants work together and have synergy in their actions and benefits. Therefore it is important to consume them as a group. Antioxidant supplement should be taken with each meal as they are better absorbed and tolerated by your body.

A few examples of important antioxidants

Vitamin C iis the best antioxidant located within the plasma or blood. It also has the ability to easily neutralize the free radical. When vitamin C is given in supplementation to diabetic patients or patients suffering from coronary artery disease, significant improvements were seen in reversing their condition. Vitamin C effectively prevents the oxidation of the LDL cholesterol. We need it to build strong connective tissue, linings of the artery and healing system to repair our body.

Vitamin E is the most potent antioxidant within the cell membrane. In fact, several studies have shown that vitamin E is able to incorporate itself into the wall of the LDL cholesterol and help prevent it from becoming modified or oxidized by excessive free radicals.

Selenium – is a trace mineral and has proven anti cancer benefits, should be taken with vitamin E as they improve absorption of each other.

Carotenoids - It is a family of fat-soluble red and orange pigments related to vitamin A, known for their strong antioxidant properties. They are the most efficient free radicals neutralizers. They should be taken as a group such as alpha carotens, beta carotenes, lutein and zeaxanthin and lycopene. Isolated beta- carotene actually increases risk of cancer. So take these as a group.

Chromium levels are quite critical for the proper functioning of insulin. It also influences fat and glucose metabolism in the body. Most diabetic patients are very low in chromium and several studies have looked at giving these diabetic patients chromium in supplementation.

Magnesium Supplementation - Magnesium has similar role as Chromium when it comes to glucose metabolism within the body. It affects both insulin secretion and its function. Many studies have shown that as people age their magnesium levels decrease. This phenomenon is seen in both the non diabetic and diabetic patients who also suffer from increasing insulin resistance.

CoQ10 is made naturally in your body. In addition to acting as potent antioxidant, it increases the use of oxygen at cellular level, improves the function of heart muscle cells and boosts your capacity for aerobic exercise. The main problem with this is bio availability. The softgel and emulsified forms are absorbed much better than powdered form. It should be taken with fat-containing meal.
Pharmaceutical-grade Good Manufacturing Practices

The nutritional supplement industry is an unregulated industry. The FDA looks at nutritional supplements as if they were a food. There is really no guarantee that what is on the label is actually in the pill. You need to select a company that manufactures their products as if they were an over-the-counter drug. These companies follow what is known as pharmaceutical-grade Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). This requires them to purchase pharmaceutical grade raw products and then produce them with the same quality control that a pharmaceutical company does. This gives us assurance that what they have on the bottle is what is in the pill.

Complete and Balanced - Your nutritional supplements need to be complete and balanced. It means that they must provide the optimal and not just RDA levels of several different antioxidants and their supporting B-cofactors e.g. Vitamin B1, B2, B5, B5, B12 and folic acid. They should also contain antioxidant minerals such as selenium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, chromium, and vanadium. The complete and balanced supplements create synergy and are most effective in creating the health benefits.

USP (US Pharmacopoeia)- It is critical that your tablets dissolve effectively or it really does not matter what you have in them. Many nutritional companies do not follow what are known as USP guidelines. When these guidelines are followed, it gives you assurance that your supplements are at least dissolving upon their consumption. The government is getting more serious about trying to raise the bar on the quality of nutritional supplements. The FDA is now looking into setting higher standards for the production of nutritional supplements. However this is going to take a few years to implement. Meanwhile the consumer should be aware about what they are putting in their bodies.

Have You Caught The Wave?

2009-03-31T13:31:00.012-04:00

As a business professional, I am confident that you are connected with one of the many growing on-line communities like LinkedIn, Twitter, or depending on your client group, even Facebook.

After a discussion with Toronto's Andrew Ballenthin, President of Sol Solutions, regarding my observations about the many people I know who haven't yet caught the wave of change, and remain unaware of the growing social media tools at their disposal, I wanted to share some of Andrew's thoughts about on-line communities:

"I’m also seeing a disparity in behaviours between age groups and professions as well. Many of the 40-somethings get that they need websites but haven’t stayed in tune with the evolving cultural behaviour of online communities. A huge amount of North American population is going online mainly because the topic is so hot in the media. The good news is what you’re seeing with your peer group is normal. However with the volume of people moving into this arena it is inevitable that what was once was a trend will evolve into a social and cultural norm. There is real value with this change in society."

