Career Partners International

As leaders retire, who will step forward?

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:00:00 GMT

The vanguard of the baby boom turned 60 last year, generating speculation about how such retirements will affect the U.S. economy.

For corporate America, however, the most significant impact may be internal. As baby boomers vacate jobs in middle management and the executive suite, they will leave a leadership vacuum younger workers aren't ready to fill.

According to the 2007 Aging U.S. Workforce Survey, released last month by Ernst & Young, 68 percent of Fortune 1000 companies consider "maintaining intellectual capital" to be their greatest organizational risk, and 62 percent said retirements will create a "brain drain" within their organizations.

The issue of baby-boomer retirements should begin to affect Indianapolis companies within two or three years, said Mark McNulty, president of HR Dimensions, a consulting company.

"The numbers are irrefutable," said Roland Dorson, president of the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. "It's simple demographics, so it will affect us as much as it affects everyone else."

The chamber employs about 30 people, and Dorson said he is thinking about how the issue will affect his organization.

One potential solution, he said, might be to mandate sabbaticals for all workers, so younger employees could do "trial runs" of higher-level jobs during senior staff members' time away.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts about 43 percent of U.S. workers will be eligible to retire within the next decade.

Despite the scope of the problem, many companies haven't taken steps to address it, the survey found. Among respondents, 15 percent did not even know what percentage of their work force would be eligible to retire within five years.

Most companies that have formal succession-planning programs focus only on senior-management positions, the survey found, even though middle management also will be affected.

But some Indianapolis employers are taking a proactive approach.

Aprimo, for example, recently invested about $75,000 in a leadership development program for younger workers. Ten of the software company's 360 employees participated in the six-month program, which included workshops, mentoring and "action learning" projects with cross- functional teams. Participants also created personal leadership development plans.

Baby boomers comprise about half of Aprimo's executive team, said President and Chief Executive Bill Godfrey, so it is important for the company to develop new leaders.

"The larger investment we made was the time of these individuals being out of their day jobs, and then the executive-level participation and guidance throughout the process," Godfrey said.

The company plans to continue the program each year with additional groups of high-potential employees, he said.

Action learning also is a key component of the training program at Adidas Group's Indianapolis- based Sports Licensed Division.

That program -- now in its third year -- is open to 12 employees annually. They start the process with 360-degree reviews and personality profiling. Each participant is assigned an executive coach and participates in cross- functional action-learning teams.

"It's been very successful," said Blake Lundberg, vice president and general manager. "Those people are some of the top young people in the company, (and) it's really the future leadership of the organization."

The Klipsch Group, an Indianapolis-based maker of high- end audio products, launched a similar program this month to generate future leaders.

"We recognized . . . that there really is an experience gap between our current leaders in all departments and the folks below them," said Steve Klipsch, senior vice president of organizational strategies and administration.

"We've started to invest real resources in identifying who the next generation of leaders will be . . . and then investing real dollars, not just sending them to a seminar here and there and hoping to God that that works."

Four potential leaders will join the program each quarter, Klipsch said. He expects the company to invest $5,000 to $30,000 on such training per employee.

Those kinds of programs are what companies need to prepare for the baby-boomer brain drain, HR Dimensions' McNulty said.

"Unfortunately, some companies don't react until it hits them between the eyes," he said. "I think it's critical that they start planning for it now."

_____________________________________________

Leadership development

Now's the time to prepare for a leadership vacuum when baby boomers retire, said Mark McNulty, president of HR Dimensions. These are recommendations for a succession-planning program:

Do a leadership assessment. Who are the company's leaders today? When are they likely to retire? What gaps will you need to fill, in terms of leadership abilities, technical skills and institutional knowledge?

Identify high-potential staff. Give special attention to those who have the raw skills -- and the desire and commitment -- to fill future leadership roles.

Create individual development plans. This might include mentoring, outside training, additional education and self- improvement goals. Update them regularly as employees' skills and goals change.

Set up cross-functional teams. Teams should develop projects -- what McNulty calls "action learning" -- that create opportunities for the company or solve a company problem.

21-Nov-08 0:00 AM

A Case for Coaching: Why Executive Coaching is the Best Leadership Development Strategy in Today's Turbulent Times

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Organizations are caught in a dilemma. The recent global economic meltdown has required many companies to cut back drastically and tighten belts wherever possible – including cutting their commitment and resources dedicated to leadership development. At the same time, a majority of CEOs across industries and geographies view maximizing the productivity of their current leaders and developing the next generation of leaders as mission critical. A 2008 Aon Consulting survey found that 56% of employers in the US are experiencing a leadership shortage that is impeding their organization's performance. In addition, succession planning is taking on a new urgency in many organizations as the baby boom generation of managers heads toward retirement.

How can companies reconcile their need to develop leaders while still managing costs and ensuring a return on investment? We believe that one-on-one executive coaching is the best answer to that question. Business school programs meet certain development needs, but tend to be generic and at times academic. More targeted in-house leadership initiatives help to align leaders with corporate culture and strategy, and have the added advantage of building internal networks. But once again, large leadership programs tend to be a shotgun-type approach to development with potentially uneven and difficult to measure benefits. Only executive coaching provides:

Development that is specific to the individual leader and their unique needs at this point in time
Clearly defined measurable objectives and outcomes that are collectively agreed to by the boss, the leader being coached, and the coach
Observable behavioral change and business impact in four to six months

In this article we will look at how coaching can benefit your next generation of leaders; leaders you are brining into your organization from the outside; and current leaders who need to up their game to meet new strategic and global challenges. We will also discuss the background and experience you should look for in an executive coach and the characteristics of qualified vendors of coaching services.

DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS

Leaders used to be developed internally by progressively moving up the middle-management ranks. Incremental promotions allowed them to be tested in lower risk assignments and to develop skills over a more extended period of time. Their direct managers were often available to provide hands-on coaching and mentoring along the way. In today’s flatter organizations, mid-management jobs have been eliminated and more traditional career paths have become a thing of the past. Greater demands mean that bosses are no longer able to give more junior executives the time and attention they feel they deserve. Global and virtual organizations provide less visibility and less one-on-one access.

An external executive coach can help fill the development gap. Coaches help the aspiring leader understand what is required to be successful in organizational terms, develop their own leadership template, and create a goal oriented development plan that will increase the probability that they will move to the next level of the organization. As an objective third party, the coach can provide necessary feedback, appropriate encouragement, and a sounding board for grappling with management and leadership challenges and opportunities. Collaborating with the leader’s boss, the coaching engagement ensures milestones are measured along the way and the end goals are clearly met.

INTEGRATING EXTERNAL HIRES

As much as we all want to develop and promote internal talent, we sometimes need to look outside the organization for the executive competencies and experience that we weren’t able to anticipate. Bringing in talent from the outside has its own difficulties. Research shows that there is an approximately 50% chance that an executive who is hired today will ultimately be considered a failure.

When we do hire from the outside, the challenge is to integrate new executives and maximize their contribution in the shortest time possible. Sixty percent of senior executives see the inability to "develop or adapt" as the number one de-railer of aspiring leaders. One-on-one coaching helps the new leader avoid derailments by providing an experienced but unbiased thought partner in grappling with the challenges of a new organization, identifying the relevant success metrics with the new team, and quickly building credibility with the colleagues that are critical to achieving strategic business objectives.

