How will the benefits extension impact the economy and those unemployed job seekers? While Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke noted an “unusually uncertain” economic recovery, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expects the extension will help spur spending and inject much needed money into the economy and that this will help generate more jobs.

As Rusty Rueff, Glassdoor career and workplace expert advises, “Do not think we are out of the woods yet.” According to a recent Glassdoor Employment Confidence Survey, less than half (45%) of employees surveyed report that their company’s outlook will improve in the next six months.  While company outlook has improved, 39% of employees expected improvement this time last year, many are still wary about their employer’s future. In fact, one out of ten (10%) employees expect their company outlook to worsen in the coming months.

The survey also showed that 74% of employees note that their career has been impacted in the last two years. Of these, more than one-third (37%) say their raise or bonus has been smaller or eliminated, and 31% note they have taken on more work without compensation. So for job seekers, concessions may need to be made in order to find work, and salary expectations will need to be adjusted to a ‘new normal.’

One-third (34%) of those unemployed but looking for work already note they would be willing to take a more junior job for less pay. If a skilled worker takes a junior job, that leaves less-qualified candidates, i.e., recent high school or college graduates, without a starter level position, creating intense competition and a viscous cycle for those trying to break into a job or career.

The extension of jobless benefits is a positive step to help keep many American families afloat while looking for a permanent position, but it still means the job market is likely to remain highly competitive in the coming months. As we hear from employees and job seekers on Glassdoor, researching salary packages in today’s market is valuable when pricing your skills and experience for a job opportunity at hand.  While it’s good the government is taking action to help those negatively impacted by the economy, this should be a warning sign to job seekers and employees that now is an especially critical time to get more informed about jobs, companies and what’s fair in this market.

Unemployment Benefits Extended: Good News But A Band-Aid Solution is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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2. Is No News Good News With Unemployment Rate?
3. Employees Mixed On Expectations For 2011 Raises; Reported Layoffs Fall Yet Cuts To Health And Dental Benefits Rise

In the meantime, here is an idea that might help, without government subsidies or any taxpayer money… This initiative would be all of us helping each other out and participating in our own support in getting people back to work.  This initiative revolves around reducing one of the largest barriers that get in the way of hiring and that is the cost of hiring someone new. The creation of a new job or the replacement of someone in a job, there is always the consideration of hiring costs.  And, when the cost is too high then reluctance comes into the equation.  How can we take down this hiring barrier?

Hiring Advice for Retained and Contingency Search Firms: I have never been one who thinks that the low-cost producer is the best search firm. I also see a place for search firms going forward as there is certain talent and certain jobs that need a search firm to assist them along the way.  That said, in this business the hardest part of the work is sourcing the candidates and doing the research to come up with a short-list of people. This is where the cost is within this business.  What if these recruiting firms were to take their cost down by a 1/3 to a 1/2 of the costs if the company agrees to hire someone who is unemployed? These people are available, easy to know, and quicker to hire.  Is there a possibility that recruiting firms could lower their prices because they are able to lower their internal costs, thereby making the same margin but passing the savings along to the employers so that they can hire more easily and more affordably.

Hiring Advice for Recruiting Process Outsourcers (RPOs): RPOs place tens to hundreds of thousands of people into jobs.  There are somewhere around 15 large RPOs in this country who already run on a very slim 10%-ish profit margin, so there is not a lot of room for cost reduction, but even they could help in some cost reduction.  What they could do is ensure that that there is an easy flow of the unemployed to the open and available jobs. What an RPO does so successfully is that they can scale and hire 1000’s of people in a matter of weeks. So, jobs can come and be filled before everyone knows that they are there. What if the RPOs were to come together and work with the unemployment agencies in every state to work off the unemployment rolls to tap into?  If we could make those two sets of databases talk to each other seamlessly and havethe RPOs report the number of unemployed people being placed it could be a huge confidence boost to those who are unemployed and also signal to employers that there is a fast and available way to reach these people and still get the quality levels needed.

Hiring Advice for Employers: How do we change the perception that hiring someone who is unemployed today is okay and that the quality of that person is not tainted because they are out of work? It is human nature to want what we can’t have and much of the recruiting industry is here because of that principle.  Firms are hired to root out employed people who are not looking for a job because they are thought to be better than someone who is not employed. What if that perception changed and the employers could ask for a price reduction (or demand them) because they were open to or desiring to take someone off of the unemployment line.  We are in a time where it is not universally true that the employed are the better people.  We have seen sweeping layoffs and companies going under because of far-reaching economic issues.  Great and good people have lost their jobs and now are living in a place where they can’t find other employment.  We need to look at them through a different filter and appreciate the talent within the country who just need another chance.

