April 30th, 2013
Ever wonder why some people get ahead and others don’t? Who’s managing your career? Just as your company judges your performance on a regular basis, you need to scrutinize your company to make sure your career is on track and your employer is providing the tools you need to do a good job and learn new skills. It’s in your best interest to ask not only what you are doing for your company but also what your company is doing for you. Here are some questions that may help you evaluate your employer:
- Do you know where you want to go? Continually assess what you are doing now that meets your needs and what you want to be doing one, three and five years from now. Put together a list of goals as well as the skills and experience you will need to achieve them. then make your plans known to those who have authority and power.
- Does your company offer career guidance? Ideal employers nurture their employees’ careers and go out of their way to make sure they know it. When was the last time someone with influence gave you an honest assessment of your prospects? Ask them specifically where they see you in 2 and 5 years and what you can do to get there.
- Does your company encourage career development? Think about whether you get the kinds of assignments, equipment and training that will keep your skills sharp and make you attractive to another employer if you’re laid off or you choose to move on. If appropriate training programs are available, have you been encouraged to apply?
- Does your company offer equal opportunities and challenges? Are you getting visible assignments, in on key meetings, getting the kinds of things that build a broad track record such as participating in start-ups, new product launches, foreign postings? If you haven’t been given developmental assignments, ask your boss if there are any in your future and what you need to do to get them.
- Is your company or division financially fit? A career that’s humming along can easily be derailed by financial setbacks in your industry. Stay tuned for news of mergers or buyouts – pay attention to your company’s bottom line, announcements of cost-control measures or initiatives aimed at re-engineering are often harbingers of lay-offs.
- If you are a woman, how far can you go with your company? Sad to say, even in today’s employment world no matter what your company’s policies say, the best reality check is a look around. Count the women in senior management and consider what titles they hold and the scope of their responsibilities.
- Does your company allow you to balance your professional and personal needs? Weigh factors that might effect balance in your life: Are you satisfied with company policies on vacation, sick leave, overtime, parental/maternity leave? Is it worth it to continually work 10 hour days and 6 day weeks? Are returning mothers taken as seriously as they were pre-pregnancy?
- Are you happy? When bottom line issues have restricted salaries and bonuses, other forms of compensation have become more important. Does your work environment resemble a dysfunctional family, or is the atmosphere crisis ridden?
- What if your company fails this review? Focus on what needs to be addressed even if that means changing jobs. At worst you will detect early signs of an imminent downsizing and determine whether you could be a target. Bear in mind however, that what bothers you at your current job may be typical of your industry so compare what you’ve got with what you are likely to get.
If your company does earn high marks, you can carry on with renewed enthusiasm, knowing that you’re in the right workplace.
Author: Dawn Longshaw, Managing Director Professional Recruitment
February 11th, 2013
People Talk – Dawn Longshaw
While people have always used social networks to find jobs through referrals, the move online has changed the recruitment process considerably. Social media in particular, connects organizations with vast networks of people across a wide range of industry sectors and companies.
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February 11th, 2013
Business in Vancouver- Ask the Experts
It starts with the bigger question – why are they doing what they’re doing? It’s not about providing pool tables, yoga classes or funky offices. While these may be indicative of your corporate culture, this is not what ultimately engages your employees.
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November 07th, 2012
Dawn Longshaw, Managing Director, Professional Recruitment at Vertical Bridge Corporate Consulting will participate on an all-star panel, moderated by UBC Journalism professor and CBC radio host Kathryn Gretsinger in a no-holds-barred discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing higher education in the 21st Century.
Presented by McGill University, the Passport to the Future Tour is a unique series of events taking place in McGill’s key alumni cities around the world. Each event features a panel discussion with experts from the academic, business and technology fields exploring some of the key issues transforming teaching and learning. The Vancouver panelists will discuss what role universities can play in helping students tackle real-world problems, how to find the best balance between book-smart and streetwise learning in the 21st century, how technology is impacting how we teach and learn, and the struggles universities face in finding new sources of funding.
October 15th, 2012
We are pleased to partner with the BC Human Resources Association and the Burnaby Board of Trade for this first ever HR Cafe event for small to medium sized businesses. Come and meet with 7 of our HR experts and talk to them about such topics as succession planning, how to better utilize social media when recruiting, corporate culture and more. Click here to learn more about this event or to register.
September 11th, 2012
We are pleased to announce that Andy Jones has joined the Professional Recruitment practice at Vertical Bridge. Welcome Andy!
May 17th, 2012
The Legalist reminds us that competent HR staff members can add value to companies, protect employers from lawsuits and cut costs in the long run.
My practice frequently involves helping companies with actual or potential claims against or from former employees. Unfortunately for these clients, by the time a claim arises, their options are limited to “damage control,” — essentially just controlling the costs and consequences.
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May 07th, 2012
But some employers still making false assumptions based on stereotypes
By Danielle Harder
While there are some differences between what men and women look for in an employer and a job, they are not all that stark.
That means employers making broad generalizations are taking risks, according to several recruitment experts.
While 63 per cent of recruiters feel there are some distinctions between the sexes, they are subtle and based on many factors including a candidate’s life and career stage, according to an informal survey of 110 recruiters across the country in April by Hays Specialist Recruitment Canada.
“It really comes down to the individual,” says Rowan O’Grady, president of Hays’ Canadian operations. “Women, at a certain stage in their lives, may be concerned with things such as how far they are from school or daycare, and flexibility, while men seem to — at times — place more value on the prestige of the job, for example.”
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April 16th, 2012
Dawn Longshaw hosted the Social Media Recruiting table at the BC HRMA HR Cafe 2012, March 28 at BCIT and lent her expertise to HR students from across the Lower Mainland in addressing the question: How do I evolve my Career in the Field of Human Resources within the current conditions?
August 16th, 2011
Hiring authorities often say that hiring the top performers is at best a 50/50 chance.
When job descriptions are written they usually list requirements for years of experience, education, industry of experience, functional skills and personality traits in addition to outlining the duties to be performed, in essence – creating a template for ‘experience based’ hiring. Read more