Posted by Damien on Jul 1, 2009 in
Business,
Career,
Jobs and Careers 
Many companies are experiencing surges in the number of employees conducting their own surveys, customer interviews and other forms of market research. The catch? These colleagues are not trained researchers, which can spell trouble for research quality and customer confidentiality.
That said, many of the employees doing unsanctioned research are really acting as market research volunteers; they are taking the initiative to conduct market research without it being part of their official job descriptions. So now that so many people have become interested in gathering market insights, what can we do to leverage their passion while ensuring quality?
To help concerned managers determine how best to assess this situation, evaluate its risks, and create a realistic course of action, Research Rockstar has developed its newest online course, “Embracing Rogue Research: Turning Unsanctioned Market Research into Market Insight Gold.” This one hour, self-paced course covers:
- What activities might be going on, and what are their risk factors?
- How can our company leverage the unsanctioned research in ways that make sense?
- What sensible policies can we use to help manage this situation?
- What training should we provide to volunteer researchers, to help them be more effective?
“Thanks to the proliferation of amazingly easy and free-to-low cost tools like SurveyMonkey, Zoomerang, Wufoo and many more, lots of people are taking market research into their own hands.” says Kathryn Korostoff, President of Research Rockstar. “These unsanctioned surveys are proliferating, and without proper controls can really damage a company’s customer relationships, not to mention potentially leak confidential information.”
The initial reaction of some market research professionals is to try and stop rogue research. But with some planning, policies and training, the major risk factors can be addressed:
- Making sure valued customers are not over-surveyed, or subjected to bad questionnaire designs.
- Coordinating research efforts to avoid redundancies.
- Helping people understand what results are anecdotal versus reliably conclusive.
- Protecting confidential information (the company’s and the customers’).
- Ensuring suitable insights are shared, and shared appropriately
The program is available online, as a downloadable Flash file, for $180. Further details are here.
For organization’s seeking a more in-depth learning experience, on-site presentations of the material are also available, starting at $1,600.
Press
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Tags: company leverage, confidential information, customer confidentiality, customer interviews, customer relationships, initial reaction, insight gold, job descriptions, low cost tools, market insight, market insights, market research professionals, paced course, realistic course, research volunteers, risk factors, rockstar, sensible policies, surges, wufoo
Posted by Damien on Jun 30, 2009 in
Business,
Career,
Jobs and Careers 
TalentDrive, the creator of the advanced SaaS sourcing technology, TalentFilterSM, just today released the results from the recent “What Steps Are You Taking to Leverage this Recession” April through June 2009 survey. The economic recovery survey found that 50% of HR Professionals surveyed are actively preparing for the return of hiring and “the other side” of the recession.
When asked what positions HR will be struggling the hardest to fill, 60% claimed Information Technology (IT) talent is anticipated to be the most in-demand, followed by Sales and Operations both at 30%. Although 50% claim to be proactively preparing for the hiring return, TalentDrive when on to ask how confident they are in their department’s readiness to handle the influx of open positions and hiring needs. 50% of the respondents said “yes”, they are prepared for future hiring needs, while the other 50% claimed “maybe”.
The survey went on to ask what areas HR plans to spend the largest portion of its budget, once the recession turns. 100% of those surveyed said they would invest in implementing new marketing tactics to help recruit new talent, while 50% said they would be investing directly in re-hiring full-time employees.
Over 8,000 F1000 Companies and HR Professionals were surveyed. This survey was conducted between April 23, 2009 and June 23, 2009.
In summary, the survey found these key points:
- 50% of HR Professionals are proactively preparing for employment recovery
- 60% anticipate Information Technology (IT) talent to be the most in-demand
- 50% of HR Departments feel confident they are adequately prepared for the influx of hiring; 50% said “maybe”
- 100% of HR Departments plan to invest in implementing new marketing tactics to recruit, while 50% plan to invest directly in re-hiring full time employees
Press
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Tags: budget, economic recovery, full time, hr departments, hr professionals, human resources, information technology, june 23, marketing tactics, new marketing, open positions, recession, recruit, respondents, saas, sourcing technology, time employees
Posted by Damien on Jun 30, 2009 in
Business News,
Career,
Jobs and Careers 
Looking for a job just became easier with the launch of Philly Job Fest, the only job board that is concentrated completely on the greater Philadelphia area.
