Archive for August, 2009

Always Having a Job Contingency Plan Just Makes Good Sense





I was enjoying a breakfast meeting with a friend recently when the subject of how the current economy was affecting our respective jobs came about. While thankfully we both still have jobs, funding for her non-profit organization is down, as is funding for many agencies. I shared that there had been some layoffs as universities are also vulnerable in a recession. Our conversation then morphed into whether we each should have contingency plans in place.

Frankly, I believe that individuals should always have a job contingency plan whether in a recession or not. I suspect this comes from having parents that lived through The Depression. As long as I can remember my mother supplemented her civil servant salary with income as a beautician. Thus, she instilled in my sister and I the importance of always have a cushion for survival. The importance of always having a contingency plan was also a large part of my military training.

What is a contingency plan? Many dictionaries define it as a plan drawn up in advance to ensure a positive and rapid response to a changing situation. In businesses, a contingency plan is quite often part of an organization’s disaster management strategy. It’s an action to be implemented upon the occurrence of unanticipated events. Likewise, an individual’s contingency plan should also ensure positive and rapid responses to the unexpected.

My job is fine, why borrow trouble, some ask? Believing that any job is secure or thinking that nothing can go wrong within your company can be dangerous. Truth is no job is safe these days. While many of us hunkered down with family, food and other provisions for the feared havoc of Y2K, none of us could have imagined that so many banks would be collapsing; that so many companies would be folding or that so many people would be out of work nine years later.

How do you go about building a contingency plan? A first step would be putting a plan in place while you are employed. For example, why not secure your position by determining which of your skills and expertise may be utilized by multiple departments at your current organization? Additionally, familiarize yourself with your company’s policy on severance pay. Know whether you’ll be able to use accumulated vacation, sick or other leave if you are downsized without warning.

While individual contingency plans should entail building strong networks, it should include reviewing what skills or experience may be called upon if your current position vanishes. Think long term. Determine what skills you have, or what training you can obtain to make yourself more marketable over the long haul. Determine to what other positions your degree(s), trade or profession might translate.

For instance, did you initially go to college to become a teacher? With or without additional training to update your skill set you may be able to parlay your teaching experience into becoming a trainer at some organization. Masters degree holders or individuals with expertise in a specific field are frequently hired as instructors or lecturers at both two-year and even some four-year colleges.

A contingency plan should also include having more than one source of income, as well as the potential to create more. Have experience as a consultant in a past life? Why not use those skills to consult at some company or industry while still employed? It could make a quick transition possible, as well as generate extra income. How about putting aside that extra income to build up cash reserves that you can assess quickly, instead of spending it? Remember to replace that money once you have a cushion or once the crisis has past.

Better yet, use the extra income from consulting, from working part time or from working overtime to pay off ‘short-term’ debt such as small bank loans or small lines of credit. Lastly, consider refinancing your mortgage or restructuring other debts. The end result: lower monthly obligations.

Thinking about a contingency plan when things are going well may hint at paranoia; even overkill. However, having one in place can soften unexpected events as well as maximize your chances of surviving them.

Carol Gee, M.A. has worked in education for 26 years in positions ranging from teaching to administration. Currently she is an editor and business writer at Goizueta Business School at Emory University. She is also the author of books, The Venus Chronicles and Diary of a ‘Flygirl’ Wannabe (Life Lessons of a Cool Girl in Training,) and a contributor to the baby boomer book, Age Smart-Discovering the Fountain of Youth at Midlife and Beyond. Carol is a recipient of the Center for Women’s 2009 Unsung Heroine Award for recognition of her dedication to issues that affect women at Emory or in the larger community.
www.venuschronicles.net
venuschronicles@aol.com

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About.com Names Opportunity Knocks as #1 Best Nonprofit Job Search Website





Joanne Fritz, author of About.com Guide to Nonprofits, names Opportunity Knocks as the top Best Nonprofit Job Search Website out of a list of eleven other nonprofit job boards.

Fritz states that “Opportunity Knocks has listings of nonprofit jobs, a Nonprofit Wage and Benefit Report, a place to post your resume, tons of helpful articles, and a list of job fairs around the country.”

