US CEOs Planning Surge in Hiring Throughout 2012

CEOs across industries announce major 2012 hiring plans. US employers may add 1.7m+ jobs this year
http://ow.ly/8sn34

Books in the Age of the iPad — Craig Mod

via craigmod.com

So, I think pretty highly of Craig Mod – he thinks deeply, expresses elegantly, and (this is an ego-driven reason to like, so what) we share a number of similar interests.

I love this article. I have one objection: we are no where near close to being able to provide eReaders en masse to poor children. This is a real consideration: books are the to my mind the most important tool disadvantaged children have for lifting themselves out of poverty. Free libraries matter – a lot. They are a cornerstone reason why free societies maintain their competitive edge – they provide a steady stream of new, fresh, engaged minds capable of achieving more than their parents. Without libraries – and their stacks upon stacks of free, paper books, this could not happen. It’s a big part of why oppressive societies – which would never dream of free libraries – never lift. They can’t.

In order to maintain this, we need to start supplying libraries with some form of check-outable eReader – there’s a market for a product like this that shuts down when it’s overdue and requires a librarian to rewake it.

I do think Craig’s points here are exciting – incredibly so. Freeing books from the bonds of a paper box gives storytellers a chance to evolve their art in a way they haven’t been able to do since Gutenberg (all hail his name) changed the world. The next revolution is here. I just want us to make sure it’s an inclusive one. Or ultimately, we’ll all suffer.

Posted via web from Martin Burns’s Evolving Work

Job Change (like it or not)? You May Need to Start With a Mindmap…

via mind42.com

If you’re feeling a bit lost about your next move, join the club. The most recent recession and spike in unemployment it (invariably) brought on coincides with – and adds consideralbe fuel to – an employment economy that your grandparents would likely freak out over just a little. Well – the ones who spent their lives working for one employer. If you grandparents happened to be seasonal workers, or your grandmother temped for Kelly back in the day, then this may look familiar. Or if they happened to play pro ball…

Here’s the thing: there’s a good chance you’re going temping. Not steno-pool level, but more along the lines that match your skill sets. We’re looking at a 30% increase in the number of temps/ consultants/ freelancer types by the end of this decade. Or, 10% more of the labor market will be “foot loose and fancy free”. As it were.

Why? Here’s one reason: companies are becoming more agile. They’re able to quickly switch what tech they use to suit immediate needs, rapidly adapt their marketing approaches via live data they’re pulling from their CRM’s, etc. You may be well suited for an approach they’re taking, but if doesn’t prove out or the project ends and there’s nobody in the company that needs your skills you may get bumped.

Since most companies aren’t big fans of hiring & firing people in rapid cycles, expect them to be looking for people who can come in and work for the for a temporary period.

Temping.

Not a bad thing: If you’re a skilled knowledge worker, you’ll be working with a talent agency (sort of like Ari Gold) who will be lining you up for projects while you’re still on one. This is a pretty regular thing in the IT world – yes, that’s right, always the early adopters – where a staffing agency will have a roster of clients who will call in when they need to bolster their tech department. IE: Putnam calls and needs a handful of DBA’s, systems engineers, an integration person, etc, for 6 month project they have starting in 3 months. IT agency talks to their engineering talent, figures out who can start then and fits the bill, then sends the team in when its time. They handle all payrolling, taxes, benefits, as well as firing. Expect to see that model applied much more heavily to other departments.

So – a mindmap? Yes. You’re going to need to have a decent tool belt of skills to stay agile in the years coming. You have many more skills than you realize – people have a much easier time seeing their flaws versus strengths. A mindmap is simply a way to put it all on screen, quickly, and then have a foundation of skills & talents you can build on. Once you’ve done that, get going. Pick three that seem promising and do some homework. Might want to apply Slide 29 of
http://www.slideshare.net/merlinmann/who-moved-my-brain-revaluing-time-and-at…
to each one (10/ 50 dash from 43 Folders).

Posted via web from Martin Burns’s Evolving Work

Hulu Crafts a World Class Job Description

So, this is one of those “dammit, I wish I’d written that” moments: Hulu just unleashed the mother of all job descriptions for a Minister of People.  Now, I know, I know – crafting funky titles to try and describe what the head of recruiting does back in the dot.com b(oom/ust) was an art in and of itself (and, honestly, made for some rather strange titles).  Hulu does make a point of saying this one’s a placeholder.

But the job description can be – to my mind – a work of art. Hulu clearly gets this: they’ve decided to craft a call to action, a campaign piece that will tug at the best of us in the industry.  Hell, if it wasn’t clear across the country, I’d be thinking “wow.  Dare I?”

Huge kudos to them for this one. It’s clear they get the fact that a company is absolutely nothing without the best people, all pointed in the right direction, and working at their highest level.  I think they’re gonna make it…

Using Twitter in Recruitment & Branding

So, this is cheating, since I didn’t write ‘naught but the intro.  That said, check out this month’s ZoomInformer for Recruiting, some great content on using Twitter for human capital acquisition & management.

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