Four key factors that lead to derailment:

Not understanding the culture and/or lack of political savvy to navigate the culture
Lack of clarity about their new boss’ expectations of them
Inability to build effective relationships with peers and subordinates
Reliance on what worked for them in the past rather than what is needed now

UPPING THE GAME OF CURRENT EXECUTIVES

The number of executive competencies required for success has grown exponentially. Talented leaders – smart, sophisticated business people who are technically literate, globally astute, and operationally agile – have been identified as the most important organizational resource over the next 20 years. This means that the ongoing development of current leaders has to be a priority. They are prone to the same derailments as leaders brought in from outside the organization.

Coaching helps experienced leaders redefine their success metrics, reassess their leadership style, realign their priorities, prepare for an uncertain future, and lead their new multigenerational teams to success. As Fortune Magazine has correctly noted, “Coaching bridges the growing chasm between what managers are being asked to do and what they have been trained to do.”

SELECTING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT VENDORS AND EXECUTIVE COACHES

Organizations that are using coaching to maximize leadership bench strength and get the best return on development dollars are increasingly looking for coaching vendors who can provide:

a cadre of pre-qualified coaches
consistent coaching services across organizational boundaries
validated and appropriate coaching tools and techniques
an understanding of global leadership issues
partnership with the organization in defining, tracking and measuring success

Executive coaches should be highly credentialed business executives and senior practitioners in the areas of leadership development and organizational performance. Coaches must be able to demonstrate a balance of diverse and relevant business experience, an understanding of organizational dynamics, and proven executive coaching capabilities.

In choosing a coach, it is important to understand the types of assignments the coach has done in the past, the methodology and tools they use to ensure coaching assignments produce meaningful and measurable business results, and that they are committed to the highest standards of professional ethics.

Qualifications for Executive Coaches:

5-10 years business management experience
A level of business acumen that creates instant credibility with senior leaders
Over 5 years of corporate coaching experience
Graduate level education in the behavioral sciences and/or business management
Proven capabilities in the use of assessment, feedback and coaching tools
Broad experience and expertise in organizational change and leadership development

IN CONCLUSION

Futurists tell us that there have been more changes in our world in the last fifty years than in the previous 50,000 years – and that in the next fifty years we can expect even more radical changes. The recent global financial crisis is just one example of what may be ahead. In this environment successful organizations will not be able to leave leadership development to chance. Executive coaching provides a development strategy that meets today’s needs while preparing your leadership team for the future. The results can be clearly defined and measured. ROI can be directly observed in changed leadership behavior, increased leadership competency, and greater organizational impact. Organizations providing executive coaching can be your strategic partner in preparing your leadership team for today’s and tomorrow’s turbulent times.

About the Author
Helen Peters, M.A., heads the Leadership Development Practice for Torchiana Mastrov & Sapiro, a leading San Francisco Bay Area provider of Executive Search, Leadership Development and Career Management services. She has conducted published research and speaks regularly on a wide range of leadership topics including keys to leadership effectiveness, cross-cultural issues in leadership, and leadership and gender. Torchiana Mastrov & Sapiro is a founding member of Career Partners International (CPI), a global talent-management organization comprised of more than 60 organizations with 200+ offices.

3-Nov-08 10:00 AM

Seven Special Holiday Gifts for an Out-of-Work Friend

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:00:00 GMT

In today's tight economy, it's unusual if you don't know someone who is out of work and looking for a job -- and the upcoming holidays make the situation even more difficult. To brighten the holidays for these friends or family members, there are seven special gifts you can give, and they don't cost you a dime, according to Maria Persico, president of Career Management Consultants.

"This year has been incredibly difficult for those in the job market - we hear stories of individuals waiting months for companies to make a hiring decision while others struggle just to secure an interview," said Persico, who got the idea from one of her clients, a senior insurance executive who said the number one thing he wanted from his friends and family was a simple phone call. "My clients will often comment that they feel isolated. One of them said to me recently, 'Not only are companies not calling; my friends aren't calling either.'"

Persico was prompted to think of additional gifts that would be equally meaningful and important to job-seekers. "Although gift-giving is certainly highest on our lists during the holidays," she said, "I would certainly recommend keeping it out as a year-long reminder of the simple things we can do when a friend or loved one is looking for a new job."

1. A Phone Call
You don't have to be a job-search expert to reach out to your friends. You can simply say: "I just want you to know I have been thinking about you." Especially at the very beginning, when you've just learned that someone has lost a job, you can say something like: "Joe, I'm sorry to learn you got caught up in the changes at the XYZ Company. I heard that they let a lot of good people go." If you know the person professionally, you can add: "I appreciate the relationship we've had over the years and really respect your work."

2. An Attentive Ear
Although bestowing this gift takes a lot of patience on your part, just doing a lot of listening and allowing the person to vent will be of great assistance. But questions have to be asked sensitively. One client commented that during a recent social gathering, some people asked his wife, "How is he doing?" "Has he found anything yet?" No wonder he felt isolated again. You don't have to have a job lead, or a contact or a solution to honestly ask a friend, "How are things going?" and have the courage to listen and be supportive.

3. A Networking Contact
It's estimated that every person knows approximately 200 people. Think of just one person who could be a good contact for your friend. Perhaps you know someone who has just finished a job
search, and is willing to meet with your friend and talk about his/her strategies and what worked well. Or, you might offer a contact that has firsthand knowledge of a specific company of interest to your friend.

4. A Little Positive Feedback
You don't need to have a special training to give positive feedback. Listen carefully and point out the positive things the person is trying to do to get a job. Be sincere and natural. Never offer any criticism, unless it is strictly constructive. (See gift #5)

5. A Tactful Suggestion
If your friend isn't job searching effectively, tactfully suggest different approaches. Sometimes people get used to not having a schedule and put in very few hours into the search. You might emphasize the common wisdom that looking for a job is a full-time job. A good question can be, "How many hours a day are you putting into your search?" Always being supportive, suggest an increase in hours, especially after the holidays — when companies will be doing more hiring.

6. An Invitation
Invite a friend to a business expo or other gathering where he or she might make contacts that would be good leads to future positions. Or extend an invitation to a social get-together, such as a reception, party, cup of coffee, etc. We're all busy, and sometimes making ourselves available is difficult. That's when flexibility comes into play. I have taken long walks on Saturday mornings to be with friends I could not meet otherwise.

7. A Bit of Humor
There's nothing like a good laugh to turn a situation around — or at least lighten it up.
Above all, when we give of ourselves to others, life becomes much more enjoyable.

Maria Persico is president of Career Management Consultants, an outplacement and career management firm based in Harrisburg, Pa., and a member of Career Partners International (www.cpiworld.com).

25-Sep-08 3:00 PM

Saddened ex-ATA staff struggling to move on

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:45:00 GMT

Lisa Underwood was a flight attendant with ATA Airlines for 22 years. It's where she met her husband, a pilot with the Indianapolis airline for 25 years.

But last week, Underwood was busy applying for a job at Starbucks. When ATA announced April 3 it was shutting its doors for good, the news was a double whammy for the couple.

"I'm going to take anything I can just to make ends meet," she said.