Other nonprofit job boards that made the list include the Council of Foundations, Nonprofit Times, and Philanthropy Careers. Craigslist made the bottom of the list because it is “not specific to the nonprofit sector.”

To view the list of Best Nonprofit Job Search Websites click here.

Source:About.com

Negotiating a Fair Salary in Today’s Job Market




By Chelle Shell

One of THE most common questions I am asked by those in search of a new job is “How do I negotiate a fair salary for myself in today’s job market and tough economy?” Many people will tell you that you simply don’t. This, to a degree, isn’t necessarily true so I will give you some tips on how to handle this uncomfortable topic.

1. The place to begin this dreaded task is by deciding in advance what you would LIKE to earn and what the bottom line is. What do you HAVE to earn to survive?

2. Research the salary range for the specific job(s) you are applying for and in its specific location.
Places to look: online job board listings with this information posted, talk with friends and people you meet at networking events, contact recruiting firms and staffing agencies, and search for online salary surveys such as Opportunity Knocks Wage & Benefits Report, just to name a few.

3. Figure out a budget for yourself and your family.
Only you know what your financial obligations are and you may need to eliminate some of the comforts you are accustomed to. Remember, this is the BOTTOM LINE - what you must have to survive.

4. Once you’ve determined these two items (#2 and #3) create a salary range you can discuss with a potential employer when asked – and only when asked.
Do not ever tell a potential employer, “I need at least X number of dollars per year to survive.” I know it seems crazy but I have actually witnessed this as a hiring manager and had to push my mouth back to the closed position.

5. Have your salary history available on a separate page to include with your resume just in case the potential employer asks for it.
Never lie about your past salaries as these can, and more than likely will be checked. Some employers will even ask for W-2s.

6. If told a salary range by the potential employer and then asked if this is what you were expecting, base your answer on the research you have done on the market rate for this position.
If it is lower than what you have found don’t be afraid to say something like this, “It’s close to what I was expecting but I was thinking more in terms of $x amount - $x amount.” Be sure you keep this in a range. This range should be around the top of the employer range and to the bottom of your range. The next step should be requesting time to consider the offer. Don’t turn down the job immediately. This will give you and the organization time to reflect on the situation. If they have room to be flexible they may be willing to offer more in fear of you rejecting the offer. If not, then it also gives you time to reflect back to your original budget and see if you can actually make this offer work.

Yes, salary is very important in the decision making process of accepting a new job. Your dream job may pay less but don’t discount other factors such as benefits, flex hours, location, environment, culture, perks, and work-life balance. Trust me, I’m writing from experience. You would be surprised at how much peace of mind and loving your job is worth. It’s priceless!

About the Author
Michelle “Chelle” Shell has worked in management for over 14 years in positions ranging from recruitment to public relations. In her current role as Client Development Manager for Opportunity Knocks she assists national nonprofit organizations and recruitment agencies connect with talented, qualified nonprofit professionals and HR management solutions. Chelle is passionate about health related missions and is active in her transitioning neighborhood association as well as local tennis associations. She is also a Board Member of ANP, Atlanta Nonprofit Professionals.

For questions and/or comments for Chelle please click on “comments” below and start typing away. Many of you have the same concerns and this will allow you to read what others have to say as well as help the masses. And don’t worry, you don’t have to identify yourself if you would like to remain anonymous.

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Memo to Nonprofit HR Officers from Washington: Watch Your Back


By: Susan Raymond, Ph.D.




While it is generally true that the titles of reports emanating from Washington are as intriguing as old dishwater, there are exceptions. With an introduction by then Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill, the National Academy of Public Administration’s report on human resources in the Federal Government is titled “A Work Experience Second to None.” The Part I sub-title is “Winning the War for Talent.”

War? Hmmm.

The Federal Government has a problem. Well, actually, it has a litany of problems. But one problem is that it is aging. The hiring freezes over the last two decades, combined with the general marketing challenges inherent in selling professional opportunities in bureaucratic cubicles on the Potomac, have now created a looming human resources vacuum. By 2006, depending on the agency, between a third and half of the nearly 1.8 million employees of Federal executive agencies will become eligible to retire.

