|  BEST-PAYING
STATES FOR WOMEN NAMED: Women in the District
of Columbia, Maryland, and New Jersey enjoyed the highest
median income in the nation in 2007, according to the
U.S. Census Bureau. Michigan ranked 18th on the list,
with a median income of $34,849. Those in the District
of Columbia earned $49,364, compared to $44,022 in Maryland,
and $42,221 in New Jersey. Women in Montana had the
lowest median earnings at $26,598. The median earnings
for women throughout the United States in 2007 were
$34,278. To read more, click
here.
THE
RESULTS-ONLY WORK ENVIRONMENT: In recent years,
profits were sluggish at Linda Skoglund's insurance
and investment advisory firm in New Richmond, Wis.,
and the company was lagging 15 percent behind industry
benchmarks for revenue per employee. According to a
story in Inc., Skoglund began conducting more
comprehensive performance reviews, upped the company's
sales goals, trimmed expenses, and eliminated some positions.
But the changes had only a minimal impact on the bottom
line. So last spring, she decided to implement a new
way of managing called ROWE, or a results-only work
environment. It led to better morale, more productivity,
and happier employees. To read more,
click here.
 ONLINE
JOB SEEKERS YOUNG, EDUCATED, DIVERSE: Recent
research by Scarborough Research has found that online
job seekers generally are young, educated, and racially
diverse, Dow Jones MarketWatch reports. Based
on the findings by the New York-based consumer and media
research firm, online job searchers are 62 percent more
likely than the total population to be between ages
18 and 34, 23 percent more likely to have at least some
college education, and 47 percent more likely to be
African American. The study also found that those who
are already employed are more likely to conduct online
job searches than those who are not, and that white-collar
workers (68 percent) are more likely to conduct online
job searches than blue-collar workers (32 percent).
To read more,
click here.
MORE
COMPANIES TESTING APPLICANTS FOR PERSONALITY, ABILITY:
In their search for the right employee-position
fit, an increasing number of midsize and large companies
are using personality and ability assessments for entry
and midlevel positions, according to a recent Wall
Street Journal article. Some companies use the
tests as a way to perform pre-employment screens, while
others use them as part of the new-hire orientation
process. Such assessments have long been used in the
retail industry, but they increasingly are used in other
sectors, including technology, finance, and health care.
Proponents say that the right assessment tool can help
reduce turnover by up to 50 percent. To read more,
click here.
TALENT
ACQUISITION STILL A CHALLENGE FOR MANY COMPANIES: Employers
are not only struggling to find the right kind of people
for the job, they're also unsure how to measure the
quality of a hire once they're on board, says a recent
study by the Aberdeen Group of Boston. But the payoffs
are big for companies that have a successful talent
acquisition program. Based on the study, “Talent
Acquisition Strategies: Employer Branding and Quality
of Hire Take Center Stage,” successful organizations
had improved quality of hire on average by 32 percent,
and increased employee retention on average by 21 percent.
To read more,
click here.
COMPANY RECRUITERS
SWAMPED WITH FLOOD OF APPLICANTS: Recruiters
at large companies are processing an average of 23 applicants
per job opening, compared to about 12 for mid-sized
organizations, according to a recent survey of 500 senior
HR executives by ADP Employer Services, a supplier of
HR, payroll, and administration benefits administration
services. The survey also found that recruiters spend
30 percent of their time trying to find qualified candidates.
Based on the findings, turnover of hourly positions
(27 percent) at large companies is nearly double that
of salaried positions (14 percent). By contrast, mid-sized
companies reported a 22 percent annual turnover rate
of hourly workers compared to 10 percent of salaried
employees. To read more,
click here.
AARP TOOL HELPS
COMPANIES ASSESS DEMOGRAPHIC, SKILL GAPS:
HR professionals now have a new tool to help them determine
the impact of the aging workforce on their organizations,
outline current company practices and policies, and
create a work environment that meets the needs of all
generations in the workforce. The AARP assessment, which
takes about 30 minutes, includes questions about the
company culture, existing programs, organizational structure,
and demographics. When the user has completed the questionnaire,
he or she receives a report that outlines the demographics
of their organization, skill shortages, and steps they
need to take to prepare for the future. For more,
click here.
WORLDWIDE AUTOMOTIVE REPORT PODCAST: Bracing
for another rough sales report. Hyundai says it will
hit fuel economy goals five years early. GM seeks out
bloggers to help the company tell its story. 
BE OUR FRIEND ON FACEBOOK: The Daily Dash
now has a profile page and a group on Facebook. If you
have a Facebook account (or have been looking for a
reason to set one up), we'd like to hear from you. To
visit the Daily Dash profile, click
here.
|
have a related podcast at 
Richard Sheridan sits at a desk in the middle of
Menlo Innovations with the rest of his employees
– the CEO of the award-winning Ann Arbor software
company has no corner office. In fact, no one at Menlo
has their own office, cubicle, desk, or computer. Almost
everything at the seven-year-old company is shared –
even the jobs themselves.
U.S.
workers can expect skimpy raises in their base salaries
next year, but top performers may still fatten their
paychecks with merit compensation.