None of this costs a taxpayer a dollar.  All this takes is an emphasis being put, by everyone, on getting people back to work, by helping each other out.  Our government has some issues in the area of working together; we in the private sector can overcome differences and can assist each other and make a real difference!

If you are an employer or a recruiter, do you have your stories and ideas on how we can all work together to get people back to work by working together?

Hiring Advice For Employers, Recruiters & Talent Search Firms To Help Reduce Unemployment Rate is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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2. The End To Unemployment Benefits; Advice For Working Through Unemployment
3. Unemployment Rate Continues to Rise

• Tax credits. As it did with incentives this year for people to buy cars or houses, Congress may dangle cash in front of employers who hire. The liberal Economic Policy Institute estimates that if the Treasury refunds 15 percent of new wage costs in 2010, and 10 percent in 2011, the result could be 3 million jobs next year and 2 million in 2011. Some experts argue the credit won’t be that successful.
• Just wait, jobs will come back. The first Obama administration stimulus package of $787 billion is still only partly spent. That, plus a nascent consumer recovery, will generate job growth next year, some economists say. And there’s this tough-love recipe for jobs: Let US wage rates adjust downward, so that the demand for labor comes into balance with supply. That’s a process that tends to be slow, however.

These are interesting ideas, and as the Obama administration strives to find the right balance to create a significant job recovery, there are important tools and tips job seekers should remain aware of as they look to find work and a fair paycheck. If you are actively searching for work, here are some things to consider to help make more informed decisions that impact your career:

• Keep an Eye Out for Employers Who Receive Tax Benefits for Hiring. As Glassdoor Career & Workplace Rusty Rueff expert outlined this past September, “If you are in a situation where it is time to make a change, or by necessity a relocation, in order to find work, then follow the money of state tax incentives and research what companies are reaping the rewards from those incentives as those company may be a good place to look for your next job.”
• Don’t Just Assume You Know What Your Salary Should Be: As the Christian Science Monitor reports, some economists believe that US wages will go down in order to better match current supply. Glassdoor can help in providing insights into current base salaries, bonuses and other forms of compensation for specific jobs at specific companies from those in the know – the employees.
• Evaluate Your Salary Range: You may have earned a healthy salary before the economy took a nose dive and you lost your job, but be realistic in knowing the value of the services you offer and what your earning threshold is. What this means is know your salary range: what is the lowest offer you could take in order to simply make ends meet? What is fair compensation in your mind given the skills and experience you hold?
• Research the Competition: As you get into negotiations with a potential employer over salary, know what you could earn for the same job at a competitor.  Businesses still recognize that in order to stay ahead they must beat out the competition and if you have the opportunity to attract a company and its competitor, know who will pay you the best for the talent you offer.
• Stay Current: You may be saying, “But I check the job boards and attend job fairs constantly – I know what’s out there.” But looking for work is just a part of the overall job search process, especially with all the cutbacks that have occurred within the past 18 months. When was the last time you knew what the going rate was for your job? Keep a fresh look out on Glassdoor to stay up on how others in your field or company are being compensated.

Obama Jobs Summit Stirs Questions Over Salary Awareness is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. Obama Salary Caps and Transparency
2. Obama Extends Benefits for Domestic Partners of Federal Employees. How Does Your Company Rate?
3. Obama Political Win Means Job Loss and Job Win

So what’s it like within the walls of a health care plan company in America today? We selected a UnitedHealth Group company review as the winner of the May review of the month to help give a better idea.  The review provides an overall look into what’s working at UnitedHealth Group and what needs improvement. As of today, UnitedHealth Group receives a 2.7 company rating (neutral) and CEO Steve Hemsley receives a low 20% approval rating and a 43% disapproval rating. This winning review from a Technical Support Analyst in Minneapolis, MN gives a pretty interesting snapshot into the private health care plan industry.

What’s Working:

• Job Security

“We will always need healthcare and will only continue to need more of it as time goes on. With that, all these kinds of jobs are here to stay. The company seems to make money which is not a bad place to be in the current economy.”

“I am never worried about my job being outsourced somewhere else.”

• Amount of Paid Time Off

“I get something like 23 days/yr of PTO (good for sick time or vacation) and I’ve rarely had problems getting days off when I need them”

What Can be Improved:

• Creativity and Ingenuity

“My job is starting to feel really repetitive. There are many problems which get farmed out to workgroups and I don’t get to really fix anything.”

• Work appreciation

“All the management cares about are metrics like call handle times. They don’t seem to care if we go above-and-beyond in quality, in trying to fix a chronic or recurring problem or if we try to diffuse some other problem that some other goofball caused.”

• Language and cultural barriers

“I get calls from contractors overseas and they are often hard to work with due to language/cultural barriers, phone line quality, incongruities in how corporate stature is treated in other cultures and sometimes general arrogance.”

• Company morale

“Someone else in another review summed it up – everyone here would rather work somewhere else…Here – people feel like a number.”

• Benefits Package

“For being a health insurance company, they are really chintzy on their health benefits. Get rid of the consumer-driven plans, give me something real!”

Advice for Senior Management:

This company review offers some straightforward advice by simply stating: “Give me something to work for and I will work like a machine to earn it.”

To read more feedback from this employee, visit the entire company review here. Do you work in health care? Tell us what you think about Obama’s proposal and the impact it will have on your job.

The Business Behind Your Health Care Plan: An Insider’s Perspective is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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With this step forward for government jobs, we were curious which private-sector employers offer domestic partner benefits. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) provides a list of private companies that offer such – more than 8,600 businesses are listed. HRC reports that in 2008, 39% of Fortune 1000 companies and 83% of Fortune 100 companies offer partner benefits. For example, Expedia (Fortune 699; 3.4 Company Rating) offers comprehensive health benefits to: opposite-sex spouses, same-sex partners and opposite-sex partners. To top it off, the benefits package at Expedia is frequently noted as a ‘Pro’ among the company reviews on Glassdoor. In fact, close to 20% of Expedia company reviews favorably comment on the benefits offered by the organization.

While Glassdoor is not on the Fortune 1000 list – yet – we were disappointed there wasn’t a public list to promote our domestic partner benefits and figured there are many smaller companies in the same boat.  Does your company offer domestic partner benefits and is not included on the HRC website? We’d love to help you promote the benefit to prospective employees.  Let us know by commenting on this post or tweeting @glassdoordotcom. Please be sure to provide the employer name, URL and the location of the headquarters.  Our hope is greater transparency will help contribute to equal rights for all.

Obama Extends Benefits for Domestic Partners of Federal Employees. How Does Your Company Rate? is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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1. Unemployment Benefits Extended: Good News But A Band-Aid Solution
2. Employees Mixed On Expectations For 2011 Raises; Reported Layoffs Fall Yet Cuts To Health And Dental Benefits Rise
3. Obama Jobs Summit Stirs Questions Over Salary Awareness

We were curious to see how corporate leaders fare against current and most recent US leaders according to their respective communities, whether its voters or employees. Using MSNBCs Gallup poll and Glassdoor’s CEO ratings, we did some analysis to see how ratings for Obama and the previous ten Presidents on their 100^th day in office compared to the 25 top rated CEOs (with more 100 reviews). We discovered that there are 13 CEOs who receive higher approval ratings than Obama.  World-famous Apple CEO Steve Jobs takes top spot with a 91% approval rating…perhaps if Obama invented the next iPod he’d be set for a second term!?!

President John F. Kennedy is the only US leader to make it in the top 5 on this list below based on his approval rating on his 100^th day in office. And, we see that of this recent list of Presidents, H.W. Bush, Clinton and Ford had the lowest approval ratings at this point in time during their respective tenures.

Taking a deeper dive beyond approval ratings, it’s interesting to see the commonalities between the public and the private sector. As we read through recent Apple company reviews, we found many employees commenting in their ‘advice to senior management’ that they just wanted to be heard. For example, an Apple Technical Support Agent writes in “Listen to the folks on the front lines.” Something we’re sure both President Obama and the leaders before him have often heard as well.

And as a final yet important note, we realize running a country is perhaps a bit more difficult than running a corporation, but this does bring up the question: ‘To what extent do ratings signify when it comes to the long term success of leader?’

How Obama and his Predecessors Approval Ratings Compare to Top Rated CEOs is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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When we last reported in December on the CEOs for the three major US auto manufacturers, we analyzed employee sentiment around the pending government bailout and found that many employees had pride for their jobs and work but were frustrated – and even embarrassed – with the current situation, the number of management layers and poor decision-making processes.

It’s interesting that throughout the past three months, all CEO approval ratings have increased at least 2 percentage points and most of the companies’ ratings remained stable except for a very slight drop at Ford and GM.

Focusing back on GM’s Rick Wagoner, our question becomes whether or not employees sensed this impending change. According to some employees a change within management was the right thing to do.

Just a couple weeks ago, a General Motor’s Product Manager (Detroit, MI) writes in “Do some serious house cleaning within the Exec ranks before the company implodes.”

We also observed a General Motors Marketing Manager (Detroit, MI) comment that “market conditions are making it very stressful – also still a lot of old school management style – more and more is going away though…”

So what can General Motors do moving forward to improve? Employees provide the following suggestions:

“Look at the long term view of the company. In all my years with the company, everything was always looked at in the short term.” – General Motors Senior Manufacturing Engineer (Flint, MI)

“Listen to your employees who are doing the job, quit [smothering] them with meetings and paperwork.” – General Motors Maintenance General Supervisor (Location n/a)

“Quit pulling from the same schools unless you want the same results. Decentralize if you want plants to compete against one another to see who is really the best!!!” – General Motors Manufacturing Engineer (Detroit, MI)

“Give people a chance to perform. Don’t assume they need to have ‘Manager’ or ‘Director’ in their title to be capable of good-decision making.” – Anonymous (Detroit, MI)

“The geographic location of GM limits the talent it can attract. Move to an attractive location and reap the financial benefits (and cull the workforce). The very best employees can work wherever they want. Very few will want to live in the Detroit area.” – General Motors Senior Systems Analyst (Location n/a)

President Obama is expected to make a formal announcement later today about his plans for Chrysler and GM, which have already been given $17.4 billion. In a CNN report, it states that GM will get 60 days and Chrysler 30 days in which to make a final push toward proving they can run viable businesses. If Chrysler succeeds, it will receive a $6 billion loan. In GM’s case, the officials would not specify how much money the carmaker might receive.

GM CEO Ousted; CEO Approval Ratings Were Up is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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(Since the equal pay act was passed, this is specifically important to women) If you are in the engineering field or suspect you may be paid less than your peers, you have every right to ask the “why” questions and make an inquiry of your supervisor/manager.  As someone who has sat on the employer side for many years, I can tell you that many things like performance ratings, practical experience or skill set, seniority and even something like location, will often affect overall compensation packages.  And most of these are invisible to anyone other than the manager, HR and the specific employee. The challenge is to wade through what’s performance, skill-related or retention-based inequities versus the things outside of an employee’s control.  For example, Lilly Ledbetter was doing the same work at Goodyear as people who were hired later at higher wages yet for some reason her pay was never adjusted to current market.  Unfortunately, she only discovered she was grossly underpaid as she neared retirement. The Lilly Ledbetter Act signed by President Obama offers people like Lilly remedy if they do discover the inequity but that is where the Act stops.  There’s not much that addresses how to help that discovery – which is hard – especially in today’s market where having a job, regardless of the pay may be more important.

That said, what I love about being involved with Glassdoor is that they are trying to change the “in the dark” feeling that employees may feel on any number of workplace issues and bring more transparency to the workplace to ready people with more information to help them have needed conversations and help make the critical choices about their career. I have long believed more transparency in workplaces is better for everyone; employees – and employers.  So, if you think you may have a pay-gap issue, here are some smart steps to approach the topic with your employer:

1. Do your homework to ensure that you have real and credible data first

Use Glassdoor and other sites to gauge your pay relative to other jobs at your company, and in the market, and print out examples for your discussion. Keep in mind, there may be things behind the numbers that are not presented in the raw data, but account for the disparity — that’s the important part about having a conversation.

2. Be sure that you aren’t coming across as advocating without good reason

Evaluate if the disparity in compensation is specific just to you or to a broader group.  Identify what occurrences throughout your career may have influenced how and when you received pay raises. For example: Does your company conduct annual pay raises? How have you met, exceeded or fell short of the annual goals that were given to you? Have you taken time off work for an extended period of time? How does your experience compare to other individuals of the same gender who have currently or previously had your position?

If after careful thought, you still think you are still underpaid, remember that this could be something happening companywide and you may have an opportunity to help more people than just yourself.  What you don’t want to do is force the win of a battle, to just lose the war.  Think about it.  You will know what is right to push for now and what to wait on for later.

3. Seek trusted advice

If you are female, seek out the most senior female influential executive (who is not your boss) and ask for her advice on how to broach the subject with your manager and/or HR. Take their advice.  The same can be said if you are not a female.  Having other senior influencers in the company who can help support the inequity, can only be a help to you.

4. Be patient

Recognize that almost all companies are dealing with numerous issues right now just trying to stay above water while also trying to figure out the implications of the Ledbetter Act.  There is also the likelihood that the high volume of layoffs could be creating unintended pay gaps that will need to be remedied over time.  I guarantee most employers are trying to keep people employed first and address pay inequity second. So, be patient and understand that this won’t change overnight.  It doesn’t mean that you should forget the issue, but the more you can be seen as helping be a part of the solution versus a part of the problem, then the more listening time you will get.

I’d love to hear feedback from anyone who thinks this is an issue and how you’re addressing it.

Tips on How to Approach Suspected Pay Inequity is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. Would More Salary Transparency Have Helped Lilly Ledbetter?
2. Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act Marks One Year Anniversary; Has Salary Transparency Improved?
3. Engineering Pay Gap? Glassdoor Reveals Many Women Engineers Earn Less than Men

Some of the most recent news on this front comes out of Caterpillar, who offered 2,000 of their employees the option of early retirement.  While in January the company announced the layoff of more than 22,000, this most recent effort seems to be gesture of goodwill toward their current employees.  The company has been seeing sales drop significantly as with construction tapering off, the need for bulldozers, excavators and the like are in much less demand.  CEO Owens did, however, note that if Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan passes, that he’d be able to hire back some of those individuals that were previously let go.

In looking at the company reviews and ratings for Caterpillar on Glassdoor, it isn’t surprising that they are trying to do something somewhat positive for their employees given their current financial situation.  Here’s how Caterpillar and its CEO rate as a whole:

Have a look at some recent quotes from both current and past employees that demonstrate the mutual respect between company and staff:

Well this was a good place to work I enjoyed it. The pay was good and the environment was friendly. I was let go due to the current economic situation. I would like to go back if things turn around. Overall I would say that this is a great company

The environment of friendly people. People are genuinely concerned for each other, and overall there is not a sense of competition but of support and encouragement for each other. There is a good diversity in ethnicity, gender, and age, and everyone is very welcoming in the office environment.

There are a lot of opportunities to work in diifferent areas. They are also focusing more on work life balance and have experimented with flexible work hours, compressed work week and the ability to work from home. The people who work at Caterpillar are extraordinary to work with and teamwork is very evident.

Caterpillar Employees Satisfied Overall; Company Offers 2,000 Early Retirement is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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In a series of moves to tighten up operations involving the White House, President Barack Obama moved to freeze the salaries of high-paid aides in a mostly symbolic nod to the country’s economic turmoil. Obama was quoted saying “Families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington.”

In addition to the cut backs felt by high ranking aides, there is one group of government employees in particular, Schedule C employees, that may be feeling the shifts in jobs and salary more dramatically than others. Schedule C are usually political appointed positions and are employees who are subject to change at the discretion of a new Administration.

According to Politico.com, there are about 2,000 Schedule C political appointments that younger campaign staffers can hope to fill. However they report that “most of those jobs will remain empty until Cabinet nominees and agency administrators fill the 900 to 1,000 senior executive service positions, including chiefs of staff. According to one estimate, many of those Schedule C positions won’t be filled before March or May, so buckle in for a long ride.”

As reported by About.com, Schedule C positions typically pay out an annual salary of $60,000 to $85,000, a very attractive and reliable source of income for the next four years for this younger workforce demographic. Some examples of Schedule C positions include the White House liaison in the Department of Interior, the confidential assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Education for Vocational and Adult Education, and the Director of Media Affairs in the Department of Labor.

For all those who are seeking a job with the new Obama administration, have a look at some of the useful tips on page 27 of the White House Transition Project report.

While we don’t have a category of Schedule C jobs on Glassdoor, we do have reviews for jobs in Washington, DC and many government employees, including US Postal Service, US Army and US Navy And if you’re in line for one of the vacant Schedule C jobs, don’t forget to post your job company review and salary insights telling what it’s like working for the new administration.

Obama Political Win Means Job Loss and Job Win is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

Related posts:

1. Obama Jobs Summit Stirs Questions Over Salary Awareness
2. Obama Salary Caps and Transparency
3. Obama Extends Benefits for Domestic Partners of Federal Employees. How Does Your Company Rate?