The decision by parent company Global Aero to liquidate the 2,300-employee airline followed ATA's struggles to return to profitability. The carrier reported losses of $75 million last year.

Two weeks after ATA's announcement, its 560 Indianapolis employees are finding different ways to cope with their change in circumstances.

Several ex-employees have filed lawsuits, claiming ATA violated federal law by failing to provide at least 60 days' notice of pending layoffs.

Some are taking time off before seeking new employment to deal with what they call "a grieving process."

Many others, like the Underwoods, are scrambling for jobs to help pay the bills.

About 140 former ATA employees have sought help from WorkOne employment centers in Marion County, which are managed by the Indianapolis Private Industry Council, a worker training and support agency.

Tailored services

IPIC has assembled a special-response team for the ex-ATA workers. Services include one-on-one career counseling, resume-writing and interviewing workshops, and assistance with applying for unemployment benefits and health insurance.

"We're hearing these heartbreaking stories of people who were loyal for many years and now have nothing," said Mary Dieter, director of policy and communications. "We're doing everything we can to help them get back on their feet."

WorkOne offices also have been flooded with calls from companies seeking to hire former ATA workers, including Clarian Health Partners, WellPoint and St. Vincent Health. The requests prompted WorkOne to begin planning a job fair for next month.

The agency's efforts were hindered, however, because ATA did not provide a list of employees' contact information until Wednesday, Dieter said.

Employees also reported they were unable to access the company's Intranet site, which housed their employment records, until labor union representatives complained about the problem last week.

ATA spokeswoman Kimberly Kriger said the site is in operation and is updated frequently to tell about job opportunities and unemployment services.

If employees had problems accessing the Web site, "it was nothing intentional in any way," she said.

ATA mailed packets, which arrived several days after the layoff announcement and included information about health, retirement and unemployment benefits.

Unions step in

Airline industry labor unions also are providing the former ATA workers with assistance.

The Air Line Pilots Association is conducting job seminars and hosting aviation recruiters. It also voted to offer laid-off pilots one-year membership to AIR, a pilot recruiter.

That includes negotiating preferential hiring arrangements with the union's 42 member companies in the U.S. and Canada and arranging free airfare for pilots traveling to job interviews.

In the past two weeks, about 1,000 of the union's pilots have been laid off. Pilots with the now-bankrupt Aloha Airlines and Champion Air also were members of the ALPA.

The airline industry fills about 2,000 pilot vacancies each year, said Rusty Ayers, union spokesman for the ATA pilots. But many of those jobs are with smaller regional carriers, and veteran pilots may face lower pay and a loss of seniority.

"It will be difficult for (former ATA pilots), at least in the short term, to find jobs that pay as well as the ones they held at ATA," Ayers said.

Flight attendants face similar difficulties. The Association of Flight Attendants conducted job seminars last week and dedicated part of its Web site to address members' questions. It is negotiating with ATA to compensate workers for unused vacation time and 401(k) matching contributions.

But many flight attendants, including Underwood, hold little hope of finding new jobs in the industry.

"It's very competitive right now," she said. "I've been on a couple of interviews already trying to get myself back up, but it's difficult."

Former flight attendant Cindy Crafton said she isn't planning to accept a new job right away. Instead, she's taking time to mourn what she said is the end of an era in her life.

Crafton was one of ATA's original flight attendants, starting in April 1975. At that time, the company owned one airplane and the flight attendants sewed their own uniforms during a training class.

Crafton learned about the layoffs on the morning news April 3, shortly after returning from a military charter flight to Kuwait City. She said she received no personal communication from her supervisor or any other company representative.

"There was no closure. We didn't get to say our goodbyes," she said. "This is like somebody died in an accident."

Familiar reaction

Workers hit by unexpected layoffs usually go through a grieving process, said Mark McNulty, president of HR Dimensions, an Indianapolis consulting company.

The sooner workers can get through the five stages of grief -- denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance -- the sooner they can focus on the future and start their job hunts, he said.

"People do come out on the other side. They do survive this," McNulty said.

For employees like Crafton, that final stage of acceptance may be a long time coming. Many had stood beside ATA through its previous 16-month bankruptcy, from which it emerged in 2006.

"ATA was a family," Crafton said. "If they would have said, 'Guys, we're having trouble. We've only got 60 days left,' it would have been hard, but at least we would have known it was coming.

"I love ATA -- or maybe I should say I loved the old ATA."

_____

How to get help

Some places where former ATA Airlines employees can find help:

Work One centers

WorkOne West: 805 Beachway Drive, Suite 110. Call: (317) 246-5428.

WorkOne Express at College Park: 8910 Purdue Road, Suite 320.

Call: (317) 228-0682.

Web site: www.workoneindy.com.

*There are five WorkOne employment centers in Marion County, but the sites above have special teams set up to assist former ATA workers.

Governmental agencies

Indiana Department of Insurance Consumer Services Division.

Contact: (317) 232-2395.

Web site: www.in.gov/idoi.

Indiana Department of Labor.

Contact: (317) 232-2655.

Web site: www.in.gov/dol.

Other sources

Connect2Help, formerly called the Information & Referral Network. The free and confidential service is open 24 hours a day.

Contact: (317) 926-4357.

Web site: www.connect2help.org.

Employee unions, such as the Air Line Pilots Association and the Association of Flight Attendants.

23-Jul-08 8:45 AM

Pitching In For Gas

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT

With $4-a-gallon gasoline high on the minds of commuters, employers are beginning to take steps to help out.

Some are offering telecommuting options and flexible workweeks. Others are rewarding employees with gas cards or cold hard cash -- all in an effort to avoid losing talent because the work site is too far from home.

"The companies that address this issue will be the ones who retain their employees during these difficult times," said Mark T. McNulty, president of HR Dimensions in Indianapolis, a human resources consultancy. "(Gas prices) are clearly on the minds of employees."

The concept is just beginning to catch on in Indianapolis. But make no mistake: Employees are watching the odometer and looking for employers who are willing to do something about it.

A May survey by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global outplacement consultancy, found that 7.4 percent of employees have left their companies because of higher transportation costs. Another 34.3 percent of potential job candidates have turned down offers to work at a company for the same reason.

Shari Garrett quickly took advantage of research done by her company, Senex Services Corp., to try to match employees who could carpool together.

Last month, Garrett and co-worker Tiffany McGregor began carpooling from Downtown Indianapolis to their office on the Northwestside. Garrett, who drives a Ford Taurus, said she saves about $30 a week because of her company's forward-thinking research.

Senex also allows employees to work four 10-hour days. And at the company picnic in August, it will give $25 gas cards as door prizes.

At Mays Chemical Co., high gas prices have brought about major change. Under certain circumstances, employees now are allowed to work flexible schedules and telecommute.

"I had been thinking about this for quite a while, how to balance the personal and professional lives of our employees," said Jeanette Lackey, director of human resources at Mays. "But the high gas prices were my springboard."

Lackey urged upper management to do something to alleviate the burden on employees. In addition to schedule changes, the company is rewarding employees who go above and beyond the call of duty with $25 and $50 gas cards.

"I believe when employees are happy personally and financially, they tend to be happy at work as well," she said.

Bonnie Mack is a testament to that. The senior purchasing representative at Mays works one day a week from home. Her commute is 64 miles a day. Even with her Honda hybrid, she still saves about $6 a week, as well as two hours of commute time.

