HRSentry Joins VT Lake Monsters “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” Program

Posted on July 31, 2009 by admin

The Vermont Lake Monsters are the single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, based in Burlington, VT. In 2009 HRSentry teamed up with their “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” program and will pay for 150 kids from the Burlington area to come out and enjoy a game. The charities we picked to support through this great program are Spectrum Youth and Family Services as well as the Committee On Temporary Shelter(COTS). To learn more about the “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” program as well as the other charitable opportunities available through the Vermont Lake Monsters visit their website by clicking here.

What Not to Say in an Interview

Posted on July 22, 2009 by admin

Interviews and job hunting tend to be incredibley stressful, and in this economy making a good first impression is important. Many people work hard at pefecting their answers for various questions and the last thing you want to do is blow it by giving an embarassing answer that will make you look unprofessional. The following answers to interview questions provided by cnn and careerbuilder.com show some examples of what not to say:

Why did you leave your last job?

“I have a problem with authority.” – Carrie Rocha, COO of HousingLink

Tell us about a problem you had with a co-worker and how you resolved it

“The resolution was we were both fired.”- Jason Shindler, CEO, Curvine Web Solutions

What kind of computer software have you used?

“Computers? Are those the black boxes that sit on the floor next to the desks? My boss has one of those. He uses it. I don’t have one. He just gives me my schedule and I follow it.” – Greg Szymanski, director of human resources, Geonerco Management, Inc

What are your hobbies and interests?

“[He said] ‘Well, as you can see, I’m a young, virile man and I’m single — if you ladies know what I’m saying.’ Then he looked at one of the fair-haired board members and said, ‘I particularly like blondes.’” – Petri R.J. Darby, president, darbyDarnit Public Relations

Why should we hire you?

“I would be a great asset to the events team because I party all the time.” - Bill McGowan, founder, Clarity Media Group

Do you have any questions?

“Cross dressing isn’t a problem is it?” - Barry Maher, Barry Maher & Associates

“If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be?” – Megan Garnett, Articulate Leadership Team, Articulate Communications Inc.

“What do you want me to do if I cannot walk to work if it’s raining? Can you pick me up?” – Christine Pechstein, career coach

“I was a Chamber of Commerce Executive once hiring a secretary. [The candidate asked] ‘What does a Chamber of Commerce do?’” – Mary Kurek, Mary Kurek, Inc. Visibility Consulting

“Can we wrap this up fairly quickly? I have someplace I have to go.” - Bruce Campbell, vice president of marketing, Clare Computer Solutions

“What is your company’s policy on Monday absences?” – Campbell

“If this doesn’t work out can I call you to go out sometime?” – Christine Bolzan, founder of Graduate Career Coaching

“How big do the bonuses really get once you make associate? I hear it’s some serious cash.” - Bolzan

“[The candidate asked,] ‘Can my dad call you to talk about the job and the training program? He is really upset I’m not going to medical school and wants someone to explain the Wall Street path to him.’ The dad did call. Then that dad’s friends called and I ended up doing a conference call with a group of concerned parents … long story.” – Bolzan

“If I get an offer, how long do I have before I have to take the drug test?” - Bolzan

“When you do background checks on candidates, do things like public drunkenness arrests come up?” – Bolzan

“Can I get a tour of the breast pumping room? I heard you have a great one here and while I don’t plan on having children for at least 10 or 12 years, I will definitely breast feed and would want to use that room.”- Bolzan

“So, how much do they pay you for doing these interviews?” – Jodi R.R. Smith, Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting

Why are you leaving your current job?

“Because I (expletive) my pants every time I enter the building.” – Abbe Mortimore, Human Resources Manager, True Textiles, Inc.

“I was fired from my last job because they were forcing me to attend anger management classes.” - Smith

Federal Minimum Hourly Wage Increases to $7.25

Posted on July 16, 2009 by admin

Effective July 24 2009, the Federal Minimum Wage for covered non-exempt employees will rise from $6.55 to $7.25 per hour. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, which amended the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), provided for phased-in increases ultimately reaching $7.25. Many States also have minimum wage laws. Employers are required to pay whichever is highest, federal or state. Get all state the state and federal employment laws at HRSentry.

To access and print free Federal minimum wage posters click here: https://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/regs/compliance/posters/flsa.htm (The poster covers three years, 2007, 20008, and 2009)

Free Webinar on USERRA June 16th

Posted on July 13, 2009 by admin

Join us on June 16th at 2 pm ETD for a webinar on USERRA presented by Brenda Sabin. USERRA is a complicated and often overlooked act that requires employers to treat uniformed services members a little differently when they are called to active duty or are attending trainings. Do you have the USERRA poster conspicuously located? Do you apply the rules of USERRA consistently and fairly? Are you aware of all the rules of USERRA? Learn how USERRA may impact your organization and what changes have occured that may make your policies obsolete. Click here to sign up now.

Decreased Job Satisfaction Comes with Recession

Posted on July 8, 2009 by admin

As the recession continues and the job market weakens, those “lucky” people who have not been laid off are feeling the side effects. Each time an organization is forced to let go of an employee their repsonsibilities are passed on to other workers, often times with little to no training. This leads to longer hours, more work, and many times no raises or even pay cuts. While these overburdened employees are much better off then their unemployed counterparts, the situation can be discouraging.

A recent poll conducted by the Adecco Group showed that 54% of employed americans plan to look for a new job once the economy improves. This means for employers that it is important to stay connected with employees and try to give them resources and opportunities to learn the new skills required for tasks being forced upon them. It also is important to have honest discussions about the company as well as their future. By ignoring employees during this hard time organizations will end up losing their best talent once the job market improves.

So what to do in the meantime? Some advice given to employees who find themselves overworked and underpaid as reported on CNN:

Disgruntled workers shouldn’t necessarily switch jobs the first chance they get, said Joanie Ruge, senior vice president of Adecco Group North America. Before jumping ship, Ruge recommends that workers approach their employers first. “If you’re feeling a little bit burnt out you should talk to your employer about flexibility or working from home,” she said.

As conditions improve, business owners may be willing to offer flexible work hours, telecommuting or other perks to hold on to their top talent. In the meantime, “try to play chess when the world is handing you checkers,” suggests Rusty Rueff, career and workplace expert for Glassdoor.com. Workers struggling with increased workloads can take this opportunity to partner with their coworkers, become a team leader, take on more responsibility at a higher level and expand their skill set.

“This is a tremendous time to experiment in the jobs they are in,” Rueff said. “Make the most out of it.”