Jobs will only remain on the site for 30 days, and job posts will automatically be sent to the popular “Tweet My Jobs” service, which in turn relays them to the appropriate channels on Twitter. Users of “Tweet My Jobs” and Twitter can receive instantaneous job alerts on their cell phones based on their job search parameters. Listings on Philly Job Fest will be indexed by the popular job search engine Indeed. Basic Philly Job Fest subscriptions start at $99.
Site founder James Oley said he developed the idea for a new job board after his job search earlier this year led him to sites populated with multi-level marketing scams, investment “opportunities” and an inbox filled with junk mail as a result of creating accounts on various job boards. He found the big job boards too confusing and time consuming, with bells and whistles unnecessary in a legitimate job search.
Philly Job Fest includes counties around greater Philadelphia, such as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia along with the New Jersey counties of Burlington, Camden and Gloucester.
The job board is different than other sites in that it is easy to navigate, doesn’t have pop-up ads or annoying clutter and only houses the best, most up-to-date job listings. Users can upload their resume and search jobs easily and efficiently.
Press
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Tags: bells and whistles, concentrates, gloucester, greater philadelphia, investment opportunities, job listings, job search, junk mail, launch, legitimate job, multi level marketing, new jersey counties, new job, oley, philadelphia area, scams, search parameters, time consuming, tweet, twitter
Posted by Damien on Jun 30, 2009 in
Business,
Career As the unemployment rate climbs to over 9 percent (according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation: May 2009), many financially strained families may feel pressure to send their young children to preschool. Authors Renee and Mike Mosiman help those parents who choose not to send their young children to school in their new book, “The Smarter Preschooler: Unlocking Your Child’s Intellectual Potential” (ISBN: 978-0-9816426-5-9).
The authors provide practical advice to parents, supported by the latest research, about boosting their child’s intellect. Their user-friendly book demonstrates how parents can help their children build verbal skills, enhance analytical abilities, and develop early reading skills that set the stage for success in elementary school. The authors also address such topics as how and what to read to a youngster, how different types of play impact early development, and the best environment for preschoolers to develop social skills with their peers.
Even parents who choose to send their children to preschool can benefit from the findings presented in The Smarter Preschooler. The authors believe “Each child has special gifts, and it is the parent’s job to cultivate a child’s talents and strengthen his or her weakness.” They offer many strategies for providing an enriched environment for the intellectual and social development of young children. And experts agree with their advice.
Shirley Wyver, Ph.D., said: “This is a fabulous book…that will enhance the quality of parent-child interactions and ultimately provide the best opportunities for intellectual, social and emotional development.”
Cathy Duffy Reviews: “Plenty of practical suggestions and resource recommendations show parents how to create an intellectually stimulating environment at home that promotes healthy academic, social, physical, and emotional development.”
“The Smarter Preschooler” (ISBN-13: 978-0-9816426-5-9) will be available in book stores nationwide September 1, 2009 for $14.95 and can be purchased today at http://www.TheSmarterPreschooler.com. Media review copies will be provided upon request.
Press
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Tags: bureau of labor, bureau of labor statistics, cathy duffy, early reading, employment situation, fabulous book, intellect, job, parents, peers, reading skills, renee, resource recommendations, social and emotional development, special gifts, talents, unemployment rate, verbal skills, youngster
Posted by Damien on Jun 18, 2009 in
Business News,
Career 
Looking to help your teens find a summer jobs this summer? SheKnows.com has 5 great tips to help find that perfect summer job!
- Network your neighborhood
Does Mr. Jones across the street hate mowing his lawn? Does Ms. Carter, two blocks over, with the recent hip replacement, need her dogs walked? And what about that cute little boy who needs a babysitter while mom gets stuff done around the house?
- Get “free-ployed”
Can’t find employment at a place you’d love to work? Offer to work for free. Ask if you can hang around and make yourself useful at a place where you’d eventually love to work. There’s an excellent chance that your passion for being in that environment will then get you hired, especially if you do your best while “free-ployed.”