"It is forward thinking and a fabulous idea," she said. "Of course it helps morale. Did I mention it saves me two hours a day? Everyone involved really loves this idea."

Julie Brown, who also telecommutes one day a week, said it shows the company cares.

"They are demonstrating concern for the well-being of me and my family," she said. "In return, my employer benefits from an employee who is content and more productive."

Telecommuting is one of the best ways companies can remain productive and help employees, according to independent researchers Kate Lister and Tom Harnish. Yet 40 percent of Americans have jobs that can be done remotely and only 4 percent of the work force works from home. If all of these workers telecommuted, they conclude it would annually save 625 million barrels of oil, reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 107 million tons of carbon dioxide, and save consumers almost $43 billion.

OneAmerica in Indianapolis is encouraging workers to do their part to conserve gasoline. It has brought in representatives from IndyGo to talk with employees about discounted bus passes, car pooling and van pooling. The company's internal newsletter also advertises bus passes and offers gas saving tips.

Greg Vance, a vice president of operations and systems management, began taking the bus to work in March from Carmel through IndyGo's ICE route. He says his first motivation was to save money. But he's found other benefits.

"It is better for the environment and just makes sense," he said.

6-Jul-08 10:00 AM

Recruiting's inside track

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Nicholas Oschman, a junior in engineering at Purdue University, hasn't determined his career goals. But he is confident a summer internship at the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator is pointing him in the right direction.

"I wanted to get a feel for what a real electrical engineer does, and I felt like Midwest ISO was the best place to do that," Oschman said.

As it turns out, interns like Oschman, 21, Mooresville, also may be pointing their employers in the right direction. As the baby boom generation begins to retire, companies are ramping up their internship programs as a tool to recruit the next generation of workers and fill critical skill gaps.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that about 43 percent of U.S. workers will be eligible to retire within 10 years.

In response, many companies are increasing the number of interns they hire and offering more of those interns full-time positions after graduation.

A survey on internships conducted in March by the National Association of Colleges and Employers showed a 3.7 percent increase in the number of interns companies expected to hire this year. Companies in the survey also said they extended full-time job offers to 70 percent of their interns last year, up from 57 percent in 2001.

"It's a way for you to test them and for them to test you without making a huge commitment on either side," said Mark McNulty, president of Indianapolis-based HR Dimensions, a human-resources consultancy.

Carmel-based Midwest ISO, which oversees the electric grid in 15 Midwestern states and Manitoba, Canada, hired 41 interns this summer -- about twice the number it hired in 2005, the first year it had a formal internship program.

So far, the company has placed 27 former interns, or about 20 percent, in full-time positions, said Mike Begley, manager of recruitment and work force planning.

Thanks to the internship program and a lucrative employee referral program, only about 5 percent of Midwest ISO employees are eligible for retirement in the next five to 10 years, Begley said.

Midwest ISO isn't the only Indiana company using its internship program as a recruitment tool.

Job postings on Indiana INTERNnet, a Web site advertising internship opportunities that is operated by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, doubled from 2006 to 2007, said Pam Norman, the program's executive director.

"Employers recognize that one of the best ways to address a retiring work force is to 'grow their own' through internship programs," Norman said.

Plugging gaps from retirees

Dow AgroSciences, on Indianapolis' Northwestside, also is using its internship program to address the looming wave of retirements. The research-and- development department for the manufacturer of agricultural chemicals, bioengineered seeds and other products hired 36 interns this summer, and it has spent the past five years strengthening its program.

"The number one purpose of the program is to find future employees," said Beth Blakeslee, senior chemist, who helps oversee the program. "We're looking to hire 100 or 150 people in R&D by 2010, and to be able to do that, we need to use this internship program."

In addition to preparing for baby boomers' retirements, companies are using internship programs strategically to recruit workers for hard-to-fill technical positions.

At Midwest ISO, recruiters struggle to fill specialized positions in the control room, where certification and industry experience are required.

To meet the challenge, several former interns have been invited to join the company's Next Steps program, which offers intensive on-the-job training to help workers earn their certifications.

One graduate of the Next Steps program, Nathan Sutake, 31, recently accepted a full-time position as an emergency management systems applications engineer at Midwest ISO.

"I was blown away by the things that went on here," he said. "I had no idea how many things went into flipping a switch at my house."

As an intern, Sutake, a Purdue graduate and native of Osage, Iowa, developed several tracking and assessment tools the company still uses.

Similarly, Oschman and several other interns are spending this summer developing a tool to calculate and display the amount of wind-generated power that is available for distribution.

Giving interns meaningful work does more than just help them learn, Begley said. It also helps the company get real work done.

Another benefit, Dow AgroSciences' Blakeslee said, is that internship programs can generate good word-of-mouth about the company as an employer.

"If we give these students a positive experience, they're going to go back and tell other students what a great time they're having not only at Dow AgroSciences but also in Indianapolis," she said.

Internships: Making them Work for you

Could your company benefit from a new or improved internship program? Local business leaders offered the following tips to help you get started:

Get the support of company leadership. Also identify a specific person to be in charge of the program.

Give your interns meaningful work. No copying, no filing, no making coffee. "It should be a developmental opportunity and one where they are able to really see what their chosen field is all about," said Mark McNulty, president of HR Dimensions.

Provide appropriate compensation. You expect interns to do real work, so compensate them accordingly. The National Association of Colleges and Employers says undergraduate interns earn an average of $16.33 per hour, and master's-level interns can earn about $25 an hour.

Incorporate some perks. Midwest ISO offers a housing subsidy, social activities, and "real life" learning sessions on topics such as insurance and investments. Can't afford that? Instead, help interns get connected in the industry by taking them to networking events.

6-Jun-08 0:00 AM

Do weird questions in job interviews really bear fruit?

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Wed, 14 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT

If I were a fruit, I would be a banana; nice thick skin on the outside, but peel into me and there is a softer side. Or maybe I would be a grape, I work great in groups; or a lemon, tart and feisty.

Come to think of it, that question is pretty easy. But maybe not if it came during a job interview. You think I am kidding? Human resource guru Mark McNulty says you should think again.

As he sat at Starbucks last week, he says, he couldn't help but overhear a young man being interviewed for a job. Question: If you were a fruit, what kind would you be and why? "I couldn't believe my ears," says McNulty, president of HR Dimensions in Indianapolis. "I actually looked around the room to see if there was a hidden camera filming this for a TV reality show." The man answered: watermelon. McNulty strained his ears to hear why, but try as he might, he just couldn't hear. "I didn't want to be too conspicuous," he says.

Silly, outrageous interview questions. There are plenty out there. Forget the usual "Where do you want to be in 10 years?" or "How do you work in teams?" or "What is your best quality?" interviewers are getting trickier and more, well, goofy. After asking friends and colleagues, I found some whacked questions are circulating out there. "What movie star do you think would make the best employee?" "What color describes your personality and why?" "Which character on 'Seinfeld' are you most like?" And my favorite: "Are you more like a placid pool of water or a running hose?" This one was posed to the brother of William Butch Fennema, an associate professor of business at the University of Indianapolis.