For more insightful reading...
http://www.communitymarketing.typepad.com
http:/www.linkedin.com/in/andrewballenthin
http://www.solsolutions.ca/
www.twitter.com/solsolutions

Ontario Raises Minimum Wage to $9.50 Today!

2009-03-31T12:41:00.003-04:00

Ontario is bringing in the sixth consecutive annual increase to the minimum wage to $9.50 per hour today since the McGuinty government began implementing annual increases in 2004.

Ontario Minimum Wage...
1. Increased from $6.85 in 2004 to $8.75 in 2008
2. Will reach $10.25 in 2010, a 50% increase since 2004

Labour Lawyer Referral in West Toronto Area

2009-03-30T12:15:00.011-04:00

Seeking the services of an employment and labour lawyer? In response to enquiries for a referral, I am pleased to refer, Roslyn Baichoo, called to the Ontario Bar in 1998.

Roslyn Baichoo
Lawrence Lawrence Stevenson LLP
43 Queen Street WestBrampton, Ontario, Canada L6Y 1L9
Telephone: (905) 451-3040

Roslyn is an associate in Lawrences' Litigation Group. She practises exclusively in the areas of employment, labour and human rights, acting for both public and private sector employers. Roslyn assists both unionized and non-unionized employers, representing them before various provincial and federal labour and arbitration boards, the Ontario Human Rights Commission and before all levels of the Ontario courts. She is a frequent speaker at employment and labour law conferences and provides corporate human resources' training to employers on such matters as workplace investigations, hiring, terminations, and general proactive approaches to workplace concerns. Roslyn has experience handling a wide variety of employment and labour matters, including wrongful dismissal, duty to accommodate, grievance arbitration, and collective bargaining.

Fueling Your Body

2009-03-09T13:16:00.009-04:00

Dr. Greg Wells, PhD, has some interesting recommendations about improving your eating habits. Whether you are a high performance athlete or not, what you eat and fuel your body with is critical.

Here are a few tips...

The most important nutrient is WATER! Keep your body hydrated. Try Almond milk rather than regular milk or soy milk.
Fruits and/or veggies and whole lean protein (tofu, chicken, fish, beef, egg whites) with every meal.
Eat carbs immediately after exercise to rejuvenate muscles (serving of pasta with tomato or veggie sauce, lettuce & turkey sandwich on whole grain bread)
Lots of fish but avoid farmed fish; try pacific wild salmon. Only eat "yellow fin" tuna.
Eat every 2-3 hours or 5-6 times per day.
Daily vitamins and supplements are key. Always increase your intake of multi-vitamins when under stress. Daily recommendation includes Fish Oil Capsules, Multi Vitamin (SISU brand), anti-oxidant supplements (http://www.livingfuel.ca/)

Dr. Wells reminds us that "for information specific to your situation, sport and nutritional requirements, it is best to seek the advice of a registered dietitian."

Greg Wells Ph.D. Applying scientific research to enhance health and performance. For more information visit: http://per4m.ca

PARTNERNING OPPORTUNITY WITH MBA STUDENTS - ORGANIZATIONAL STUDY & ANALYSIS

2009-03-05T12:15:00.010-05:00

Seeking organizations to participate in The Schulich School of Business (York University- Toronto) MBA Field Strategy Study - an independent, no fee strategic analysis of your organization, or a division therein.

THE FIELD STUDY TEAM - eight final-year MBA students overseen by Advisory Panel Schulich MBA Professors.

DELIVERABLES - To the client include an in-depth analysis of the client site, and its internal and external environment:

Detailed financial analysis of the organization
Identify the key strategic issues that it is facing
Identify and evaluate the strategic alternatives
Recommendations to most effectively address the key issues
Implementation plan to execute the recommended course(s) of action.

WILL YOUR ORGANIZATION QUALIFY?

5+ years in business
50+ employees
$10-million annual revenues
Must be the head office, sole office, or able to make decisions autonomously.

INTERESTED?

CONTACT - Mary Jane Handy, B.A, M.L.S., MBA (Candidate) Cell: 416-624-9789

http://www.schulich.yorku.ca/ssb-extra/strategyfieldstudypublic.nsf/allwebdocuments/index.htm

Fraud Protection

2009-03-04T12:32:00.002-05:00

March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada and around the world. Here are a few links to “recognize it, report it and stop it.”