- List your top 10 talents
With someone who knows you well — your mom or dad or best friends — make a list of the things you are best at, and then determine how that could translate into a income-generating activities this summer.
- Work from home
Take advantage of your time at home. Good ol’ mom and dad might be willing to pay you to help them with their responsibilities, and it might be more fun than you think. (Gardening, organizing the garage or a closest, babysitting your sibling, etc.)
- Work more than one job and find out what you love & hate
Who says you have to concentrate on only one job this summer? Don’t be afraid to try your hand at a few different part-time jobs. There will be more openings for part-time opportunity and you’ll have a great chance to discover things you like and dislike all in one summer.
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Tags: babysitter, best friends, cute little boy, dogs, hip replacement, love, mom and dad, neighborhood, part time jobs, passion, sibling, summer job, summer jobs, talents, time at home, time opportunity
Posted by Damien on Jun 10, 2009 in
Career,
Jobs and Careers,
Videos A report released today indicates that the decline in the stock market in the last six months of 2008 worsened the retirement outlook for middle-class Americans. The analysis, conducted by Ernst & Young on behalf of the Americans for Secure Retirement coalition (ASR), shows that the retirement assets of recent and near retirees decreased between 14 and 17 percent in the last six months of 2008 alone.
The study further finds that households with a guaranteed source of retirement income outside of Social Security, such as a lifetime annuity, have the greatest chance of having enough money in retirement.
The new report is an update to Ernst & Young’s 2008 Retirement Vulnerability of New Retirees report which found that almost three fifths of middle-class new retirees could expect to outlive their financial assets if attempting to maintain their pre-retirement standard of living.
“As with our 2008 study, our update finds that households with guaranteed retirement income outside of Social Security are better positioned to have a secure retirement than those without,” said Tom Neubig of Ernst and Young.
“Now more than ever, it is critical that Americans have guaranteed retirement income through vehicles like lifetime annuities. Congress and policy makers need to help secure the retirement future of middle class Americans,” said Bill Waldie, Chairman of ASR.
Findings of the report include:
A recently retired married couple earning $75,000 with a defined benefit plan has a 57 percent chance that they will have enough financial resources in retirement. The same couple, without any guaranteed source of retirement income, has only a 6 percent chance of financial success.
A near retiree single female, earning $50,000 with a defined benefit plan, has a 66 percent chance that she will have enough financial resources to last her through retirement. The same female, without any guaranteed source of income, is left with only an 18 percent chance.
Press
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RSR’s newest research study, “Walking the Razor’s Edge: Managing the Store Experience in an Economic Singularity,” sponsored by Epicor and SAP, shows retailer recognition that low price alone will not help them gain or maintain market share.
“Perhaps one of the biggest turn-arounds compared to previous studies on this topic is the full-blown recognition within the retail enterprise that store technologies really do matter,” said Paula Rosenblum, managing partner at RSR Research and co-author of the report. “Retailers understand they cannot efficiently maintain or improve the customer experience without it.”
“Retailers still have a long way to go in unlocking the potential of these technologies,” added Brian Kilcourse, managing partner at RSR Research and co-author of the report. “Retailers selling General Merchandise and Apparel have been hardest hit by the economy, and also have the most to gain from taking better advantage of store solutions.”
RSR’s new study, “Walking the Razor’s Edge: Managing the Store Experience in an Economic Singularity,” explores the challenges retailers face in the worst economy of our lifetimes. The report, with benchmark data captured from April and May 2009, provides recommendations on how to improve the in-store experience even in an economic downturn.
PR Web
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Tags: benchmark data, challenges, co author, customer experience, economic downturn, economy, epicor, general merchandise, lifetimes, market share, retail enterprise, rosenblum, rsr, sap, singularity, store experience, store solutions, store technology, technology investments, unlocking the potential
Posted by Damien on Jun 5, 2009 in
Career,
Jobs and Careers,
Telecommute Jobs 
FlexJobs, the leading website for legitimate telecommuting and online job listings, today cautioned jobseekers to beware of a new phishing email scam targeting jobseekers. This most recent email phishing scam involves asking jobseekers to fill out a credit report in order to gain access to the final interview stage for a job.