The exodus from the Federal government will be difficult to staunch, although changing retirement options may slow the process. But even if delayed a few years, the cut in personnel will be equally difficult to restore. Labor force dynamics provide the statistical barrier. Projections indicate that, if the economy grows by 2%, given the numbers of younger workers aged 24-45, the labor market overall will see a 30% shortfall in available workers in that age group. The entire market will compete for those workers. And, with its Partnership for Public Service initiative, the Federal government has declared its intention to be in that market, and to be in it forcefully.

Furthermore, the retiring Federal workers will not all be brain surgeons and fighter pilots. The General Accounting Office estimates that 30% of the government’s program managers will retire by 2006, compared to 13% of its aerospace engineers. That means the government is in the market for the generalist.

But, why should nonprofit human resources managers chew their pencils over the personnel woes of the Federal government? Why does the Federal government’s declared intention to look for and attract the best talent give pause?

Because the pool of people it seeks to fish in is the pool of people nonprofits attract. While it can be argued that an increased demand for investment bankers or systems engineers does not necessarily increase competition for the kinds of people attracted to nonprofit careers, it is certainly true that increased demand for young generalists would. The motivations are similar. The services and issues are similar. The pay scales are similar. The benefits are similar. Indeed, with the pace of retirement, the upward mobility in government may be greater. So, the entry of an aggressive Federal government in the human resources market may not worry Bear Stearns, but it should worry the nonprofit.

Of course, if a handful of jobs were at stake, there would be less need to worry. How many jobs are we talking about?

If we take the anticipated 2007 retirement rates of 2001 Federal employees in five of the largest Federal agency employers the government will need to replace nearly 375,000 workers. How many is that? That total is more than the entire nonprofit workforce of the State of Texas, more than twice the nonprofit employment of the State of Connecticut, and 73% more than the nonprofit workforce in the Federal government’s geographic cousin, the State of Maryland.

In fact, the competitive impact is probably even more intense than these general ratios would indicate. The state numbers include, in fact, people like brain surgeons via nonprofit hospitals and universities. In many states, this is a huge portion of the nonprofit workforce. In Maryland, health care is 49% of total nonprofit employment. Which means that Federal demand is over three times the nonprofit workforce of Maryland. Clearly, the government’s need (or ability) to suction up large numbers of young generalists will make it a major player in the human resources marketplace.

Which leaves nonprofits with two clear human resources tasks: develop aggressive marketing plans, and mandate that “employee retention” be the screen saver on every manager’s computer.

Sources:

State employment data from Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies of the Institute for Policy Studies.

“A Work Experience Second to None: Impelling the Best to Serve. Part I: Winning the War for Talent.” Human Resources Management Panel, National Academy of Public Administration, 2001.

Federal Civilian Workforce Statistics, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2002.

“Federal Employee Retirements: Expected Increase Over the Next 5 Years Illustrates Need for Workforce Planning,” Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization, Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives. United States General Accounting Office, April 2001.

Office of Personnel Management, Partnership for Public Service, Washington, D.C.

Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, and Department of Health and Human Services

Generational Change in Your Organization: Vision, Trust, Awareness




By Robby Rodriguez

It was 1980 and a bunch of twenty- and thirty-somethings started an organization with a vision of achieving social justice. They were idealistic young activists who had cut their teeth in the civil rights, antiwar, women’s and power identity movements. With Ronald Reagan ushering in a tide of conservatism, they built a strong a organization to maintain and move forward the gains of the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Fast forward twenty-five years. It’s 2005 and there I was the newly appointed executive director of the SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP). Life got very interesting.

In this column I want to highlight three themes from our book, Working Across Generations: Defining the Future of Nonprofit Leadership that are important to understanding generational change on the individual and organizational level: Vision, Trust and Awareness.

Five years ago I was twenty eight years old, and taking over a twenty-five year old social justice organization with deep roots in the community and a long record of accomplishment. I was also taking over from two mentors—one a founder and the other a staffer of seventeen years.

This leadership transition also represented a generational shift. Not only were my mentors of a different generation but half the staff were under 30 while all the board members were over 50. I was mentored to someday take over the organization. They trusted me. But, with my mentors gone, I learned this trust did not transfer to some of the board members and other long time members of the organization as well as organizational allies and funders.

It didn’t take long before I felt micromanaged. Questions were asked of me that were never asked of my predecessors. I couldn’t understand why. I took things personally. I became defensive. We struggled with each other–and it wasn’t pretty. We engaged in power struggles and drew artificial lines in the sand. A difficult situation got a lot harder.

Vision
When I took over the organization the board, staff and members of the organization were not on the same page. We had different notions of the type of change we thought possible. Many of the older members of the organization had experienced the tidal wave of change of the 60’s and 70’s and the subsequent conservative backlash. They saw our role as digging in and acting as a watchdog organization. I, along with other and mostly younger members of the organization saw our role as building power to achieve our mission. Not being on the same page in terms of the vision led to disagreements about strategy.

Trust
But it wasn’t just that we didn’t share the same vision for the organization. We didn’t trust each other. Members of the organization who were of different generations didn’t have a history of working together.

Building trust took time, patience and opportunity for us to work together and to get to know each other. We couldn’t rely on our memories from the good ol’ days because we hadn’t created any together. People from different generations aren’t going to have the types of bonds that lead to trust right off the bat. So we need to be deliberate about developing them.

Awareness
In my experience at SWOP, we needed the help of a “bridge builder”—a baby boom generation staffer who had the trust of both generations to help us achieve a shared vision and build experiences together, someone who was able to both support the younger generation leaders in the organization while at the same time challenging some of the older generation leaders assumptions about the past and present in a way that I couldn’t do.

In hindsight we learned the importance of sharing a vision of the change we thought possible in the world and what that meant for the organization’s work. We learned we needed to build trust among one another and we learned we had to develop an awareness about the role we play in an organizational structure that relates to our life cycle and generation.

About the Author
Robby Rodriguez is the Executive Director of the SouthWest Organizing Project, a social justice community organizing group founded in 1980 and based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  He recently co-authored, along with Frances Kunreuther and Helen Kim, a book entitled Working Across Generations:  Defining the Future of Nonprofit Leadership released in October 2008.  Currently, he is a team member of the Building Movement Project and chair of the Pushback Network. 

About the Book
The authors provide a range of ideas on how to approach generational shifts in leadership so that the contributions of long-time leaders are valued, new and younger leaders’ talent is recognized, and groups are better prepared to work across generational divides. Giving context to these differences, they explore the current assumptions about the upcoming transition between generations in the social sector; introduce new ideas or frames for thinking about generational leadership change; and examine how this change poses individual, organizational, and systemic challenges for those in the social sector. In addition, they provide numerous examples and practical exercises to show how to address these issues. The book concludes with critical advice on how to communicate across generations and key recommendations for future research and action.

Working Across Generations authors featured on OK Online Training Webinar – Available now On-Demand



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Department of Human Resources Warns of Fake Job Postings





The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Human Resources is warning job seekers about fraudulent city jobs being posted on Craigslist.

The department said the vacancies are being described as City and County jobs, but the department does not use Craigslist to post its vacancies.

The Honolulu Police Department will investigate, the department said.

Job applicants should not respond to the posting or provide an information, as such information could be used for identity theft, the city said.

City jobs are listed on the official Web site at www.honolulu.gov/hr/ or in the daily newspapers. City job applications do not ask for social security numbers.

Source: Pacific Business News

A Perfect Match? How Nonprofits Are Tapping into the Boomer Talent Pool




By Jill Casner-Lotto and Diane Piktialis

The Conference Board released a free report today on how Nonprofits are recruiting the Boomer talent pool. The report gives actionable advice to Nonprofit employers and steps Baby Boomers need to take to transition into the nonprofit sector. This report, drawn in part from a 2008 survey, explores the growing trend of nonprofits to recruit boomers (who are often coming from the for-profit world) and the things both sides need to do to make this very promising relationship work.

Click here to download the free report.

Source: The Conference Board

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