· Identity Theft - http://www.rbc.com/privacysecurity/ca/identity-theft.html

· Chip and PIN cards - http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/cards/chip/

Professional Networking

2009-03-02T14:03:00.003-05:00

Professional networking is a growing activity to enhance your business acumen, open the opportunity to connect with former colleagues and enhance your corporate productivity.

LinkedIn, for example, is an interconnected network of experienced professionals from around the world, representing 170 industries and 200 countries. You can find, be introduced to, and collaborate with qualified professionals that you need to work with to accomplish your goals.

Within the LinkedIn network, you may gain new insights from discussions with like minded professionals in private group settings, such as the group called HAPPEN. HAPPEN is a networking organization dedicated to assisting executives in career transition - the largest of its kind in Canada. They meet weekly in Mississauga, Burlington and Toronto to assist one another by sharing experiences, industry information.

Send me an email and I'll invite be pleased to invite you: susanstrickland@theselectiongroup.com

Wrongful Dismissal - Proactive Employer Practices

2009-02-27T10:59:00.009-05:00

Earl Altman, Commercial Litigation Lawyer, with Garfinkle-Biderman, shared some great insight with regards to "wrongful dismissal claims" to a group of HR Professionals in a presentation sponsored by TorontoJobs.ca

Earl reminded his audience that he is never as busy as he is during recessionary times. He recommends to organizations who are downsizing and terminating employees, to manage their termination process, efficiently, to avoid unwanted litigation costs arising from wrongful dismissal claims from past employees.

The equation is pretty simple for HR and business professions: all employers have the legal right to dismiss an employee, either "with cause" or with adequate notice.

He recommends that employers...

Utilize an EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT, which clearly defines termination notice and that new employees clearly understand and agree to the terms prior to being hired.
Save litigation costs - seek sound legal advice and PREPARE an employment agreement for your firm BEFORE you engage in the employment relationship.
PRIOR TO DISMISSING an employee, especially without cause, make sure that the minimum requirements regarding termination notice and severance pay, as recommended in the ESA (Employment Standards Act) are being met.
Keep your Employee Policy Manual current to changes in legislation and ensure that ALL employees agree and acknowledge, in writing, that they will adhere to the terms in the manual.

Bookmark this link to the Employment Standards Act (2000): http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/

Public Speaker "Extraordinare" Dave Howlett

2009-02-25T12:42:00.011-05:00

Dave Howlett's Tips for Networking and Making Connections http://www.realhumanbeing.org/

Inspired by Dave Howlett's entertaining presentation to an audience of Human Resources professionals at an HRPAP meeting last night, I feel that I am closer to being a better communicator than I was the day before as well as becoming a "RHB - Real Human Being", to quote Dave's terminology.

Have you ever been challenged with the daunting task of trying to reach a new business contact? Have you ever had the need to deliver an unpleasant message to your associate? Forget about the old fashion way of picking up the telephone or speaking to someone face to face, the easiest solution is to send a quick email or text message.

Here's the problem, although you may have made contact with the individual you intended to reach, ask yourself this question: Did I get them directly and was my message received? Of course, the answer is yes but how "effective" were you in communicating your message clearly. Did you connect with this person to the degree you had planned and were you networking effectively?

I took away few tips about "making new relationships" that I want to share with you ...

"Get over yourself" and resist the entitlement attitude
Be the initiator of a conversation with someone
Always offer a compliment (eg. great shoes! Where did you get that watch?)
Resist prejudging someone's behaviour towards you; their challenges may go beyond what appears to be on the surface (eg. an ill parent, special needs child etc.)
Acts of kindness and "giving back" without expectations in return
Have a passion for what you do and don't be afraid to tell others about it.

If you want more information or are interested in hearing Dave's presentation for yourself, your company or associates, contact me directly for a 50% discount on his upcoming presentation on April 27th in Toronto, call me at 416-236-3635 ext 222 for an "RHB Code" to receive your discount.

Visit Dave's website for more insight into his presentation style: http://www.realhumanbeing.org/

For my Swimming Buddies...visit Dave's Blog, scroll down and read his "Woof, Woof, Woof", a heart-warming story for your daily dose of inspiration! http://www.realhumanbeing.org/index.php/blog

Give Blood for Jenna

2009-02-23T23:12:00.007-05:00

Give blood for Jenna

http://www.hatsoff2kidz.com/ourkids/ourkids.html

On Tuesday, February 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., a blood donor clinic will be held at the Oakville Investors Group Office, 1275 North Service Road West.