The phishing email includes a link to a “free credit report” that the employer has arranged for the jobseeker’s convenience. Scammers are taking advantage of the high unemployment rate to contact people by email with deceptive offers for interviews and jobs.
CEO Sara Sutton Fell explains, “We have been seeing an increasing trend in which jobseekers are targeted by online scammers. This most recent job scam is designed to collect sensitive financial information from the jobseekers under the guise of a chance for employment. We are notifying the public to be cautious with any email that requests a credit report or payment in exchange for a job or a chance to interview for a job”.
FlexJobs recommends looking out for:
- Unsolicited emails.
- Emails from supposed employers but using free email domains (e.g., @yahoo.com, @gmail.com, @aol.com, or @hotmail.com) instead of one related to the company domain name.
- Emails from individuals or companies the jobseeker does not recognize, especially if the emails include links to click on for more information or to proceed with the job application process.
- Requests for detailed personal information, especially social security numbers or financial account details, before a job interview has even taken place.
- Required credit checks to prove interest in a job, or to get an interview.
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Posted by Damien on Jun 4, 2009 in
Business News,
Career,
Jobs and Careers 
The era of adding eco-friendly education has been in thought for some time now and now it looks like these will become a reality as a new green curriculum is reportedly in the works.
Green Builder College’s online courses will be included in the curriculum of 135 colleges across the country, including University of Arizona, University of Georgia, Rutgers State University, University of Washington, and Texas A&M University.
Green Builder College’s comprehensive curriculum covers topics such as land, energy, water, materials, indoor environment quality, green design, operations/maintenance, and environmental impact. All courses are taught online by acclaimed building professionals.
Green Builder College offers students an interactive experience with videos, study guides, and quizzes. Through the College, building professionals can become Green Builder Certified, allowing them to increase their credibility and validation in the marketplace.
Press
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Tags: arizona university, college curriculum, colleges, credibility, design operations, education, environmental impact, indoor environment quality, interactive experience, m university, marketplace, quizzes, rutgers state university, study guides, universities, university of arizona, university of georgia, university of washington, validation, water materials
Posted by Damien on Jun 3, 2009 in
Career,
Jobs and Careers IT Jobs for Graduates, http://www.itjobsforgraduates.com, has launched an initiative called ‘Be Your Best’, http://beyourbest.itjobsforgraduates.com, offering job hunting tips and advice for IT graduates and students during the current economic downturn.
The first site dedicated to IT recruitment for interns and graduates, IT Jobs for Graduates works with some of the UK’s leading employers and IT recruitment agencies, helping candidates to find the right jobs. The website offers 1,800 internship and graduate programmes, as well as entry level vacancies on behalf of recruiters.
‘Be Your Best’ has been created to arm students and graduates looking for IT jobs with useful industry insight. The information is designed to help them stand out from the crowd and market themselves in the best possible way to potential recruiters, during the recession.
Following feedback from IT managers and recruiters, the team at IT Jobs for Graduates has created a knowledge centre. And, throughout May, June and July 2009, it will be releasing a series of articles offering tips and advice on areas including:
- How to make the most of networking opportunities
- What the best IT certifications are
- Managing your own brand
- The reality of the current IT internship/graduate recruitment market
A micro-site has also been launched, http://beyourbest.itjobsforgraduates.com, where students and graduates can provide their feedback, by sending in their stories and videos on something they did to really stand out from the crowd. And, updates for the campaigns will be going on to a twitter page, http://twitter.com/itjobs4grads, and also via the IT Jobs for graduates Facebook group ‘IT begins here’.
In conjunction with the online support, IT Jobs for Graduates will also be holding seminars at selected universities across the UK throughout June. Here, the team will run presentations and provide face-to-face advice on how students can ‘Be Their Best’, they will also provide mini CV workshops.
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Tags: campaigns, conjunction, crowd, economic downturn, industry insight, initiative, interns, internship, job hunting, jobs for graduates, knowledge centre, mini cv, networking opportunities, recession, recruitment agencies, recruitment market, seminars, universities, vacancies