"The people who ask these types of questions believe themselves to be experienced psychologists or worse," he says. "They believe that by asking a few questions completely out of context they can do a good psychological profile of an interviewee."

Kevin Fosso has plenty of stories of crazy interviews. During one, he says, he wasn't asked a single question but instead listened to the interviewer put down subordinates. At a lunch interview, one boss showed up 15 minutes late wearing mismatched shorts and T-shirt and no socks. His excuse: He had been at a garage sale.

In a recent column, I suggested job candidates' behavior had gotten out of hand. But Fosso believes employers need some rehabilitation themselves. At times, "the interviewers simply behaved like jerks," he says. But Fosso did appreciate my heads-up on the fruit question. "I would be a star fruit, because I am such a star performer," he says. "Thanks. Now I'm ready for that one."

14-May-08 0:00 AM

Five that revive

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Spring-cleaning isn't just for the house. Careers can use a good scrubbing down every now and then. They can be refreshed, spruced up and put back in order. It's not that you want to change careers. Or even find a new job. You like the job. You like the company. You're just burned out and need a little revitalization. But how?

"If you're not feeling fulfilled where you are, if you feel like you need to re-energize yourself, take time to reassess," says Elizabeth Stahl, with E.J. Stahl and Associates, an Indianapolis business-consulting firm that focuses on work-force strategies. "Take a look at your skills. Now discover your strengths." Once you do that, you not only will know what you have to offer, but what you lack -- or could stand to improve.

Now move forward and try these five ways to refresh your career.

Tell The Boss
No. You won't get demoted. It likely isn't going to hurt your professional reputation to let the boss know you need a bit of refreshing. Most managers don't want to lose their high performers and are more than happy to accommodate. The key, however, is not to go in whining. Before you approach the boss, look around the organization at projects or committees you could get involved with that might put you outside of your comfort zone. That way, you'll have more to say than just, "I'm burned out."

"Go in prepared with your own ideas," says Stahl. "Don't expect the boss to have the epiphany for you."

Look inside the company

If you haven't looked, you may not realize all the opportunities that abound right inside your company's doors. Perhaps a diversity committee is getting started. Ask to serve on it. Maybe the company needs someone to organize this summer's picnic. If you want to go more extreme, Gary Daugenti, president of JustSTAFF, an executive search firm in Los Altos, Calif., suggests looking for a related job in the company. "Move from manufacturing to distribution or from finance to intelligence," he says. Or go for an overseas assignment that takes you away for a few months.

Education
Make a commitment to broaden and update your skills through external seminars, taking a night class, even working on a master of business administration degree. Seminars not only expose you to the most up-to-date practices in your industry but also allow for a lot of networking, says Mark McNulty, president of HR Dimensions in Indianapolis. Taking a night class in business or management -- or even something like sign language -- gives you a chance to put your toe in the water. "It's a good chance to explore something without taking the big leap," says Stahl.Volunteer away from the office.

Nonprofits are desperate for professionals with business knowledge to serve on boards, work on committees and do odd jobs for their organizations. "You can be rejuvenated by doing a volunteer project," says Stahl.

Offer to help with fundraising for the local symphony
Volunteer to organize the bake sale at your child's school. Do budget management at your church. Become a board member of a museum. "Sometimes when we get outside of ourselves and focus on others and their needs, we gain new insights into our own lives and careers," says McNulty.

Read more

Establish and commit to a business reading list, says McNulty. This can take the form of a list of business books that you commit to read in the next year. To stay on top of that, consider doing a brief book review to send to peers, subordinates and senior managers. They will appreciate the recommendation or insights on the books, and it also says something about you. "This sends all the right messages about your initiative and identifies you as a thought leader," he says. He also suggests subscribing to different business periodicals.

28-Mar-08 0:00 AM

Using perks to lure good staff: It's a wash A dryer, too. And it's amenities that they appreciate.

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Briefcase? Check. Lunch? Check. BlackBerry? Check. Laundry and detergent? Check and double-check.

Greenfield-based eTapestry actually wants its employees to bring their dirty clothes to work.

The tech company has a full-service laundry room -- an unusual perk, like catered lunches and convenience stores that many companies washed their hands of when the economy tanked in 2000.

"Our Midwestern sensibilities removed a lot of the foosball tables that haven't come back," said Karl Ahlrichs, senior human-resources consultant for Professional Staff Management in Carmel.

But slowly, experts say, a number of companies in Indiana are resurrecting some perks. Unlike the perks of years past, though, these are more for the sake of productivity than whimsy. They also are designed to attract younger workers who tend to value their time as much as their jobs.

That's certainly the case at eTapestry. Of the company's 83 employees, most are ages 28 to 34.

"I think it makes them happier with the overall company they're with, and I think it's going to make them harder to lure away," said Jay Love, CEO of eTapestry, which makes fundraising software for nonprofit groups and churches.

"If you count what it costs you to lose one employee and go through the process of replacing them and training them, it's pretty much equal to an entire year's salary. If we can reduce our employee turnover by just a little bit, and it's already pretty good right now, it pays for all of this pretty easily."

The company, which has had an on-site kitchen and gym with a ping-pong table for years, added the laundry room when it moved into a new office in May.

Originally, Love said he thought employees would use the washer and dryer to clean their clothes after working out. Instead, employees regularly bring in clothes from home.

The laundry room is in use 80 percent of the time during eTapestry's business hours, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

"We never dreamed how many of the working moms and dads would take advantage of it," he said.

One employee, Love recalled, walked up to him with a basket full of clean laundry and said: "Do you realize, on certain evenings, you've given me back two to three hours with my family?"

It's time that really matters to employees, especially young employees, said Mark McNulty, president of HR Dimensions in Indianapolis. Experts like him call it "work/life balance."

Employees, when they start work, don't forget they have to wash clothes, or run to CVS, or pick up their kids from day care. So adding a washer and dryer, or a convenience store, or an on-site day care means employees will worry less about other responsibilities.

"The benefit to employees is to reduce the stress of how their home life impinges on their work life. This is a way to address that equation by taking the stress away," McNulty said. "I'm not going to get to the dry cleaner, so we'll bring the dry cleaner here."

Employees at Eli Lilly and Co.'s Downtown headquarters have access to dry-cleaning and shoe-repair services, a gift shop, a bank, a gym, and medical and physical-therapy facilities.

"These are things that help employees do their job and take away some of the day-to-day stress," spokeswoman Joan Todd said. "This is a smart business decision on the part of the company, as well as being a psychological boost for employees."

Of course, some may see a laundry room or a gym as an excuse to keep employees in the office longer. Ahlrichs said at some companies there has even been a backlash.

"You're making it easier for me to move in here and stay," he said.

That's one reason some perks may not work in the long run. At first, employees will see them as motivators and then entitlements. "Then," Ahlrichs said, "if you have an expensive benefit that doesn't motivate, what have you got?"

Lilly, for one, doesn't take perks away, Todd said. "People would be very cranky."

______

Employee perks

Other local employers that offer employees some unusual perks and services:

Ernst & Young

Concierge services.

Backup child- and adult-care services.

Holiday conferencing: Employees can use company videoconferencing facilities to communicate with out-of-town relatives.

Eli Lilly and Co.

On-site credit union and postal center.

Convenience store that also develops photos and rents DVDs.

On-site dry cleaning, shoe repair and alteration services.

Nursing-mother stations.

Fitness center.

16-Jan-08 8:00 AM

Make executive search a success that will last

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 06:00:00 GMT

If a company's idea of management-applicant screening begins and ends with a two-martini lunch, Rick Kinsley would like to offer his services.

"Employers think that they can take a candidate to lunch and have a 30-minute talk to peer into their soul and see what makes them tick. All too often that's the common practice," Kinsley said.

Sure, maybe that candidate ends up being a great hire and a longtime leader. But maybe that candidate turns into an Enron-like failure, the kind whose fallout spreads far beyond the top-floor office.

Situations like the latter have made enough news in recent years to cause some companies to re-evaluate their hiring practices, which is where human-resource professionals like Kinsley, president of Indianapolis-based The Kinsley Group, and others are becoming handy. They're adding some science to the art of hiring.

"Our view is that there are a number of specific steps companies can do to make a successful hire," Kinsley said, noting that industry studies show that 40 percent of executive placements fail within two years, either from the new hire moving to a better job or just not working out.

The Kinsley Group practices a three-pronged approach to evaluating management talent: a four-hour interview, psychometric profiling and "360-degree" reference checks. The profiling occurs via Internet surveys that ask candidates to describe themselves in certain circumstances, while the reference checks can include contacts with up to 20 people who have known the applicant during his or her career.

The target result is placing the perfect candidate with the right job. It's just not always as easy as it sounds, when some companies struggle with defining the right roles for the positions they look to fill.

"Probably the No. 1 mistake is that many organizations don't do a good job in really understanding what they need in a particular role," Kinsley said.

"Organizations aren't always on the same page," he said. "It's not at all unusual for us to meet with several members of a management team or board, conduct those conversations and come up with multiple, different pictures of what the ideal candidate looks like. That's not good discipline in planning for making a good hire."

With some companies, more discipline is necessary -- even if there's not an opening yet.

"Companies who are just bad at this whole selection process, you will see a pattern. They don't just have one mistake, they will have a series of these that will get repeated over and over again," said Mark McNulty, president and founding partner of Indianapolis-based HR Dimensions.

"They make poor hiring decisions, but the people stay. That's probably the worst of all worlds, when you have a poor fit and the person is underperforming and the company doesn't do anything about it," McNulty said.

"Just because a company isn't having turnover in their management team doesn't mean they're successfully navigating this hiring process."

By doing the right homework, however, a company of any size can greatly improve its odds of finding the right fit for top positions -- the kind of executives whose staying power is longer than a business lunch.

______

Boardroom resolutions

Mark McNulty of HR Dimensions offers three tips for top executives to heed in 2007:

Recognize when you don't have all the answers yourself.

"It's lonely at the top, but it doesn't have to be," he said. "A major mistake a lot of CEOs make is thinking that they have to have all the answers, when some of the best answers come from the people who are doing the work at the lowest levels in the organization."

Stay in tune with today's work force.

"I often hear executives who are baby boomers struggle with the work ethic and the mind-set of Generation X and Y people in their organization," he said. "They set themselves up almost in a combative way. . . . To be successful, they're going to have to understand them, what accommodates them and respond to them."

Don't be out of touch.

"Top executives can get themselves so isolated, and that's where some of the decisions that they make come under so much fire. They have made those decisions outside of the context of understanding what the needs of their stakeholders are."

3-Jan-08 0:00 AM

CPI Announces Joint Venture with Job Search Television Network

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:00:00 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Dec. 16, 2009) – Job seekers will now be able to tap into some of the top experts in career management through their televisions and the Internet. Career Partners International (CPI) (www.cpiworld.com), the world’s largest partnership of career transition and coaching firms, announces a joint venture with Job Search Television Network (JSTN) (www.myjstn.com). As part of the venture, CPI will provide viewers with expert advice on a range of career management topics such as setting career direction, developing a compelling resume, networking and interviewing. In addition, JSTN and CPI will connect job seekers and individuals with expert career coaches through PowerMyCareer (www.powermycareer.com), a new online career center developed under license from CPI. It offers the latest career tools and resources supplemented by some of the best career coaches in the industry. With more than 15 million unemployed Americans, there is tremendous demand for career management...

Naughty or Nice? How Job Seekers Can Shine During the Holiday Season

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:00:00 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Dec. 11, 2009) – Have you been naughty or nice? No one is too old to consider this seasonal question. According to John Paul Tier, a career consultant for Williams, Roberts, Young, a Winston-Salem, N.C.-based partner firm of Career Partner International (CPI) www.cpiworld.com, the world’s largest partnership of career transition and coaching firms, to maximize the unique job-search advantages that the entire holiday season offers, become your very own Santa Claus and make sure your efforts reflect the Nice list. Naughty. Be a humbug! Nice. Take time to recognize your individual blessings. Enjoy the holidays, join in the celebration, and remember that we all have something to feel good about. This will actually endear you to friends, family, and others. Naughty. Give up and restart your efforts in the New Year. Nice. Bump your job search efforts up a notch by increasing your holiday activities to stand out from those job searchers who simply give up during the...

CPI Global Executive Coaching Summit Explores Leadership Challenges Facing Today's Executives as Organizations Head Toward Economic Recover

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Career Partners International (www.cpiworld.com) recently hosted its second annual Global Executive Coaching Summit for the company’s international partners and clients. Held in Boston by CPI partner Camden Consulting Group, the summit brought executive coaches together from around the world to discuss emerging industry trends and pressing leadership challenges. Three of the key discussion topics were leadership demands in a recovering economy, reinventing the new normal in the workplace and executive coaching at a global level. Jonathan Rosin, vice president of talent management for Fidelity Investments, served as the summit’s keynote speaker and reflected on current leadership challenges. The role of leaders today is becoming increasingly complex, said Rosin. They are weathering unprecedented economic and workplace challenges that demand both new and enhanced capabilities and skills to navigate this perfect storm. This summit provides an excellent opportunity for us as coaches to...

Effectively Managing Today's New Employee Mix of Traditionalists, Boomers, Xers and Millennials

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (JUNE 23, 2009) -- While most companies and managers are doing their very best to remain strong and deliver on expectations through the recession, managing a multigenerational workforce just became even harder. Right now another new graduation class enters the job market while at the same time thousands of would-be retirees, their retirement accounts depleted, remain in the ranks of the employed. These factors only add to the complexity of managing a workforce, that for the first time in history, is comprised of four distinct generations – Traditionalists, Boomers, Xers, and Millennials. Sherri Elliott with Career Partners International (www.cpiworld.com) firm Optimance Workforce Strategies in Dallas and the author of the new book Ties to Tattoos: Turning Generational Differences into a Competitive Advantage, explains that each group has strong assets that managers can tap into: • Traditionalists and Boomers bring drive, determination, and vast amounts of...

Career Partners International Launches New Horizons Innovative Retirement Coaching Program

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (July 22, 2009) – Career Partners International (www.cpiworld.com) announces today the launch of a new retirement coaching program called New Horizons. Designed as a program that companies can offer to their eligible employees, New Horizons will help prepare individuals for a successful retirement customized to meet their personal needs. Baby boomers are exiting their jobs in significant numbers – some voluntarily as they reach retirement age and some involuntarily as a result of corporate downsizings, says Dave Hemmer, president and chief operating officer of Career Partners International (CPI). Regardless of their circumstances, these individuals need assistance in transitioning into retirement whether that means a complete withdrawal from the job market or perhaps crafting a career that enables them to work on part-time basis. According to a survey by AARP, 70 percent of baby boomers intend to keep working and earning in retirement. The majority of respondents...

