1. Does Your Company Have
the Cool Factor?
Every organization wants to be considered a "Best Place to Work" in
order to attract and retain top talent, yet there is no cookie cutter formula
for achieving this.
Many factors go into making your company a great place to work such
as company culture, employee benefits, and other perks. One thing that
remains constant among the most desirable employers is the "cool"
technology factor. As companies increasingly focus on providing more
enjoyable work environments and improving employee engagement,
technology is playing a key role in championing those efforts. This is
becoming especially important for attracting top millennial talent, as
technology and the flexibility, creativity, and efficiency it can bring is
extremely valuable to them.
Deciding when and how much to invest in the latest technology can be
an arduous task for many organizations, and will depend greatly on the
industry in which the company operates, as technologies can provide a
different impact in manufacturing environments, for example, vs. an
office setting. Typically the focus is on improving productivity and
efficiency, and transitioning people away for doing things the way they
always have for years. The process is often not fun and is met with
resistance. However, when you consider the ability of technology to
provide the "cool" factor of being a great place to work, it provides added
incentive for employers to introduce new equipment and software.
"As the job outlook continues to improve, candidates are attracted to
companies that incorporate the latest gadgets and technologies into
daily work functions," says Reagan Johnson, director of technology
operations for MRINetwork. "The best talent know their skills are in high
demand, so an employer's ability to sell prospective hires on the
flexibility, more efficient communications, and the fun these technologies
will provide, is invaluable."
Johnson provides the following tips for companies looking to
enhance their "cool" factor through technology:
Make it mobile. Today's professionals value the flexibility to do their job
wherever and whenever, and mobile technology makes that possible like
never before. Consider laptops or 2-in-1 laptop/tablets over desktops, so
your talent don't feel shackled to their desks. These will provide the
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© 2015 Management Recruiters International, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Employer
flexibility to take work into the conference room, the coffee shop, or home
for those late night meeting preparations before an early day. Cloud
technologies such as Office 365's OneDrive and Google's Drive make any
document available on demand, for quick reference and use by backing it
up online and making it available to smartphones and tablets. Voice
communication tools are additionally available to make phone numbers
mobile. A number, and the voicemail accompanying it, can be set up to
ring through to more than just one employee’s desk. This further allows
employees to have the flexibility to take and make calls from anywhere.
Make it slick. Technology should look modern and cool. For example,
while a small light laptop looks very impressive, it can also be made
easier to use in the office environment by pairing it with a docking station
and a multiple-monitor setup. This enables the laptop to operate as a
desktop, in a more ergonomic manner for the office. Done right, a multi-
monitor laptop set up can be impressive to see, leaving a good
impression on potential talent, and also provide great efficiencies while
working in the office.
Make it about communicating. Today's top talent are very connected,
social and are used to getting instant feedback on their performance and
in their communications. Consider implementing an instant
communication platform such as Skype. This technology allows instant
communication in a controlled environment that speeds up results. In fact,
younger professionals use email less and less and will prefer more
modern options to communicate.
Embrace social media for your company's communications both internally
and externally. Top performers looks for companies to be communicating
via social media. Consider apps such as Yammer to build an internal
social environment for your employees to share ideas and garner
feedback. Millennials, in particular, value frequent feedback and
evaluation and respond best to visual data. Business intelligence tools
that provide visual graphic dashboards are a great way to communicate
constant, instant feedback to your teams so they can strive to out-perform
themselves.
Ultimately, what makes an organization cool or fun is a combination of
many factors. "Technology is becoming a critical piece of the pie in terms
of building an enjoyable, engaging company culture, while also sending a
message to current and prospective clients that the company is a forward-
thinking, modern business," adds Johnson. "Marketing efforts, as well as
recruitment and talent management strategies, now require an emphasis
on the "cool" technology factor to attract and retain top performers, and
maintain brand equity with clients and investors."
Source: Department of Labor
Submitted by: Joe Cianciolo, Senior Account Manager
Management Recruiters of Cleveland-Southwest
>Experts in Global Search
(330) 273-4300 ext. 109
JoeCC@MRCSW.com
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2. According to the Wall Street Journal, the August
Employment Situation Summary released by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, sent a mixed labor-market
reading as the number of new jobs fell below the
218,000 monthly average recorded between January
and July, and the unemployment rate fell more than
anticipated. Financial institutions and economists had
hoped that the report would have provided a more
concrete basis for the Federal Reserve to determine
whether to raise interest rates during its September
16-17 meeting.
Unemployment rate drops
The nation added 173,000 jobs in August, causing the
number of job seekers to fall to 8 million. The
unemployment rate fell as well, dropping to 5.1
percent, the lowest it has been since 2008. Over the
past 12 months the number of unemployed people
declined by 1.5 million while the unemployment
average went down by 1 percent.
The healthcare and social assistance industry created
the most new jobs, adding 56,000 positions to its
payroll in August.
Healthcare-specific jobs accounted for 41,000 of
these positions, with most workers being hired in the
ambulatory care and hospital sectors. The social
assistance field grew by 16,000.
Financial activities also expanded significantly, adding
19,000 jobs. Many of these new positions were in the
real estate and investment industries. Professional
and business services added 33,000 jobs, while the
food service industry grew by 26,000 workers. Retail,
construction, wholesale trade, transportation and
warehousing and government were largely
unchanged during the month of August. The mining
and manufacturing sectors both sustained losses.
Wages on the rise
Average hourly wages for private, nonfarm payroll
workers increased by 8 cents to $25.09. In the past
12 months hourly earnings have grown by 2.2
percent, a positive sign for both economic strength
and consumer spending.
CBS News reported that these improvements, which
have been on par with previous months, may finally
encourage the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates.
If the Fed chooses to do so, it will be the first time in
10 years that rates have been changed. The source
noted however that an unstable stock market and a
low inflation rate, in addition to China's financial issue,
could persuade officials to hold off on making any
major adjustments.
Employment Summary
For August 2015
EMPLOYMENT SITUATION REPORT

The full Bureau of Labor Statistics report can be
downloaded here: