Topics covered included:

The world has changed with a) higher unemployment, b) more people chasing fewer jobs (including unemployed college graduates), c) tenures are shorter, and d) today’s employees need to demonstrate their mastery of the Four Pillars of Employable Talent:

*Whether innate, learned, or acquired, Resilience enhances a person’s adaptability in the face of unwelcome developments.

*The ability to stay Balanced allows employable talent to see the broader picture, compete for careers, and complete successful career transitions.

*Strategic Career Planning can keep a person employable by offering alternative game plans and by minimizing transition uncertainty. This is not a matter of “if” but “when”.

*Employable talent seeks out professional assistance in conducting Active Financial Planning to ensure they are knowledgeable about their situations for both the long and short term.

Recent changes (i.e. soaring unemployment, increased job seekers after fewer jobs, tenures shrinking, “at-will” employment changing agreements between employer-employee) have redefined the concept of “employability”.

68% of employers have taken steps during the past year to retain some of their best executives, managers, future leaders, and those who work on the front lines. That is because turnover has already increased at 30% of surveyed companies and most are bracing for more employee exits in the coming year, according to the survey:

* 90% are concerned about losing high-potential employees

* 72% are worried about departing front-line workers (sales and service employees)

* 60% are apprehensive about middle managers leaving

* 45% are uneasy about senior-level executives exiting

“Most employers have initiated measures to hang on to their best talent. They realize if retention is a problem with a high unemployment rate, it will only get worse once more jobs become available if they don’t do something to entice employees to remain,” said Robyn Crigger, Managing Partner of OI Partners-Compass Career Management Solutions.

“Companies are most concerned about losing employees who they have designated as their future leaders and those who directly work with customers. Job opportunities have already increased for these levels of workers and competition for the best ones will become more fierce, as well as for those who manage them,” Crigger added.

The most difficult types of workers to retain are: operations and production (chosen by 30%), sales and marketing (27%), customer service (24%), accounting and finance (22%) and information services (20%).

Coaching programs, better compensation and benefits and tuition reimbursement are among the top retention methods employers are using to retain management employees and future leaders.

“Providing coaching to employees in how to become better managers is as important a signal of investing in their career development as are salary and benefit increases,” said Crigger.

Employers are using primarily non-financial methods to retain those who work on the front lines, including selecting them more carefully, giving departing employees exit interviews, and providing better orientation and training.

The methods companies are using to retain employees are:

- High-potential workers: The top ways that companies are trying to retain high-potential employees are through better compensation and benefits (43% of respondents), coaching programs (40%), mentoring programs (38%) and tuition reimbursement (37%).

- Middle managers: The most popular retention methods companies are using for middle managers are coaching programs (35%), tuition reimbursement (30%), better compensation and benefits (30%), and flexible hours and schedules (24%).

- Senior-level executives: Coaching programs are the top way companies are trying to retain senior-level executives (37%), followed by stock options (32%), profit-sharing (27%), better compensation and benefits (24%), and retention bonuses (18%).

- Front-line workers: 50% of employers said they are selecting front-line workers more carefully as the top retention method. Other popular retention methods are: giving exit interviews (48%), better orientation and training (35%), tuition reimbursement (34%), and better compensation and benefits (26%).

OI Partners received responses from 174 organizations with locations throughout North America.

About OI Partners

OI Partners is a leading global coaching and leadership development and consulting firm that helps individuals find new careers and employers to improve the performance of their employees and organizations.

OI Partners specializes in career transition programs, executive coaching, leadership development, and other staffing solutions. The company was established in 1987 and is now located in 200 offices in 27 countries with close to 100 U.S. offices.

Please visit www.compasscareer.com or call 704-849-2500.

When: Tuesday March 27, 6-8pm

Where: Charlotte North Learning Center, 10925 David Taylor Drive Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28262

A strong resume can be the most powerful tool in your job hunting arsenal. Don’t let this unique learning opportunity pass you by.

“Our Resume Essentials Workshop at the North LC was a huge success! Over 35 students and alumni attended the workshop, which was facilitated by Bill Crigger. The students had extremely positive feedback to share and are looking forward to the final session in the career series – First Impressions: Your Brand!”

Shannon Eckard
Campus Director

University of Phoenix
Charlotte Campus

The number of people leaving their jobs is growing as job openings increase:

• Quits Up 20%: The number of people voluntarily leaving their jobs is 20 percent higher than two years ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (1.92 million workers quit their jobs in December 2011 compared with 1.6 million in December 2009.)
• Job Openings Up 42%: The number of available jobs is 42 percent higher than two years ago (December 2009), according to the BLS. (There were 3.38 million job openings in December 2011 compared with 2.38 million in December 2009.)

“People spend much more time trying to find a new job than they do planning a proper exit,” said Robyn Crigger, Managing Partner of OI Partners-Compass Career Management Solutions. “However, with pent-up anxiety building over the past few years due to the poor job market, people need to be cautious about leaving abruptly, badly, or not doing as much as they can to ensure a smooth transition.”

“You can never be sure how secure any job is. It’s important that you leave positive professional impressions with every employer so you can receive a good reference and keep the door open to returning if ever necessary,” added Crigger.

Here are the 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Leaving a job: 

1. Slighting your boss. Make sure your immediate supervisor is the first one you notify about leaving. “Do not tell co-workers before informing your boss. Do this in person – not by email or phone – and in private. Do not be overly happy or joyous about leaving, but express some regret and communicate how much you enjoyed working there,” said Crigger.

2. Burning bridges: Do not leave on a sour note and be bitter or angry about actual or perceived slights such as being passed over for promotion or inadequately compensated. “This may come back to haunt you. It’s also not a time to tell supervisors and co-workers ‘what you think of them,’” noted Crigger.

3. Not giving sufficient notice. Two weeks’ notice is customary for staff positions. Managers and executives may need to give more notice to ensure a smooth handoff.  An alternative is to ask how much notice they would prefer and see if this can be worked out with your new employer.

4. Not offering to train or recruit your replacement. If your replacement has been selected before you leave, offer to train him or her. If no successor has been chosen, volunteer to use your knowledge of the job to help choose a replacement.

5. Failure to thank employer: Thank your employer for the great career opportunity. “After departing, write a thank you note stating how much you enjoyed working for the company and your manager, what you learned and how much you value the experience,” said Crigger.

6. Not participating in an exit interview: “Participate in an exit interview especially if you want a good reference in the future. Treat the exit interview as seriously as a hiring interview and focus on the benefits the new position presents for you and your career – and not the shortcomings of the job you are leaving or anyone working there,” stated Crigger.

7. Not making a clean break: Leave professionally and do not take proprietary information with you.”It is your reputation that will still stay with your ex employer. Assure them you will not be soliciting other employees to leave,” added Crigger.

8. Leaving unfinished work. Be sure you complete all of the work that can reasonably be expected within your time remaining. Do not slack off or start arriving late and leaving early.

9. Unwilling to answer questions. Volunteer to answer questions related to the job you are leaving for a short period after departing.

10. Not staying in touch with your boss and co-workers after you leave. “Keep in contact with them to maintain your career network and bolster getting a good reference. Offer to serve as a reference and networking source for them,” Crigger said.

About OI Partners

OI Partners–Compass Career Management Solutions is a leading global coaching and leadership development and consulting firm that helps individuals find new careers and employers to improve the performance of their employees and organizations.

OI Partners specializes in career transition programs, executive coaching, leadership development, and other staffing solutions. The company was established in 1987 and is now located in 200 offices in 27 countries with close to 100 U.S. offices.

Please visit www.compasscareer.com or call 704-849-2500.

Those interested in attending need to RSVP at http://infointerviewcharlotte.eventbrite.com or call 704-501-3087. This two-hour, interactive Career Workshop is being facilitated by University of Phoenix Charlotte Campus Director, Shannon Eckard, and UOP Faculty, Bill Crigger (President of Compass Career Management Solutions-OI Partners).

In today’s intense job market, this program is a great opportunity to prepare to be as effective as possible for future interviews.

I received a message from a reader this past week who described that very scenario. She was laid off in June of last year, she hasn’t worked since, and she’s feeling very isolated. She misses having face-to-face contact and wanted to know of job support groups that may offer her an outlet.

The great news for her is that there are great, supportive and engaging groups in our area with facilitators who are passionate about helping. Something interesting has happened, though, in the past year or so. Many of the groups have seen dwindling attendance. Some have decided for now that their mission is complete.

Bill Crigger is president and managing partner at Compass Career Management Solutions-OI Partners in Charlotte. He and his wife, Robyn, are active in job support groups, including Charlotte Professionals, which Bill helps lead in two locations twice monthly.

“In 2009, we had 60 people attending the group. People came in and you almost needed a bull horn,” he said. “Now we’re averaging about eight people at both locations.”

The good news in that number is, at least on the surface, it looks like more folks are finding work. One way Crigger gauges hiring is by looking at human resource jobs. “Those are jobs you don’t have to fill. I’ve seen more HR jobs since November than the two years prior totaled together,” he said. “Why hire training people if you don’t plan on growing?” It looks like companies are growing.

Even with an uptick in hiring, job support groups remain an invaluable resource in our community. They offer motivation, opportunities to network and even a chance to talk one on one with a facilitator or guest speaker.

“It helps the individual realize that they are not alone. That is huge,” added Crigger. It also gets you out of the house. Crigger advised going to several different groups.

“Pick one closest to you. Pick two farther away and attend those meetings. Then find one that seems to fit you,” he said. “Go from south Charlotte maybe up to Davidson. You may not know people up there. You’ll immediately expand your network potential.”

If you’re interested in either attending or helping with a career support group, you can access an updated roster at cits.groupsite.com/main/ from Rich Sauser, founder of Charlotte-based The Public You. There is a highlighted link to the list there on the home page.

It’s still a good idea to call or email the listed contact to make sure the group is meeting and that the location hasn’t changed. To the reader who sparked this column, good luck in your journey. I hope you find a group that offers you the opportunity to network and the motivation to launch a successful search.

On a side note, Rich Sauser is conducting a survey related to job support groups. One goal is to get more specific information about why some have seen attendance drop. The information will then be used to help leaders better focus their mission for the needs of job seekers in the current economy. You can access the questionnaire on the above-mentioned website.

To reach Bill Crigger, check out his company’s website at www.compasscareer.com

Copyright 2012 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/29/2965389/theres-still-support-for-job-seekers.html#storylink=cpy

The national telephone poll of 637 working Americans was conducted on behalf of Workplace Options, a Raleigh-based consulting firm. The results showed that 77 percent of workers felt the millennial generation has a different attitude toward workplace responsibility than other age groups. Millennials are people born primarily in the 1980s and early 1990s, who started coming of age at the new millennium.

Furthermore, 68 percent said they think millennial workers are less motivated to take on responsibility and produce quality work; 46 percent said they think millennials are less engaged at work than others.

Bill Crigger, President of Charlotte-based Compass Career Management Solutions, said he hears of such conflicts when talking with human-resources professionals.

“Part of it is just how fast technology and workplaces are changing,” said Crigger, 62. “Anytime there’s a large influx of people into the workforce, it changes.”

Many conflicts, Crigger said, originate because of differing attitudes about corporate cultures. Older workers expected to climb a career ladder, he said. “I literally sat in chair one, then moved to chair two, and so on,” Crigger said. “(Young workers) are not interested in climbing a ladder. They’ve been raised under the tech gurus, the whole ‘anyone can do this in a garage’ mindset. Other generations find that a little frustrating.”

Workplace Options said the poll’s results could be partially due to timing. “The attitudes reflected in this poll may stem, in part, from the responsibilities younger workers typically have as more junior employees, but this is certainly a trend to monitor,” said Workplace Options CEO Dean Debnam, in a statement.

Respondents in the millennial generation didn’t grade themselves much better, the poll found. Fifty-four percent said peers in their age group are less motivated to take on responsibility, and 34 percent said millennial workers are less engaged than others.

The one area where everyone agreed they had an edge is technology – 78 percent said millennials have an advantage.