Why Companies--Now More Than Ever--Should Offer Outplacement Services

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:00:00 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Apr. 29, 2009)—In the current economic environment, companies are being forced to make tough staffing decisions, including the who, when and how of managing layoffs. Some companies may view outplacement services to displaced employees as a luxury when budgets are tight. However, companies that plan on being in business tomorrow must realize that outplacement has immediate, short-term, and long-term implications to their business. Why Should Companies Today Offer Outplacement Service? The economy is always cyclical, said Barbara Greene, Founder/CEO of Greene and Associates, a Career Partners International (CPI) firm in San Antonio, Texas. It will turn around. And when it does, you may want those employees back. The better they are treated now, the more likely they will come back when you need them. Another factor: You want to keep the employees you have. Survivors, those who remain with the company, watch to see how their colleagues are treated, said Bill...

CPI Firm Career Development Partners Announces Dr. William D. Young as Vice President, Leadership Development

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Tulsa, OK (April 7, 2009) - Career Development Partners, Inc., one of Oklahoma and Northwest Arkansas’ leading career transition firms announces the appointment of Dr. William D. Young as Vice President of Leadership Development. Young has over 30 years of experience in human resources including significant experience in transition counseling and consulting, leadership and management development, succession management planning and program design and executive coaching. Most recently Young was Managing Consultant with Williams Companies, a Fortune 200 company headquartered in Tulsa where he was responsible for managing the company’s Talent Development Process, Succession Management Process, employee career development initiatives and other leadership development programs. Prior to joining Williams in 2000, Young founded Career Development Services (Career Development Partners) which he led for 12 years. We are extremely pleased to have Bill return to the firm which he founded, says...

Career Partners International Bolsters Global Presence in Talent Management Industry

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:00:00 GMT

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Mar. 24, 2009) – Career Partners International (CPI) announces today the addition of four new partner firms bolstering the company’s already strong global presence. With approval from members at its annual meeting held in early March, CPI invited the following firms to join the company: Career Partners International – Chile based partner - Santiago, Chile CareerPlan – Vancouver, British Columbia The Regency Group – Nashville, Tennessee Valuar - Buenos Aires, Argentina We are very pleased to expand our global presence by adding such a talented and diverse group of new firms, says David Hemmer, president and chief operating officer of Career Partners International. With our network of more than 160 offices in 20 countries, Career Partners International delivers unparalleled expertise on a world-wide scale while still maintaining our focus on local service tailored to the specific and unique needs of each client. All four of CPI’s new partner firms will...

CPI Partner VantagePoint, Inc., Announces Jonathan P. Davidson as Senior Vice President of Client Services

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:00:00 GMT

OMAHA, NEB. (Mar. 18, 2009) – VantagePoint, Inc., one of Nebraska’s leading outplacement firms, announces today the appointment of Jonathan P. Davidson as Senior Vice President of Client Services. Davidson has nearly 20 years of client development and relationship management experience, primarily in the financial services industry. Previously, Davidson was Vice President and Wealth strategist for US Bank, working with business owners and corporate leaders in development and implementation of wealth management strategies.

“We are very pleased to have Jonathan join the VantagePoint team with his outstanding commitment to delivering the very best in client services,” said Judith Davies, VantagePoint chief executive officer. “In today’s challenging economic times, it is more important than ever for companies to align their people-strategy with their business-strategy to improve overall business performance.”

Davidson is an active member of the Omaha community. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity and the Alegent Health Foundation. Davidson is a graduate of Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.

VantagePoint, Inc. is a leader in talent management and outplacement (www.vantagepointcpi.com) and a member of Career Partners International (CPI), one of the world’s largest providers of talent management solutions with more than 160 offices in 20 countries around the world and serving every state in the United States. Established in 1987, CPI focuses on talent management, outplacement and executive coaching services backed by the expertise and experience of more than 1,600 highly trained professionals. (www.cpiworld.com).

Talent Management Specialists, Hazell & Associates, Appoints Jennifer Collins Ridout as Managing Director

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:00:00 GMT

TORONTO, CANADA (Mar. 11, 2009) – Hazell & Associates, one of Canada’s leading talent management firms, announces today the appointment of Jennifer Collins Ridout as Managing Director. In her new role, Ridout leads the overall management and operation of all service areas and works with the Executive Team to determine the company’s strategic direction.

“Jennifer has an unwavering commitment to continuous improvement and best practice that is so crucial in our industry,” says Mike Hazell, chief executive officer of Hazell & Associates. “In addition to her new responsibilities, Jennifer will serve as our key liaison with Career Partners International which enables us to deliver our services to clients throughout Ontario and around the globe.”

Founded in 1979, Hazell & Associates specializes in acquiring, developing and transitioning human capital. Since its inception, the company has served more than 850 organizations and provided individual talent management programs to more than 15,000 people. The firm’s clients represent a broad spectrum of Canada’s leading organizations in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Hazell & Associates has offices in Toronto, Mississauga and Markham to serve the greater Toronto area and partner offices in ten other locations across Ontario.

Hazell & Associates (www.cpiworld.ca) is an original founder of Career Partners International (CPI), one of the world’s largest providers of talent management solutions with more than 160 offices in 20 countries around the world. Established in 1987, CPI focuses on talent management, outplacement and executive coaching services backed by the expertise and experience of more than 1,600 highly trained professionals. (www.cpiworld.com).

E-learning with SkillSoft

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:16:15 GMT

Have you discovered the advantages of e-learning to partially address the demand for staff training, leadership development, and outplacement services delivery? CPI's SkillSoft e-learning platform can help you realize swift returns on investment. Contact us or use this demo to discover more about e-learning and what it can do for your organization.

Executive Coaching

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:16:02 GMT

With economic and boardroom pressures mounting, ask us how CPI's executive coaches can help executives persevere through the turbulence. CPI's premier executive coaching services combine many features of our broader leadership development programs with the attentive ear of a seasoned executive coach, providing the sounding board needed to implement new strategies.

Outplacement Services

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:15:50 GMT

Let CPI smooth the sometimes rocky road of career transition with our acclaimed outplacement services. Our career consultants develop outplacement strategies that are sensitive to company and individual needs, industry traits, and local business climate. Ask us to explain how CPI's expert career counselors and e-learning environment can benefit outplacement candidates.

OneSource Business Browser Training

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:54:29 GMT

This course is intended for new Business Browser users or those that require refresher training.

The session will provide an opportunity for users to ask questions and learn "hints and tips" in day-to-day use of Business Browser.