The day’s goal is 50 units of blood, in honour of 10-year-old Oakville resident Jenna Santelli, who suffers from a rare blood disorder that has affected only four other children in the world.

You can also attend any other Canadian Blood Services clinic; make sure you mention you’re donating for Jenna’s Angels. The final goal is 300 units of blood.

Call Canadian Blood Services at 1-888-2-DONATE.

Mike Smith's Blog

2009-02-23T17:03:00.000-05:00

Mike Smith's blog is progressive and worth the visit!

Canadian Recruitment Insider - Blog Site

2009-02-23T16:56:00.002-05:00

Jay Zaidi's blog is informative and recruitment related.

From the Recruiter's Desk - Social Network Sites - A Growing Trend in Business Communications

2009-02-23T13:37:00.002-05:00

In an effort to stay connected with you as my client, I hope you may find value in reading my comments with regards to the growing phenomenon of Social Network Sites and their value to HR Recruiters and business professionals.

Who isn't tired of hearing about the pressures of the down turn in our global economy and it's direct effect on our businesses in Canada. For those of us involved in recruitment & staffing, we are reminded by the media, almost daily, about the statistics of our plummeting employment and real estate markets along with the skyrocketing unemployment numbers.

Taking advantage of several recent opportunities I have had to participate in a series of seminars and conferences within the Human Resources and Recruitment communities in GTA, in an effort to see what the "professionals" are predicting, I want to share some of my findings with you in hopes that it will add value to your existing understanding of Social Network Sites.

In an effort to remain committed to our continuing successes at The Selection Group, I remind myself of the longer term labour market statistics and predictions. It is my opinion that it is important to look ahead to the longer term issues and what lies ahead for employers. It is expected that Canada's labour markets will continue to experience the direct effects from our aging workforce, the retiring Baby Boomer Generation, and the falling birth rates. Despite the media's views of "doom and gloom" in our current labour market, we continue to move closer to the predictions of the pending labour shortages in the next 10-15 years.

More important than ever, Canadian employers and their HR Teams will need to engage their Generation X, Y and Z employees in order to retain them, more than any ever before in our recent past history. Take a minute to visit this interesting link to understand my references to the age group generations: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generations ).

On a personal note, always believing that I was "somewhat" progressive in my understanding of the power of computers and their revenue generating values to my business, I found myself gravitating to the conference and seminar sessions related to HR's IT topics. I was overwhelmed to realize that I was actually extremely naive to the growing phenomenon and realm of Social Network Sites.

Lavalife, Face book, MySpace was what came to mind when someone introduced a discussion about social network sites and they absolutely terrified me. As a protective parent, I was initially motivated to investigate a site called Facebook under pressure from my "tweens" a while ago, but didn't spend much time looking into its value to me until now.

After listening to some very dynamic presentations and being inspired by some progressive thinking individuals, to investigate Social Network Sites as a business communication tool, I decided to explore these new and innovative tools myself. Amazing is what comes to mind to me today!

Spending time on the computer is costly to any business professional but I hope you will find my recommendations an asset to your efforts to: recruit, research, and identify human talent and services that my actually add value to your bottom line at the end of the day.

My recommendations:

1. Contact The Selection Group (http://www.theselectiongroup.com)
To save you time & money with your recruitment & staffing needs (had to give you a public service announcement from the sponsor)

2. Join LinkedIn
Sign up with social network sites for business professionals, such as http://www.linkedin.com/ to stay in touch and network with associates and peers within your industry or field. Connect with me to get started http://www.linkedin.com/in/susanstrickland

3. Visit my blog
I have created a blog and invite you to visit my site, http://suestrickland.blogspot.com/ , to stay in touch with the GTA labour market trends, salaries and employment opportunities.

4. Stay connected to Generation X, Y and Z
Stay progressive with your Generation X,Y & Z employees and prospective hires. Thanks to a recent posting I found on Mike Smith's Blog, I though you may want to take a few minutes to review some of the popular networking sites yourself: Mike Smith's Blog - http://dominoconsultant.org/

Welcome to my new Blog

2009-02-23T12:18:00.000-05:00

Encouraged and inspired by several proactive individuals, I am setting up my new blog as a tool to "keep lines of communications open with my clients and friends" who share my passion for:

People
Healthy Living
The Recruitment & Staffing Industry
My firm - http://www.theselectiongroup.com

I want to hear your feedback and comments so feel free to contact me at: susanstrickland@theselectiongroup.com

Enjoy,
Sue Strickland
Toronto, Canada