Blogs | Page 12
Report: Q3 IT Staffing Levels to Remain Flat
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-06-02
Robert Half Technology has released its latest report, the IT Hiring Index and Skills Report, and the news is that there will be a little hiring in the third quarter of 2009. However, the most telling statistic to me is this: 85 percent of CIOs are set to maintain staffing
Fewer Layoffs, More Pay Cuts, Report Says
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-06-01
On the day when General Motors files for bankruptcy, a new report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas asserts that, in lieu of layoffs, more companies are either freezing salaries or cutting pay, but not
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H-1B Visas and Unemployment: A Federal Case
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-05-29
The U.S. government, at least the part that is fighting H-1B visa fraud, is looking to prove a point about the program: that fraud in H-1B visa program and the number of visa holders in U.S. tech jobs are putting current struggling American technology workers out of work.
Unemployment for
Weekly Unemployment Numbers Down, Overall Up
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-05-28
The Department of Labor has put out its latest news on weekly unemployment numbers and the news has a little good, and enough bad to keep things pretty much the same.
The sort-of good news is that the current rate of weekly layoff numbers is down; the bad news is
How Behavior Can Get in the Way of Management
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-05-28
There's an old saying: "Fish stinks from the head."
Nowhere does this mean more than in business where companies rely on leadership to captain the ship. But how often do our business and technology leaders look at themselves in the mirror, or better yet, let their teams evaluate them from the
Fear of Age Bias Forcing Younger Workers Out?
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-05-26
It seems no one is safe from layoffs, but fear of age discrimination lawsuits by older workers may be forcing out younger workers, says a recent article at the WSJ.
From the article, which cites recent Labor Depratment figures and labor attorneys:
The unemployment rate for those between the ages of 25
Google Searches Itself for Employee Retention
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-05-21
Human capital management is nothing new, but when you hear Google is doing some form of it internally, your ears perk up a little.
Is Google too big to keep the best and brightest feeling satisfied in their Google work? For some, the answer is yes.
Google, concerned with employee retention
HP to Lay Off 6,400 Over the Next Year
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-05-20
As part of the Hewlett-Packard earnings call, the hardware, software and services company announced it will be reducing its work force by 2 percent, which translates to roughly 6,400 jobs lost over the
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How Well Do You Work with Others?
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-05-19
Something you probably grapple with on a regular basis is how much you have to deal with nontechnical people.
There are those who come to you because they are too lazy or challenged to figure it out on their own. But what about those who you have to work with
How Steve Ballmer Sizes Up Job Candidates
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-05-18
The New York Times has a Q&A interview with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, some of which is career-related advice for job seekers. Ballmer also chimes in on leadership and shares what he wants Microsoft's culture to be more of and what it's like to be in a meeting run by
IT Contracting: Is It for You?
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-05-15
It feels like the question of these times for a technology pro: whether or not to become a self-employed, "for hire" technology contractor.
For those of you used to the stability, benefits and opportunity for
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Is Measuring IT Performance Culture-Dependent?
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-05-14
It may be culture-dependent, especially if you are trying to be honest about how your IT shop and the leaders running it really operate. But is there room for a lot of honesty about culture in this kind of economic environment?
Harvard Business School's Robert S. Kaplan discusses the culture and
Seagate Trims 1,100 Jobs
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-05-13
Storage-maker Seagate has announced a 2.5 percent work force reduction, which means pink slips and job cuts for 1,100 employees.
This news comes on the heels of 800 job cuts and the resignation of CEO Bill Watkins back in January of this year--though the New York Times reported up to
Comparing Job Openings to Job Seekers
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-05-12
The Economic Policy Institute, a non-profit think-tank based in Washington, D.C., has a recent blog that gives some eye-opening perspective on the ratio of unemployed workers to the number of job
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Laid-Off Couples Learn to Cope
By Donald Sears | Posted: 2009-05-12
The Wall Street Journal has a piece profiling the lives of couples who have both lost their jobs.
It's a good piece, as it shows how couples use the time together to share networking, improve interviewing skills and ease the pain of relocation since they are less likely to be