2nd Thursday of every month! 2pm Eastern Time

To access the OneSource Business Browser Training

Step 1 Join Conference Call

Dial: 1-866-676-7154
Enter Participant Code: 7623817

Step 2 Join Online Meeting

Click the link: http://e-meetings.verizonbusiness.com/nc/join.php?i=SV147494&p=OneSource&t=c
Enter the required fields
Indicate that you have read the Privacy Policy
Click on Proceed

Conference Details:

Meeting Number: SV147494
Meeting Passcode: OneSource
Meeting Host: JUSTIN CARIGNAN

In the meantime you can also access the OneSource pre-recorded training.
Pre-recorded Training Sessions for OneSource Business Browser
Introduction to the New Business Browser
Profiling a Company

Executive Coaching: Developing Top Performers

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:56:57 GMT

Simply put, Career Partners International has developed the world's premier executive coaching program, delivered through the world's most seasoned executive coaches. Our process combines assessment, feedback and coaching to guide executives in improving their leadership effectiveness and their businesses' bottom line results. Our innovative executive coaching programs, tailored to individual and organizational needs, are appropriate for all top performers - executives, middle managers and other key team members. EXECUTIVE COACHING CASE STUDY Developing Leaders: Helping Female Executives Excel in Male-Dominated Environments Our client was the highest-level female executive in a financial services organization and highly accomplished in this male-dominated industry. For continued career success she realized that she needed to improve her communication and partnering skills to be more effective in working alongside...

CPI Newsletters

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:33:00 GMT

Review our most recent newsletters.

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:15:10 GMT

Untitled Document a img { border: none; } .whitelinks a{ color:#FFF; text-decoration:none; padding-bottom:5px;} .whitelinks a:hover{ color:#FFF; text-decoration:underline;} --> 3rd Quarter 2009 How Many RIF Survivors Will Jump Ship? Success Story Revisit Your Corporate Retirement Strategy - NOW! Where Are the Females Executives? Who's in the News? Ask the Career Coach Success Story When the Ax Hits Home Brad Nelson thought he had landed well when he accepted a position as Senior HR Generalist with a major company in the financial services industry. The last of several additions to the HR staff, Nelson was to focus on recruitment. Things took a major turn in the opposite direction, though. He participated in more than 400 employees being laid off before the ax fell his way. By that time, Nelson was ready to leave. more ...

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:10:01 GMT

CPI In the News - Recent Media Coverage

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:52:42 GMT

Major news outlets around the world turn to CPI partner firms for insight on outplacement and talent management. Recent stories include: November 13, 2009 - mySanAntonio.com, Team provides advice in difficult transitions CPI firm Greene and Associates (San Antonio, TX) on the topic of organizational resilience. August 14, 2009 - San Antonio Business Journal, Stopgap measures CPI firm Greene and Associates (San Antonio, TX) on the topic of using furloughs to save jobs and weather the recession. July 2009 - Diversity Executive, Where Are the Female Executives? CPI firm The Prism Group (Birmingham, AL) President Gerriann Fagan talks about the importance of remaining true to goals to attract and retain top female talent, in spite of the recent attention-diverting economic challenges. April 29, 2009 - The Malaysia Star, Wanted Workers who can multi-task and are ready for any duty. CPI Asia-Pacific Chairman William Ayers is interviewed...

New Horizons - Mapping Your Path to Retirement

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:01:42 GMT

The definition of retirement as we know it is changing. The options are limitless. Only by exploring all these options — in the context of personal circumstances, dreams, and needs — can one begin to develop a retirement plan that brings the fulfillment we aspire to achieve. CPI's New Horizons™ program is an excellent component to consider as part of an employee benefit package, a voluntary retirement program, or an outplacement program. Let us help your employees find their paths. Retirement today doesn’t necessarily mean stopping work. For many it actually becomes a time of major renewal – a time to purposefully refocus and rebalance one’s lifestyle. Career Partners International does not assume any particular type of retirement lifestyle. Instead, our New Horizons program serves participants by helping them identify and plan for new ways of living that speak to individual passions and aspirations. The New Horizons program helps participants who are at any point in their...

Management Team

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:08:27 GMT

Career Partners International is led by an experienced management team, including President and Chief Operating Officer David P. Hemmer and a seven-member Board of Managers, comprised of partner owners. This seasoned team of veterans provides clear vision and direction for CPI. David P. Hemmer, President and Chief Operating Officer Dave is responsible for ensuring that CPI seamlessly delivers the highest quality services to our clients. Prior to joining CPI in 1999, Dave was Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Talent Alliance, a not-for-profit business league focused on Web-based career management and transition support for its members' employees. Member firms included: AT&T, GTE, Unisys, Johnson & Johnson, UPS, TRW, DuPont, Ceridian and Met Life. Prior to the Talent Alliance, Dave held a series of positions over a 28-year career within AT&T. He was a Director within AT&T's human resources organization, the COO of AT&T Microelectronics - Europe, and served...

Creating Goodwill through Career Transition Programs

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:53:01 GMT

The benefits of offering exiting employees quality transition programs far outweigh the costs and risks of not providing them. Effective transition programs result in a happier workforce, more contented ex-employees, and a community that regards you as a good citizen. Since 1987, CPI has aided companies like yours with individualized programs that focus on helping your employees achieve smooth career transitions. We offer both individual and group training and consultation, tailored to your organization's needs. Career Transition In an era where this crucial process is becoming commoditized and impersonal, our experienced consultants provide career transition candidates with one-on-one, face-to-face consulting. Boasting the field's best consultant-candidate ratio, we support our consultant-candidate relationships with state-of-the-art human resources technology, but never let it take the place of human contact. Candidates have access to our Online Career Portal 24/7 to...

Online Career Portal - Session Timeout Fix

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:28:35 GMT

This works for most users. Please use caution when loading any software or making changes to your system settings, or ask a PC Specialist for help to ensure compatability! You must have JavaScript and Cookies enabled in your web browser. The Timeout message appears normally after several hours of inactivity. If the Timeout message prevents you from logging in, it means that cookies or JavaScript is being blocked, or Content Filtering is enabled. Reset Your Browser Settings Apply the Default settings in your web browser to restore the default browser settings: Content Filter Causes Session Timeout: These steps resolve the problem if you have Content Filtering enabled: Open the Tools menu then select Internet Options Select the Content tab If you see the button Disable, press that (you may need to enter your own password) Retry the login. If the problem is resolved by this, you can add to your exception list to Always Allow this site. ...

Career Development Opportunities

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 16:00:00 GMT

Objectives: Poll site visitors about their views on how well they think their companies provide career development opportunities.

Release Date: 14-Apr-05 11:00 AM
Expiration Date: 14-May-05 11:00 AM

Employees often cite career development opportunities as a leading job satisfyer. How would you rate your company?

Our company does a good job of providing career development opportunities.

Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree Nor Disagree
Strongly Agree

Quick Poll

noemail@https://cpiworld.com — Wed, 13 Apr 2005 13:00:00 GMT

Objectives: Goals and Objectives

Release Date: 13-Apr-05 8:00 AM
Expiration Date: 13-May-05 8:00 AM
Survey Content

Change is possibility, and the times with most change always hold the most potential. So we live in an accelerating possibility curve. Perhaps we can't control it, but w

Wed, 23 Nov 2005 00:16:53 GMT

Change is possibility, and the times with most change always hold the most potential. So we live in an accelerating possibility curve. Perhaps we can't control it, but we can learn to ride it like a surfer on a wave or a bird on a thermal, to use its power to take us where we want to go – to live in uncertainty and yet act with confidence.

National Geographic Photographer Dewitt Jones